WATERBURY — Waterbury native Tony Ursini started golfing at East Mountain Golf Course in 1979 when he was 12. Times have changed since then, but the city-owned golf course, along with its clubhouse and eatery, have remained largely the same for nearly four decades.
According to Ursini, the course hasn’t seen significant renovations since it was built in the early 1930s. As a regular golfer, he said this meant dealing with an outdated, often unclean clubhouse and a less-than-ideal dining experience.
But recently completed renovations aim to offer a more welcoming environment for golfers and visitors.
“Previously, we didn’t have many options,” Ursini told CT Examiner on Wednesday. “Now, the [kitchen] area has been expanded where people can sit down at the bar to eat or drink. We used to pick up our food right in front of the grill, no matter what you were ordering. The biggest difference is the room we now have. I’m also looking forward to seeing the fireplace we will have.”
The clubhouse and Mountain Grille were closed from Jan. 1, 2023, to Nov. 1 for renovations funded by a $2.5 million LOCIP grant. While the golf course stayed open, officials said East Mountain lost hundreds of golfers during the closure.
Wolcott-based J.A. Rosa Construction, LLC worked on the project.
The clubhouse and grille were gutted, and brand new plumbing, electrical units, HVAC systems, among others were installed. The men’s and women’s locker rooms, which once had stained floors and tiles — were upgraded as well, members said.
Mayor Paul Pernerewski, who attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the site on Nov. 16, said any changes to the clubhouse in the past “was one Band-Aid on top of another.”
In June, the city selected Mark Goggin, his wife Pama and Fran Phelan to run the clubhouse and grille. The trio were one of two bidders and funded all the kitchen upgrades and new furniture.
According to the agreement, which runs through December 2029, the Goggins and Phelan must pay the city $27,000 annually in rent for the first two years, $30,000 annually for the next two years, and $33,000 the last year.
Mark Goggin, an avid golfer who was raised in Waterbury and now lives in nearby Prospect, told CT Examiner on Wednesday that owning the clubhouse and grille “is a labor of love.”
Goggin said the club currently has about 210 members and expects to regain the golfers it lost due to the renovation via social media, word of mouth and the active men’s and women’s golf associations.
“This is not a country club,” he said. “It’s a municipal course, but it’s community. Everyone here knows one another. It’s community and that’s the biggest difference with us.”
Pernerewski said the golf course and clubhouse are “a bit smaller [than other courses] and a little bit more intimate. It’s just a very friendly, homey and nice atmosphere.”
Goggin also noted that the course is affordable, offering a round of 18 holes of golf for about $60.
Goggin currently has seven employees in the clubhouse and grille, with plans to have 20 by next spring and summer.
The Mountain Grille, which offers a pub menu with items like burgers, shrimp tacos and hotdogs, will be expanded with more food options in the future. Additionally, Goggin said plans include 4,400 square feet of outdoor seating.
“It’s a fresh approach to what used to be here. It’s an upgrade. You also have food, friends and you will have a great time,” he said of East Mountain.