Bent Tree Golf Club in Sunbury is closing for good on Nov. 16, ending a run that stretches back to 1989. The club announced the news on Nov. 2, giving golfers just a couple of weeks to get in a final round before the course in Delaware County shuts down permanently.
According to dispatch.com, the public course announced on Nov. 2 that it would shut down after Nov. 16. The club is located at 350 Bent Tree Road in Berkshire Township, per 614now.com. Dispatch.com reports the course opened in 1989, while a Fox 28 headline describes the closure as coming after 37 years.
Why the Course Is Closing Remains a Mystery
The reason behind the shutdown hasn't been disclosed. The same 614now.com report states plainly that the reason for closing the course is unknown, leaving longtime members and neighbors without an explanation for why a course that's hosted golfers since the late 1980s is calling it quits.
Bent Tree described itself, in a Facebook message, as a place where friendships formed, traditions started and memories were created. The club encouraged visitors to revisit favorite holes and honor the memories made there, and invited the community to play one last round before the lights go out for good.
One Last Chance to Tee Off, Including a Chili Open
Golfers hoping to squeeze in a final outing have one organized option on the calendar. The course listed a Chili Open for Nov. 14, a four-person scramble costing $80 per golfer, with prizes and a chili buffet after golf, the same dispatch.com report notes.
B.R. Koehnemann, KemperSports' director of corporate communications, sent a statement on behalf of the company managing the club. “We are grateful to all of the loyal golfers and team members who have been part of the Bent Tree experience,” Koehnemann said. KemperSports added that it remains committed to the Columbus community through its work with other properties in the market.
Part of a Broader, Though Slowing, Industry Trend
Bent Tree's closure comes even as the pace of golf course shutdowns nationally has been easing. The National Golf Foundation reports that the number of golf course closures has declined significantly in recent years, with fewer than 90 18-hole equivalent closures in 2023 marking the fewest in some time. Still, for Sunbury golfers, that broader trend offers little comfort as a familiar local course prepares to go dark after Nov. 16.
