They will be seen gracing the Liberty National Golf Club, the new $130 million 18-hole championship course near Liberty State Park. The course was financed and developed by the father and son team Paul and Dan Fireman in partnership with Hoboken-based Applied Companies.
Professional golfer Tom Kite and noted golf course designer Bob Cupp designed it.
"If ever my career as a golf course architect is to be defined, it'll be by Liberty National," said Cupp on Wednesday.
Liberty National opened for playing that day with a morning event featuring speeches from Cupp, the Firemans, and Mayor Jerramiah Healy.
The membership fee is estimated to range from $300,000 to $500,000. Already among the members are New England Patriots football team owner Robert Kraft, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, and Bill Getty of the Getty oil family.
The 7,400-yard course was over 10 years in the making, built on land once occupied by oil containers and used by the U.S. Army as an ammunition dump. Now the 160-acre site of pristine green overlooking the Statue of Liberty will also contain a heliport to fly the members onto the course, a clubhouse to open by 2007 that will offer premier dining from New York restaurateur Tom Colicchio, yacht service from Manhattan to the golf course, and a world class golf performance practice center.
But Liberty National won't be only about golf. There are plans to build three residential condominiums on the outskirts of the course in 2007.Tee time
Liberty National opened three weeks ahead of its scheduled July 4 opening. According to Liberty National spokesperson Emma Haber, the opening was earlier since development finished sooner than expected and members were eager to get onto the course.
Paul Fireman, former CEO of Reebok, spoke about developing the course.
"It was something we envisioned that would be not just another golf course but one that turned a questionable piece of land into something beautiful," said Fireman. "We also thought of bringing something that would have the backdrop of the Statue of Liberty."
He also thanked his son Dan for being on the site to see that the course was completed.
Healy sees Liberty National as enhancing Jersey City's image as an up and coming destination.
"You'll be seeing Liberty National golf course and Jersey City on all the major networks as they cover the PGA events that will be here shortly," said Healy.
A number of other local officials were on hand to usher in the opening of Liberty National, including several members of the City Council, like Ward E City Councilman Steven Fulop who later took a tour of the golf course, and Jersey City Police Chief Robert Troy.
Barbara Netchert, director of the city's Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce, was impressed at how Liberty National turned out after years of development. Netchert pointed out that the course lies within the Liberty Harbor Redevelopment Area.
"I remembered what this land looked like in the early 1990s, and to see what it has become is nothing short of stunning," said Netchert.
After the official ribbon cutting, Liberty National members and guests at the opening were then driven in golf carts around the course.
Among the members was local businessman Joe DiFeo of DiFeo Auto Group of Jersey City.
"It's a spectacular thing what they have built here, it's great for Jersey City," said DiFeo. "As a pure golf course, it will be sought after for tournaments. Things like this puts Jersey City on the map."
As far as being the future home of golf tournaments, Haber said that Liberty National management had not announced that. But in a press release for the opening, it was mentioned that course would "vie for major championships, such as the United States Open, Ryder Cup and President's Cup." Local school uses it
There were no complaints from Lincoln High School and its 15-member golf team, coached by Tom Best and Troy Smith, who were on hand for the opening. They also toured the course.
Liberty National recently entered into an agreement with the high school to become the team's sponsor, supplying them with uniforms with a Liberty National insignia, equipment, assistance from golf instructors working on the course, and possibly using the course as a practice ground.
Lincoln High School Principal Dr. Michael Winds was cautiously complimentary about Liberty National's outreach to the team.
"There was a promise by Liberty National to help the team, and they have been very hospitable to us to make the [golf] program more successful," said Winds. "But everything was verbal, and we'll wait and see this promise through."
One of the team's players, junior Harvey Wegsa, looked forward to playing on a course of Liberty National's magnitude.
"It's exciting and a good thing to use a course like this, because this will help our game," said Wegesa. "And we have don't have to travel as far, since we [now] practice at the driving range in Lincoln Park or go to [Newark's] Weequahic Park." Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com
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