USGA Offers $16M for Russian Tea Room

NEW YORK CITY-The shuttered Russian Tea Room may have another shot at becoming 57th Street’s clubbiest address now that the United States Golf Association has made a bid on the bellied-up blinery. USGA officials today confirmed for GlobeSt.com that they are interested in developing a golf museum on the site, but denied published reports stating that a catering hall would be included in the plans.

According to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, the USGA filed its $16-million offer for the former temple of tablehopping on Sept. 13. In its motion to purchase the late Mervyn LeRoy’s famed hotspot, the USGA states that “after several weeks of this process, the overall package of compensation for this property is $16 million,” and that “the property is to be sold to the USGA.”

“We do have an interest in the property and we did put in a bid,” USGA spokesman Marty Parkes tells GlobeSt.com. “It will be a while before we know what the outcome of that process will be. Certainly we are thinking about some sort of museum presence there; a USGA museum.” Parkes called rumors of a catering operation “misconstrued,” adding, “I can assure you we’re certainly not interested” in running such a facility. He noted, however, that the museum would likely be available on a rental basis for “outside groups” interested in holding dinners or receptions at the venue.