LEWISTON — This fall, a golfer very well might tee off for the very last time at Apple Valley Golf Course.

Owner Gard Craw has announced that he intends to close the course down at the end of the season. In a letter for the course members, Craw said, “The time has come to call it quits. This fall, when we shut down, there will be no ‘See you in the spring’ sign on the door. Apple Valley will not reopen again next spring.”

Craw is in his ninth year as the owner of the nine-hole course on Pinewoods Road. He purchased the course from the Gilroy family, who ran the course for 19 years.

“For me, my time has come to call it quits,” said Craw, a graduate of Edward Little who spent 30 years working in the golf industry before returning to Maine and purchasing Apple Valley.

Craw purchased the course with the intention of expanding it and developing Apple Valley Estates, a housing subdivision.

“It’s kind of been neglected,” said Craw, who told members in his letter that running the golf course had consumed too much time and he was ready to slow down a bit and find more balance in his life. “I know the economy has still been soft. We’re not doing much, but we’re working on some plans.”

Craw says he will not actively attempt to sell the golf course, but if a prospective buyer is interested, he’ll listen.

“If we don’t get an offer by the time it’s time to start mowing next spring, it will become hay,” said Craw. “If there’s interest out there, we’re here and we’ll consider any reasonable offer. But other than any reasonable offer, I don’t need to sell it.”

When Craw bought the course, he wanted to upgrade it and make improvements. His dream was to even build another nine holes. That never materialized, but he told members in his letter that he feels the course, its maintenance and conditions are as good as any in the area.

He estimated that there were about 100 members when he made the purchase nine years ago. He said business has remained the same over the years, but golfers are coming out with less frequency. The economy has had a significant effect on how often people are out to play, but he says the state of business wasn’t a prime factor in his decision.

“Certainly if we were having the Brinks truck going to the bank every day, it might have been a harder decision to make,” said Craw. “But that didn’t really have much to do with my decision.”

In fact, Craw says it ultimately wasn’t a hard choice to make at all. He knows the time is right to do something different.

“I’ve lost three family members in the last year-and-a-half,” Craw said. “I had a big family reunion that I couldn’t even attend because I was basically tied to this place. So it was actually an easy decision once I came to realize that life was too short and that this business demanded a lot of time. It’s time to slow down a little bit and enjoy my family and not work so hard and focus on my subdivision.”

He says he’s enjoyed his time owning and running Apple Valley. He says he’s pleased with where the course is after nearly a decade of being devoted to it.

“I’ve met a lot of great people,” said Craw. “I enjoyed working on the golf course and improving it. Was it a great investment? Certainly not. But not all investments are good ones. But, it’s just time to move on.”

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