'Great Memories': Bittersweet Goodbye For Tewksbury Country Club As Tree House Brewing Takes Over
TEWKSBURY (CBS) - A bittersweet goodbye for so many families across the Merrimack Valley - who celebrated some of the most special moments of their lives at the Tewksbury Country Club.
"We did over 10,000 events, more than 2,000 weddings. Great memories. We did a lot of things for the community. We had fun there," owner Marc Ginsburg reminisced, by phone.
After 25 years, and surviving the pandemic, the popular venue was approached by Charlton-based Tree House Brewing - with an offer they couldn't refuse.
"A month ago, this wasn't even a conversation. This has accelerated so fast," he added.
"I saw they weren't going to be booking after the 31st and I was like oh my God we're the 31st! That means we're the last event!" bride Kristen Kelley said of her New Year's Eve wedding.
She and her fiancé are among this year's lucky couples whose weddings will go on as planned. But Courtney is maid of honor in one of 35 weddings that now have to find new venues next year when the country club becomes a beer hall.
"She wants this specific date. Now she has to find a place to accommodate this date without fighting with other people over it," Courtney said of her sister's wedding.
They're up against other couples who delayed their weddings due to COVID. The pandemic certainly played into this difficult decision to sell.
"We're going out our way. I didn't want the government shutdown to be their way for us to go out. At least we got to come back up again and now we're going to do it our way. That's the thing we're proud about doing," Ginsburg said.
Couples that were going to get married there in 2023 will receive their deposits back, plus extra compensation for the inconvenience. And for all the golfers - fear not. Tree House says the golf course stays.