New Harbor Pines GM Takes Helm After Gurwicz Death, Plans Next Round of Improvements

Ara Daglian says memberships sold out, golf remains strong and new course projects are underway as he builds on the Gurwicz family’s investment in the Egg Harbor Township property

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — When Ara Daglian arrived at Harbor Pines Golf Club earlier this year, he expected to work alongside Mitchell Gurwicz to help shape the next chapter of the longtime Egg Harbor Township golf, dining and events destination.

The two had only about a month together.

Gurwicz died unexpectedly in April, leaving Daglian — the club's new general manager — to carry forward a vision they had only recently begun discussing.

“I met the late, great Mitch Gurwicz earlier this year, sadly, who passed away in April,” Daglian said during an appearance on Off The Press with Scott Cronick on WOND. “He and I shared a vision for where Harbor Pines was going.”

Following Gurwicz's death, Daglian said the family rallied around him and gave him the responsibility of moving that vision forward.

“The Gurwicz family, who is so deeply invested in the philanthropy in the area and the development in the area and housing in the area, really circled the wagons around me,” Daglian said. “And they’ve let me lead the club and pursue that vision.”

Now, Daglian says improvements are already underway on the golf course while he looks to expand Harbor Pines' restaurant, catering, weddings, golf outings and community presence.

Building on decades of investment

Harbor Pines is not a new venture for the Gurwicz family.

The family assembled the property over the 1980s and 1990s and developed the Harbor Pines community along with an 18-hole golf course designed by architect Stephen Kay, according to a recent executive profile of the club. The course opened in 1996.

Harbor Pines Golf Club, located at 500 St. Andrews Drive, remains a public course and also includes The Roost Pub & Grill and wedding and special-event facilities.

The property underwent another significant evolution beginning around its 25th anniversary. A three-phase expansion included a new pro shop, The Roost with its own kitchen and outdoor deck, and renovated wedding and event space.

Mitchell Gurwicz summed up the family's approach at the time with a phrase that takes on additional significance following his death.

“25 years isn’t a time to rest, it’s a time re-invest,” Gurwicz said.

Daglian now finds himself responsible for continuing that investment.

Course improvements already underway

Daglian told Cronick that Harbor Pines has several projects planned for the golf course, including work that golfers will notice and infrastructure improvements that may be less obvious.

“We’ve got some great plans in store for the golf course,” Daglian said. “Investments in the course, improvements and things that golfers wouldn't see. But we know as operators, things golfers would see that we know are going to make their experience better.”

Among the projects he identified were improvements to bunkers, drainage and leveling tees.

“Those are all fall projects,” Daglian said. “They’re already happening. We’ve got a lot of good stuff going on.”

Daglian said the Gurwicz family remains committed to continued improvement of the property.

“We certainly have the commitment of the family to keep the product improving,” he said.

Harbor Pines has also recently added GPS systems to its golf carts, which Daglian said can provide distances, allow food ordering, improve communication with golfers and help the course manage pace of play.

Memberships sold out for 2026

Daglian takes over Harbor Pines at a time when he says demand for golf remains strong.

The club is open to the public but offers several levels of membership that provide benefits such as earlier tee-time access and preferential rates.

Daglian said Harbor Pines intentionally limits the number of memberships it sells so that the course remains accessible to public golfers and can better manage pace of play.

That limit was reached this year.

“2026 did” sell out, Daglian said. “We take a certain number of memberships because we want to keep the course open for public and we want to keep the pace of play going.”

Daglian said memberships had sold out about three weeks before the Sept. 9 interview, even as people were continuing to sign up.

The club is now preparing its 2027 membership offerings.

Daglian believes that demand reflects a broader South Jersey golf market that has remained stronger than some expected.

“There’s plenty of golf in the area,” Daglian said. “There’s plenty of golfers. So, we have to differentiate.”

But he sees the abundance of nearby courses as an advantage as well as competition.

“We don’t have to create demand,” he said. “The demand is here. The supply is here.”

Asked whether golf remains a strong market, Daglian said it does.

“Some people thought it was going to soften up after 2025,” he said. “I really don’t see that.”

“I don’t think golf is going anywhere.”

From private clubs to public golf

Daglian brings decades of club-management experience to Harbor Pines.

He told Cronick he has worked in the golf business for about 35 years and is a second-generation club manager. He attended Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration and began his career largely on the food-and-beverage side of the industry before becoming a general manager.

“I was an assistant manager at a golf club, then I became a GM,” Daglian said. “I did that for about 30 years.”

Before coming to Harbor Pines, Daglian worked in the private-club world. In a recent professional essay discussing his transition to Harbor Pines, he described adapting to a higher-volume public operation that can handle 250 to 350 rounds a day. He said the new environment requires greater attention to pricing, pace of play and operational coordination.

Daglian told Cronick that what attracted him to Harbor Pines was the opportunity to combine golf, hospitality and a sense of community.

“I thought I’d be coming to South Jersey as a restaurateur and a golf club operator, but we do so much more,” he said. “I’ve met so many people that are invested in the area, and I feel like we all want to be tourism ambassadors as well.”

More than golf

One of Daglian's priorities is making Harbor Pines increasingly known for what happens off the golf course.

“So many people know Harbor Pines for golf,” he said. “More people are discovering The Roost.”

Daglian said he sees opportunities to grow catering, community events and larger golf outings while increasing use of the club's wedding and event facilities.

“I see us as having a busier, more active catering side and getting involved in community events, larger golf outings, higher-value events,” he said, “so that we can create great experiences for our guests and also return for the ownership.”

Weddings are another area where Daglian sees room for growth.

“This is a pretty active market,” he said. “There’s so many South Jersey brides that want to have a wedding down in South Jersey. And so we really find that’s a hot market.”

The club's renovated event space includes the St. Andrews Ballroom and other ceremony and reception areas, while The Roost operates as a public restaurant overlooking the golf course.

Looking for local charities

Daglian also wants Harbor Pines to become more involved with local organizations through its Cheers for Charity program.

Under the program, a participating organization helps promote a Wednesday night at Harbor Pines, and the club donates 10% of that night's proceeds to the charity.

“We’re actually looking for charities that we can support on Wednesday nights,” Daglian said.

He said Harbor Pines and the organization would jointly promote the fundraiser to bring supporters to the club.

“It’s just a win-win for everyone,” Daglian said. “We’ve seen this successful for teachers and school districts. We’ve seen all sorts of groups that can benefit from community support.”

For Daglian, all of those pieces — golf, dining, events and community involvement — are part of the same goal.

He inherited a property that had already undergone substantial investment and a vision that Gurwicz did not get the chance to finish.

Daglian said his role now is not to reinvent Harbor Pines, but to build on what is already there.

“It’s not broken at all,” Daglian said. “So it’s really a matter of working with the team that’s there.”

And after an unexpected leadership transition only months into his tenure, Daglian said he hopes to take some of the burden off the Gurwicz family by proving they made the right choice in putting their confidence in him.

“I feel like that’s happening,” Daglian said. “And obviously, proof’s in the pudding.”

Daglian made the comments during an appearance on “Off The Press with Scott Cronick” on WOND.