The Normanside County Club will be remaining a golf course.
The winning bidder in an auction for the property’s mortgage note is Rafael Flores, the owner of the Mohawk Country Club in Rexford.
Flores said he plans to open up the course to the public. Normanside had previously been a membership-driven course.
I think Normanside is an excellent course and we’d like to keep it as a course, Flores said. `I think most people in the area would be thrilled to play Normanside.`
Flores declined to discuss specifics of the bid, but said the deal with the Bank of America should be closed by March 22.
Flores also owns The Hiland Park Country Club in Queensbury.
The identity of Normanside’s buyer has been a matter of much speculation in the week since it became clear the Town of Bethlehem had not succeeded in its bid for the course. A private buyer who’s willing to keep it as a golf course could be a win-win for the town. It would be maintained as green space and still remain on the tax rolls.
Flores said he’ll be focusing on making Normanside a premier location for weddings and special events. The club was already a draw for such business when the club announced it would be shuttered earlier this year.
`Normanside is a perfect location for us, there’s not really a lot else around there,` he said.
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