The Bay Pointe Country Club has dropped the "country" and is looking to become the premier destination for social events and golfing in the Gateway to Cape Cod.

The club is now called the Bay Pointe Club. It was purchased by Bay Pointe Club LLC and is under new management by Stonestreet Hospitality, a division of Stonestreet Corporation, an East Providence, Rhode Island based company.

The club was purchased on February 6, 2012 for $1.4 million from Digital Federal Credit Union, the bank which previously owned the property due to foreclosure.

The original price for the club was $1.7 million. But Bay Pointe Club LLC discovered that the club needed much more work than was anticipated, and Digital Federal Credit Union agreed to lower the purchase price by $300,000, with the stipulation that Bay Pointe put the money into an Escrow account.

The $300,000 will be returned to Bay Pointe after improvements totaling at least that much would be completed, according to Mark Harriman of Digital Federal Credit Union.

But the $300,000 is on the low end of what Bay Pointe Club LLC plans to invest in improving the property, according to Sean Crump, president of Stonestreet Hospitality. "We're aware that this is a significant asset to the people of Onset and Wareham and our only objective is to improve the golf experience, the restaurant experience, and the banquet experience," said Crump about plans for improvement.

Improvements to the 18 hole and approximately 140 acre course include repairing the bunkers and cart paths and equipping the Pro Shop, located in the "Golf Clubhouse" building, with quality golf merchandise.

Crump also plans a full service driving range and is taking down the tennis courts to make room for 50-60 new golf carts.

That's where dropping the "country" comes in.

Not only will the tennis courts be gone, but so will the swimming pool, making way for a landscaped garden.

The soon-to-be garden is located next to the pavilion, the main building which can hold up to 250 people according to Crump, creating a space that can be used for large planned events such as weddings and bridal showers, as well as family and corporate events.

"There is so much potential," said David LaValley, general manager of the club while sitting behind a concierge desk piled with papers that serves as a makeshift office. "[We're] coming in with a full executive chef and a sales and marketing team."

The kitchen in the pavilion has also been "fully gutted and basically started from scratch," said Crump, in order to get it up to speed for weddings and the like.

The Club is looking to open in April, but is currently waiting for the liquor licenses to transfer over from the previous owner.

One liquor license is for the pavilion, and the other is for the restaurant in the Golf Clubhouse. The restaurant will also be revamped in a "pub style" with flat screen televisions and a renovated dining room.

All of the facilities, including the pavilion and the restaurant, will be open to the general public, Crump said.

The company began pursuing the golf course in fall of last year after coming down and playing a full round of golf, said Crump.

Now they see the course as having great potential for them and for Wareham.

"[It's] a significant asset to the town, we foresee having upwards of 50-60 empoyees, " said Crump. "We'll be looking to hire local."

"We've spoken to a few individuals already," added LaValley.