HOLYOKE — The 110-acre golf course at Wyckoff Country Club will soon be converted into an upscale residential community comprising up to 126 homes, Wyckoff owner Cesar Ruiz announced Tuesday.
With the country club slated to close Nov. 1, Ruiz said the decision to develop the course into homes came after a “thorough strategic planning exercise” to determine the Easthampton Road property’s best use.
The property’s views of the Holyoke Range and Whiting Reservoir, as well as the region’s “acute need” for housing, Ruiz said, makes the site a prime location for residential housing.
“This will truly be a spectacular residential community that will appeal to those in Holyoke looking to transition to a new home, those in the region looking for a unique residential space and may also appeal to those outside of the area wanting to purchase a home near the many natural resources and the lifestyle available in Western Massachusetts,” Ruiz said in a statement.
According to a 2025 study conducted by the UMass Donahue Institute, Hampden County has a shortage of 12,991 homes. In the region comprising Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties, the study found that 23,420 homes are needed to meet current demand.
Ruiz, who purchased the property early last year for $2.8 million, initially envisioned it as a place for a new Volleyball Hall of Fame and sports complex along with the golf course. He said Tuesday that increased demand for housing, along with the oversaturation of golf courses in the area and the emergence of virtual golfing alternatives, influenced his decision to change plans.
“We certainly made large investments of capital and time to the golf course … but after our thorough analysis we came to the conclusion that the best use of the property is clearly to add to a very thin housing stock,” he stated. “There still are plenty of golf opportunities in the region, but there are not enough homes to serve our local population.”
Ruiz said that all events at Wyckoff for Nov. 2 and beyond are canceled.
Because the site is already zoned residential, Ruiz said that no zoning change will be required to develop the neighborhood. With engineering and traffic studies underway, he is searching for a developer.
With building lots expected to span a minimum of 20,000 square feet, and the space capable of fitting 126 homes, Ruiz said the community will likely generate around $1 million annually in local real estate taxes.
“I am proud of what our team was able to accomplish at the Wyckoff,” Ruiz said. “This is a property that was in decline for many years and we made significant investments to upgrade the golf course and make our banquet hall and restaurant vibrant, after many years of dormancy.”
Responding to constituents’ questions about the proposed development, Ward 7 City Councilor Meg Magrath-Smith wrote in a Facebook post that numerous housing projects are underway downtown and that the city cannot tell a private business what it can or cannot do on its property, as long as it follows the law.
“The city does not own Wyckoff. It is private property,” the councilor wrote. “The city can require an owner to follow our ordinances, but we can’t prevent them from doing what is allowable on their properties. There isn’t a ‘we’ here.”
Ruiz thanked his community and staff for their years of support for the golf course. He also revealed that he had a major health scare over the summer and his recovery time allowed him to analyze all options for Wyckoff.
“Experiencing a major health challenge, which I am happy to say I am recovering from, allowed me the time and space to determine what was the best and highest use for the property in a community that I am heavily invested in,” he said. “In my heart, I know this is the right thing to do for the community.”
When he bought the golf course, Ruiz said the purchase aligned with his stated goal of turning Holyoke into the “Sports Capital of New England.” In February 2024, Ruiz and Holyoke Mayor Josh Garcia revealed plans to build a large sports complex, known as the USA International Sports Complex. The complex would center around a new facility hosting the Volleyball Hall of Fame, commemorating the sport invented in Holyoke in 1895 by William G. Morgan, a physical education director at the local YMCA.
Despite years of discussion, neighborhood opposition and litigation, the country club had brought forth no formal plans for the sports complex as of Aug. 15, according to MassLive. It is unclear whether the incoming housing development will upend plans for a sports complex.
