Knoebels nearly doubles its size.

I knew about this for several day but didn't think to post it until I saw it on the local news. I did a few quick searches online but didn't come up with any links to submit it to the news section.

Anyway Knoebels purchased or will purchase in the next few days the Three Ponds Golf Course located next to the park on Rt 487. From the news article they stated they plan on keeping it a public golf course and want to incorporate it in as part of the park but aren't really sure how to do that and keep current members of the course happy. They are going to keep the current golf staff and the former owner will stay on as an advisor.

**EDIT** Here's a link of the brief story WBRE ran on yesterdays news. *** Edited 1/12/2007 11:58:55 PM UTC by coasterpunk***

Yeah for Knoebels! As business decisions go, that one was above par.

SO....is it fair to assume that the flyers will be renamed...."flying EAGLES"... ;)

It's tee time for phun puns?

Have to wonder if the golf course would stay around for "a few years", if it might not become part of future expansion...

Flyers? Huh? Did someone say PHLYERS? :-P

;)

No, Tina. Bill wouldn't dare tease us with still so many months 'til we can ride them again. :)

I just don't see the campground clientele as being the same kind of people who like to golf. When I think of people who are interested in golf courses, I imagine that they would want to stay in a nice four star hotel.

Is there a chance that after a few years the golf course could be used as park expansion?

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Acoustic Viscosity said:No, Tina. Bill wouldn't dare tease us with still so many months 'til we can ride them again.

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You're right - I wouldn't do that... ;)

...and it's not like I have a decent set of flyers to tempt you with. Flyers, yes. Decent, no.

I'm looking forward to trying your flying crates in another month. :)

I don't know what to think about this purchase. Seems kind of odd to me, even for a park kind of ecentric like Knoebels. *** Edited 1/12/2007 2:33:58 AM UTC by Acoustic Viscosity***

Doesn't seem odd to me. If the golf course was for sale they may have grabbed it to keep others away that may have used the land in a way to compete with Knoebels or dimish the value of the park.

Seems like a smooth move to me.

I'm pleased about this, Knoebels really is upping the "resort" aspect of the park when they bought the lake and campground, and now with this giving more to do even aside from main draw, the park. A hotel would be cool actually, and I wonder how they will incorporate this.

Things Knoebels can do with Three Ponds Golf Course.
1) Add another mile or two to the Pioneer Train Ride.
2) Have lots of room to store lumber and framing for the next coaster they build.
3) Relocate the Covered Bridge Craft Fair (wishful thinking) :)

I like the train idea

...Or they could add a monorail that goes to all 4 places (course, lake glory, park, park campground) maybe I just really like monorails...

A monorail would be cool for transportation, as long as it was free... or crazy cheap like .10 and you didn't have to get off at every stop.

Plus Knoebel's would be the perfect place for a classic monorail.

If they had an open air monorail, perhaps they could give you free tickets for every golf ball you catch. ;)

Rumors of the eventual conversion of the newly-acquired Golf Course into amusement park lands are greatly exaggerated. In fact, long term plans might even involve closing the park and campground, and using that land for an additional nine or eighteen holes for the Golf Course. (I got this info directly from Bizarro Knoebel, himself).

Naturally, as much of the existing park and campground would be maintained and included in the new golf course. Masters of irony would appreciate the new hole which tees off from one of the original miniature Golf Course greens. Phoenix trains could be sold off but the structure left behind, providing a challenging hole with teeing from the peak of the lift. Those using golf carts - especially the one built from Michigan Adventure trains - would then be able to enjoy a dip or two of the Phoenix layout if they so chose, before getting back on task to catch up with their balls.

The play area in the campground could be maintained as a sand trap, presumably one of the few such traps anywhere, with a fiberglass Loch Ness monster, or whatever the Big Green Thing is meant to be. At least one of the Merry-Go-Rounds would provide a bit of a challenge as a rotating tee shot; a seemingly disasterous shank or a slice might translate into a dead-center fairway shot with the correct timing. And a brass ring would provide its bearer an on-demand mulligan.

Maintenance workers already have enough golf carts in use at the park to take care of the increased business at the upgraded Three Ponds golf course. Or should it be Six ponds, or even more? - the Crystal Pool could be retained as a water hazard, and there are ponds at the Flume, Sklooosh!, Bumper Boats, etc.

For the easily frustrated golfer, we could convert more of our Lusse skooter cars into golf carts; and rather than wrapping one's clubs around a tree when having a bad round, one could just drive his cart to the Skooter building and take out a little frustration there.

The Sky Ride could be left in service, for Golfers only, of course, but the tee at the top of the hill, hitting down into the valley, would provide Knoebels' Golf Course with the longest, tallest, and fastest hole in golf.

Now, I don't claim to know much about Golf, so maybe other people might press their creativity into service to find other means of reworking these useless amusement rides into something of real value in a Golf course. Maybe we can come up with some Inverted Greens, Campground fire ring hazards, or even a Balls-O-Fun hazard. Feel free to comment.

John Fetterman, trying to keep his medications straight!

Knoebels Amusement Resort and campground and campground and bed and breakfast and golf course

And one further comment, for fans of B&M, Intamin, Premier, and the like: why do you think his name is not Tiger Steels??

And another comment. I was told about a website about another Golf Course which had to declare bankruptcy. I clicked on the URL to read about it, but it turned out ot be just another broke link.

And another comment. Great. Jeez, now we can be bought out by the Hershey Country Club every other year...

I can't speak for Paula or Moosh, but I am quite impressed... :)

My personal favorite is the Lusse-brand golf cart. It's been almost 20 years since I shot a round of golf, but if there's a course I'd like to play, it's the "reworked" Three Ponds, as designed by John Fetterman. ;)

Try to hit a ball through the snapping flyers. All sorts of obstacles. ;)

The calendar doesn't say April 1.

Tiger has a controlling interest?

;)

So, this makes Knoebels the premeir resort destination. Add a hotel/indoor waterpark and we have something better than that bigger park across the Delaware. ;-)

I have to say the buzz at PPP was around the golf course, and I knew it was just a matter of time. Personally I am thrilled with any expansion, even if it is a good walk ruined!