Mountain Branch, Hartefeld courses sold

Hartefeld National Golf Club and Mountain Branch Golf Club, two quality facilities in the area, have been sold.

In a surprise announcement late yesterday that contained few details, Forewinds Hospitality, which bought the courses only two years ago, said it had sold Hartefeld National in Avondale, Pa., and Mountain Branch in Joppa, Md., to Pegasus Golf Partners for an undisclosed amount.

Pegasus, a golf course investment company based in Fort Worth, Texas, entered the Philadelphia-area market last year with the purchase of Tattersall Golf Club in West Chester, an upscale daily fee course that it renamed Broad Run Golfer's Club and recast as a mid-priced course.

Executives from Forewinds and Pegasus could not be reached last night, but the press release contained a brief statement from Forewinds managing partner Ron Winarick.

"As part of the transaction, we anticipate business as usual for the golfers and diners at these fine clubs," Winanick said.

It was unclear if that means Hartfeld will continue to operate as a private club and Mountain Branch as a daily-fee facility.

Hartefeld, designed by acclaimed architect Tom Fazio, opened a dozen years ago. Mountain Branch, designed by Jeff Matthai and Davis Sezna, opened in 2002.