Courtesy Van Patten Golf Course
Van Patten Golf Club in Clifton Park will open its Cooley Kill Restaurant & Bar on Thursday, April 14.
A grand opening is planned for 2 p.m. that day.
The opening celebrations will continue Friday, April 15, with the golf course opening for play at 8 a.m. for the first time of the season. Later that evening will feature live music from Skippy and The Pistons from 7-10 p.m., and a firework display starting around 8:30 p.m.
The Cooley Kill Restaurant & Bar opened for guests on Wednesday, April 6. Passholders and the general public are invited to visit Wednesday through Saturday, with hours of operation from 4-9 p.m.
Reservations are requested at www.CooleyKillRestaurant.com.
The restaurant’s name and re-designed logo pay homage to the Cooley Kill, a once vital water supply resource to the early settlers of what is now Clifton Park, according to the owners.
Today, Cooley Kill remains an important asset to Van Patten Golf Club as it functions as the club’s main drainage line, pulling water from the course and depositing it into the property’s ponds. Once there, the water is then used to irrigate the course.
Cooley Kill will offer both a bar and dining menu that will feature several fresh seafood offerings including fish and chips, jumbo shrimp, calamari, scallops, lobster tail, and honey chili salmon. The menus will also feature favorites and staples such as the Smokehouse Burger, filet mignon, prime New York strip, braised short ribs, pasta plates, salads, and desserts such as carrot cake, bread pudding and flourless chocolate cake.
A grand opening was held April 8 on the heels of Zachary Arsenault’s introduction as the executive chef for both Cooley Kill and The Vista Banquet and Ballroom at Van Patten.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to lead our talented team of chefs and to provide our guests with a culinary experience to remember,” said Arsenault. “I look forward to serving all of our guests at Van Patten Golf Club.”
Van Patten Golf Club, at 924 Main St., Clifton Park, is just 20 minutes from Saratoga Springs. It has 27 holes ranging in all levels of difficulty.
Though built in 1968, Van Patten reconfigured the course in 2004 after the building of a 15,000-square-foot clubhouse and banquet hall, The Vista. The clubhouse offers multiple event rooms and a scenic terrace for banquets and events.
The business is owned by Lance Orcutt and Roland Mann, who bought the course in 2021 from the Van Patten family. At that time they worked with Environmental Design Partnership of Clifton Park to put together a master plan for the property. They are also worked with Michael Phinney of Phinney Architectural Design in Saratoga Springs and award-winning golf course architect Steven Kay.
For more information about Van Patten Golf Club, visit vanpattengolf.com.