Exclusive homes: Glenmoor Country Club
For many locals, it’s hard to believe that Glenmoor Country Club and surrounding homes began 20 years ago. Many people remember when the land started to be developed in the area surrounding the one-time monastary — and when golf legend Jack Nicklaus came to town for the opening of the golf course. With stunning homes and a unique club history, Glenmoor was an easy pick for About magazine’s annual Exclusive Homes issue. Read on to learn more about the history of the club — and meet some of the neighbors.
Iris Wolstein, wife and business partner of Bert Wolstein for more than 57 years, recalls when her late husband viewed Brunnerdale Seminary and saw a vision for Glenmoor Country Club.
Wolstein, who often visited relatives in Stark County, toured the Gothic-style structure after hearing it was for sale.
“He had the vision that the chapel would make a great restaurant,” said Mrs. Wolstein.
The 167,000-square-foot seminary had been built early in the 1930s on a site donated by the bachelor brothers who owned the farm surrounding it. The brothers made a bequest of that farm to the Catholic Church’s Society of Precious Blood, which ran the school for young men preparing for the priesthood.
“When he realized there were well over 300 acres surrounding the seminary, he thought, ‘If I could purchase this property, I could make a country club out of it and build a golf course,’ ” recalled Mrs. Wolstein.
All he had to do was get the pope to sign off on the deal.
“Being in real estate, he was accustomed to tough deals, but having to deal with the pope ... ,” began Mrs. Wolstein, who with her husband purchased the property in 1989. “The only stipulation was that we remove the religious items from the chapel. We gutted the chapel and donated the religious items to churches in the area.”
The Wolsteins hired four architects before finding an individual who shared their dreams for Glenmoor’s clubhouse.
“We wanted to maintain the integrity of the building,” said Mrs. Wolstein. “We kept the chapel as much intact as possible, but windows and fixtures were broken. What we did was have replicas made. The floor, walls, ceiling and woodwork are all original.”
Mrs. Wolstein had a fireplace built in the former chapel, where the altar had been.
“It fit in so well that people thought it was always there,” she recalled.
The European-style spa — The Spa at Glenmoor — opened in December 1991. In July 1992, the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course began operation.
“He (Bert Wolstein) contacted Jack Nicklaus to design the golf course and they became fast friends,” said Mrs. Wolstein. “Jack came out at least a dozen times to see if everything was going according to their plans.”
The grand opening of the main clubhouse followed in April 1993.
“Upon entering the main clubhouse, guests see the beautifully refinished tile floors and the high stone archways, and they can immediately feel the history of Glenmoor,” it reads in the club’s history information.
The small rooms used by those who resided at the seminary were removed to make the Black Heath Grille, the upscale dining room. On the lower level is Scot’s Grille and Patio. The chapel that Bert Wolstein had viewed with such vision now indeed is seen by diners.
“For a fine dining experience in a truly unique and historical setting,” says the club’s history, “we offer the magnificence of the Chapel, which served as just that for the students attending the seminary.”
Apartments were built in the remainder of the building, noted Mrs. Wolstein. Some of those apartments have been turned into condominiums in the 20 years Glenmoor has existed and “we’re continually building homes.”
Seventy-four rooms for guests — including the 2,000-square-foot Presidential Suite — also are part of Glenmoor and have served as the away-from-home lodging of celebrities, athletes and entertainers during the club’s two decades of history.
“The thing we’re proud of is that at a time when so many country clubs are in dire straits, we are holding our own,” said Mrs. Wolstein. “We are doing fantastic.”
HOMEOWNERS: Bob and Melissa Shearer
YEAR BUILT: 2007
HOMEOWNERS SINCE: 2007 (Glenmoor Club members since 1994)
SQUARE FEET: 3,700 plus 1,500 lower level
BEDROOMS: 4 BATHS: 5
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR HOME? We enjoy spending time outside during the summer months because our gardens, pool area and outside living spaces are overflowing with beautiful flowers.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BUILD YOUR HOME IN GLENMOOR? The great neighbors, golf and tennis activities and all of Glenmoor's wonderful amenities made the selection easy — it is a very comfortable community.
HOMEOWNERS: Prasad and Indira Nidamanuri
YEAR BUILT: 1997
HOMEOWNERS SINCE: 2008
SQUARE FEET: About 3,000
BEDROOMS: 5 BATHS: 3
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR HOME? We love the location of our house and the view of the beautiful golf course.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BUILD OR PURCHASE YOUR HOME IN GLENMOOR? We wanted to be in Glenmoor because of the privacy and facilities available at the clubhouse.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT GLENMOOR? We are very happy with our decision to live in Glenmoor. We get to enjoy all the facilities that are available here right in our backyard.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT GLENMOOR? At the end of the day, we love coming home, jumping on our golf cart, and racing out to the golf course. Meeting good friends on Friday nights in the Loch Bar is a close second.
HOMEOWNER: Mark Koontz
YEAR BUILT: 2009
HOMEOWNER SINCE: 2011 (was model home Prior to purchase)
SQUARE FEET: 1,650, plus 1,600 finished lower level
BEDROOMS: 2 BATHS: 2 full, 1 half
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR HOME? I love how the house flows. There’s lots of space and I love how the great room melds right into the kitchen. I re-did extensive landscaping in the back here and really enjoy it.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO PURCHASE YOUR HOME IN GLENMOOR?
I love Glenmoor — to me this is the only place to be. It’s a very private place.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT GLENMOOR?
