The Loop

You're telling me this Connecticut town is getting a Costco AND discounted tee times?

April 05, 2014

This is one of the stranger deals I've read about lately, but hey, it results in a price break for golfers, so it can't be all bad.

Costco is building one of its gigantic warehouse stores in New Britain, Conn. Part of the store is going to be on land now used by the town's 27-hole Stanley Golf Course (pictured). Designed by architect Orrin E. Smith, it carries 3.5 stars out of a possible 5 in our Best Places to Play ratings.

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To make this work, the golf course will need to build two replacement holes. That's how nearby Newington, Conn., got dragged into the deal. It has the rights to a 15.5-acre piece of state-owned land adjoining the course.

As Erica Schmitt explains in the New Britain Herald, Newington agreed to let the course use that land and, in return, its residents will get discounted green fees at the Stanley Golf Course -- just as if they were New Britain residents. People who work in Newington and pay taxes there will get the same price break.

It's a pretty good discount, too. A $20 Benefits Card gets them 20 percent off regular green fees ($39.50 for adults on weekends). They can also buy a season pass for $900, a discount of $410 off the non-resident price. Those 62 and older can get one for just $750.

It seems head professional Kyle Hedstrom can barely contain his excitement about the deal. "With Newington receiving resident rates because of this Costco deal we know it's going to blow all the records out of the water," he told the Herald.

In case you're wondering, non-golfers don't come out of this deal empty-handed. Newington will be able to collect property tax on the land too.