Eight Members Sue Faxon's Group Over Proposed Metacomet Sale

The Providence Journal’s Kevin McNamara reports on the deteriorating situation involving Metacomet Golf Club, purchased last year by a group that includes Brad Faxon. Besides different views about the long term viability of the club, the suit figures to garner national attention given the courses Donald Ross roots. It’s rare these days for a Ross to be sold off for development.

The members are claiming that Faxon and his investment group, the Metacomet Property Company, misled the club and made numerous promises after buying the Donald Ross-designed course that they did not live up to. Metacomet Property Co. has announced its plans to sell the golf club to Marshall Development, which has said it plans to “redevelop the site into an exciting first-class mixed-use property that will bolster both commerce and community in the upper bay.”

Those plans contradict discussions Faxon and his partners had with members at a Nov. 18 town-hall style meeting at Metacomet, according to the lawsuit. The suit claims the owners “gave a visual and audio presentation to the dues paying members of the Club, describing in detail the intended golf operations for the Club for the 2020 golf year, which included, among other things, the costs and expenses to be incurred by the Members, the golf course and tournament schedule for the Club, specific improvements to be made to the Property, including the golf course, and other operation intentions and plans.”

Metacomet Property Company assessed each member $3,800 for the 2020 golf season but nearly three months later, on Feb. 20, 2020, the membership was alerted to negotiations to sell.

Some reports, including this one by Tommy Gorman, say the land could be worth $10 million without permits.