The people here are great and very, very friendly. You really feel a sense of security.
HOMEOWNERS: Mark and Becky Shermis
YEAR BUILT: 2006
HOMEOWNERS SINCE: 2009
SQUARE FEET: About 5,280
BEDS: 6 BATHS: 3 FULL, 1 HALF
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR HOME? In the winter it’s the Hearth Room, the cozy family room off the kitchen with open setting, stone fireplace, flat-screen TV above fireplace, and bar area nearby — a great place for having conversations and watching the snow fall. In the summer, it’s the backyard and patio overlooking the 13th fairway. We love to spend evenings around the fire pit with friends and our dogs, Max and Maddie, relaxing to stereo music there and listening to the running water trickling from the stone fountain, surrounded by beautiful flowers and landscaping.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO PURCHASE YOUR HOME IN GLENMOOR? When we first walked into our home, it was “love at first sight.” We love the open feeling when you walk in, with the spacious foyer, spiral staircase and two balconies within the interior. The woodwork is incredible around the home with built-ins; all the wood is Brazilian Cherry. It was a “home” not a “house” even before we moved in our furniture.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT GLENMOOR? We love our neighbors and the Glenmoor Country Club. It’s very family-oriented environment, with an excellent golf course and lots of country club events to keep us busy all year round.
HOMEOWNERS: James and Julie McCann
YEAR BUILT: 1999
HOMEOWNERS SINCE: 2009
SQUARE FEET: 7,300
BEDROOMS: 4 BATHS: 4 full, 2 half
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR HOME? Our favorite thing about our home is the quality and location. We love the openness of the home, the several fireplaces — especially the fireplace in our great room. The back patio is where we love to spend most of our time. Our home is a very solid, incredibly well-built home. We love our lot location and neighbors.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO PURCHASE YOUR HOME IN GLENMOOR? We chose to live here because we love the house and the location, plus the private security and that it is a gated community with easy access to the Glenmoor faciliites.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT GLENMOOR? We love that friends are a golf cart drive away — and enjoy using the pool and tennis courts whenever we can. All in all, it’s a fabulous quiet place to live.
HOMEOWNERS: Dave and Donna Paola
YEAR BUILT: 2011
HOMEOWNERS SINCE: 2011
SQUARE FEET: ABOUT 3,300; PLUS partially finished lower level
BEDS: 4 BATHS: 3 Full, 1 half
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR HOME? Back screened porch and patio. We both grew up in homes with front porches and have missed that element for years. So our back porch has become our old “front porch” as we wave and talk to folks who pass by on the golf cart path. Folks seem to stop in more easily, which we really enjoy. And it is a relaxed, informal atmosphere. We feel so very blessed to be able to be here.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BUILD YOUR HOME IN GLENMOOR? We are empty-nesters and left the home where we had raised our kids for over 20 years. But several reasons drew us to the Grand Villas at Glenmoor — the trees and pond views, the one-floor living and outdoor maintenance handled. It is also in close proximity to our church. We are active and enjoy our church family at Church of the Lakes and it's actually closer for us now. We can get to church in less than 5 minutes. We love that!
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT GLENMOOR? At the very top of the list are simply the people — the friendliness and sense of community is so refreshing. We have been Glenmoor members for a number of years and are still meeting and making new friends. Also, we enjoy the conveniences here such as meal delivery, dry cleaning drop-off/delivery, no worries while on vacation due to security, beauty salon, work-out facility, etc.
HOMEOWNER: Helen Gnatovich
YEAR BUILT: 1998
HOMEOWNER SINCE: 1998
SQUARE FEET: 5,527
BEDROOMS: 4 BATHS: 4
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR HOME? I just love the house — and the view. The home has quite a unique and contemporary design, with an open interior. Nearly the entire back of the house is a wall of large windows, which overlooks several holes of the golf course. The house is painted white throughout, with the exception of the ceiling in the foyer, which is painted yellow. When you walk in the front door or through the house, it brings a smile to your face as the view is quite spectacular and makes you feel happy.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BUILD YOUR HOME IN GLENMOOR? The golf course!
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT GLENMOOR? I enjoy the people and all the activities at the clubhouse.
HOMEOWNERS: Bob and Jackie Gill
YEAR BUILT: 1992
HOMEOWNERS SINCE: 1992
SQUARE FEET: More than 7,000
BEDROOMS: 6 BATHS: 5 full, 1 half
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR HOME? We love our garden and the tranquility that surrounds us.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BUILD YOUR HOME IN GLENMOOR? When we decided to move our business back to the Akron-Canton area from New Jersey, our son told us of this new development in Canton. After visiting this newly-started community, we decided that it was where we wanted to build and live.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT GLENMOOR? Everything that Glenmoor offers, a beautiful clubhouse, restaurants, exercise facility, beautiful surroundings and close access to a major highway. We have wonderful neighbors and feel we are so blessed living in such a beautiful community.
HOMEOWNERS: Bernie and Theresa DeWees
YEAR BUILT: 2000
HOMEOWNERS SINCE: 2008
SQUARE FEET: 9,000
BEDROOMS: 5 BATHS: 5
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR HOME? Our favorite thing about our home is living on the golf course and the views of it from our backyard.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO PURCHASE YOUR HOME IN GLENMOOR? We were looking for a resort-style community and we loved the style of home.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT GLENMOOR? We love that it is a gated community, which provides for the resort lifestyle we were looking for. The friends and neighbors we have met truly makes Glenmoor the home we were seeking.