Carradam Golf Club will become a memory by the end of the year.

Developer Robert W. Shuster has purchased the popular public course in North Huntingdon, which partners Vernon Carroll and Harry Adams opened in 1963. The club will close after the current golfing season ends.

The purchase price was not disclosed.

The 121-acre tract borders the site of the former Lincoln Hills Country Club and the old Rendulic farm. Mr. Shuster acquired both about four years ago.

A North Huntingdon native, Mr. Shuster is developing the upscale Lincoln Hills housing development and a proposed business park on the country club site near the Irwin Interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

As word of Carradam sale spreads, speculation is rampant that Mr. Shuster plans to develop a golf course community on the hilly, scenic property.

"Not true," Mr. Shuster contends. "I don't plan to turn Carradam into a golfing community. I'm not a golfer.

"Carradam became available. Since the course is located next to Lincoln Hills, I simply took advantage of an opportunity to purchase the property as inventory for the future."

Does he plan to incorporate the property with the very successful Lincoln Hills venture of homes valued from $300,000 to $500,000?

"Housing is the way to go," Mr. Shuster said. "At this time, I don't see Carradam becoming an extension of Lincoln Hills.

"I discuss options with my marketing people, then decide from their input what direction to take."

Current owners of the golf course would like Mr. Shuster to consider development of a housing plan that would perpetuate the Carradam identity, as he did with Lincoln Hills.

"I don't want to discuss the future because we haven't discussed options," he said. "No matter what goes in there, I'm sure the Carradam name will be preserved in some way."

Carradam emerged as prime property for residential development three years ago when North Huntingdon commissioners approved the plans of the township Municipal Authority to extend sanitary sewage interceptor lines into underdeveloped southern areas bordering Hempfield and Sewickley.