Highland Park Country Club was in need of a makeover

McNair jumped on a bulldozer and, with the help of a small crew, literally transformed the municipal layout into a par-70, 6,048-yard layout from the championship tees. He made the small greens fun and challenging with plenty of contours. He improved the aesthetics with new stonework, fencing and lush fairways. He changed the name to Aiken Golf Club, a nod to the past and a promise for the future.

Wealthy Northerners came to Aiken Titleist 910 D2 Driver for its mild winter climate, and they built “cottages” – mansions, really – to house their families and servants. They also brought with them a love of equestrian sports and golf.

“When we received state recognition from South Carolina that was incredible,” McNair said. “But to be recognized in a national golf magazine such as Golfweek, it exceeds any expectations we ever had. Our niche will always be as a great small venue for a small town, providing the best golf that we can provide.”

John R. Inglis, the club’s pro from 1915-1939, designed the seven-hole loop – now Nos. 8 through 14 – and ran the club in its formative years. By the late 1930s the Depression had forced the hotel to close, and the city of Aiken took ownership and renamed the course Aiken Golf Club.

The elder McNair had long been familiar with the course; in 1947, he shot a course-record 58 that still stands. A stalwart on the Duke University golf team that featured future Masters winner Art Wall Jr. and veteran pro Mike Souchak, McNair ran the club until the mid-1980s when he turned over the reins to his son.

Competitors and members were invited to a 100th birthday party, complete with cake, and McNair donned his Mizuno MP-69 Irons knickers, white shirt, tie and Hogan-style cap. Later, he was surprised with a special presentation from golf shop manager Lorraine Morgan and her husband, Bill.

“The whole idea about that was it’s not just about John Inglis and Donald Ross anymore,” Lorraine Morgan said. “It’s about him.”

McNair isn’t content to rest on his laurels. A 9-hole putting course is named for his father. A new locker room area for members has been a welcome addition.

“We found a golf course that, despite being about 100 yards per hole shorter than the home of the Masters, still tested, teased and entertained us,” Bradley S. Klein wrote.

“It was an easy transition for me to go from growing up on this golf course, and I had basically redesigned it in my head discount golf clubs a hundred times before I ever actually got on a bulldozer,” he said. “It was something that I felt like we should have done. It was something that we owed the city of Aiken, and it was something we owed this golf course to bring her back to the glory she had in the 1920s.”

Uncertain protection of Granville Golf Course

In an interview this past week, Village Manager Steve Stilwell reinforced Hartfield's position. Asked if the village could change the current zoning on the golf course -- Planned Unit District -- to Open Space District, he said the council had that power.

But Stilwell said choosing that option Taylormade Burner 2.0 irons carries risks. He said zoning is a system that groups properties with similar attributes. Rezoning the parcel to a category that severely limits development, in anticipation of possible development, could trigger complaints from property owners and/or a legal challenge.

But the council members raised questions about whether there might be other ways of protecting it -- such as through the village's zoning code -- through its control of access to water and sewer lines, or through a deed restriction.

Village Planning Director Alison Terry said in an email she found no evidence that any part of the golf course was protected as open space when the Bryn Du subdivision, which is located directly east of it, was created. She said in some PUD development plan approvals "there is a requirement that there be a certain amount of permanent open space which then offsets the smaller lot sizes that are permitted in this type of zoning classification."

Licking County Recorder Bryan Long said that there could be recorded documents restricting development of the golf course, which opened in 1925. But he said about 400 land records exist regarding the golf course and researching the issue would require an inordinate amount of time.

Hartfield said, "I don't think anyone ever envisioned housing there. Open space probably aligns with what the community wants."

Mason said the township is willing to callaway razr x irons explore any viable alternatives to purchase of development rights, but that "no one has identified alternatives that appear to be viable."

One option for protecting the property, said Jim Murr, a commercial real estate appraiser who works for Columbus-based Carey Realty Partners, is for the owners to donate a conservation easement permanently restricting development of the parcel, to a government entity or a conservation group.

She said that some or all of the issues the council raised concerning alternative means of protecting the golf course would be addressed through the scoring system the township uses for that evaluation.

The sale of development rights, he said, "might make it possible for the owners to sell at reduced rate to new owners who have intentions of managing it as a golf course."

The proposed new Granville Comprehensive Plan's future land-use map places the golf course in the open space category.

Frank Murphy, former president of The Murphy Group, which developed the Erinwood housing and office subdivision in the 1990s, said a discount golf clubs developer would find the property highly attractive for residential development.

In March, the partnership that owns the golf course, who say they are getting older and are looking ahead to when they no longer can be involved in it, asked the township trustees to consider buying development rights to it. By buying development rights -- the cost of which is the difference between the value of the land developed and undeveloped -- the township would ensure the property remains undeveloped forever.

residents want to keep the Miniature golf course open

Edwin Swift IV, chief operating officer of Historic Tours of America Inc., said he would be interested in submitting a competitive bid.

“Ripley’s says it will make all the ADA changes,” Burchfield said. “It will maintain the entire course. But it wants a five-year lease — with the option of another five years — so it has time to make back its investment.”

The City Commission understood their desire to save an endangered city institution, but on Monday night the commission made only a decision to acquire more information about their options.

Two unscientific polls indicated Taylormade R11 irons that St. Augustine residents overwhelmingly are in favor keeping the course open.

“Children, parents and grandparents know this little treasure of St. Augustine,” he said. “Why take away something that means so much to the city?”

Jennifer White, who operates a wedding business very close to that site, objected to the city making the course into a green space for weddings, saying government should not be in competition with private enterprise.

Those concrete and landscape revisions would cost $50,000 to $52,000 and would change the course’s entire appearance. In addition, only nine holes would be ADA accessible due to lack of space.

Assistant City Manager Tim Burchfield said the city’s five-year lease with Ripley’s ends Sept. 30, and there is a overdue federal requirement to have the course comply with the Americans With Disability Act by widening its lanes to make them wheelchair accessible.

St. Johns County resident Terry Auten of Elkton said he’s been a customer of the miniature golf course for years.

“We need some kind of decision or direction,” Jones said. “This is the right time to look at (this property’s) highest and best use. I don’t think we need to ever talk about running it ourselves.”

After the ownership fiasco, the city leased the course to an independent businessman, who also couldn’t make a go of it and subsequently sub-leased the property to Ripley’s.

The city in the past hired two part-time Taylormade R11 driver employees to run it and the operation lost $20,000 to $30,000 per year.

Leary agreed strongly, garnering laughter when he said, “I’d rather be dead in a ditch than run it ourselves.”

Commissioner Bill Leary said, “I’m in favor of retaining this property (as a miniature golf course).”

Ripley’s General Manager Kim Kiff told discount golf clubs the board that her company still wants to run the golf course and put $15,000 in new carpets and new flags in last year.

Masters Tournament is “too important” to golf for Finchem group

“We have concluded a number of times now, and we have certainly not moved off of this; that we are not going to give up the Masters as a tournament on our tour,” Finchem said. “It’s too important. At the end of the day, the membership of that club has to determine their membership. They are not doing anything illegal.”

“We don’t get to determining whether their policies are right or wrong, because we don’t have to,” Finchem said. “I know some people don’t like that position, and I appreciate that and I understand their reasoning, but that’s the decision we’ve made.”

Steve Ethun, a spokesman for the tournament, didn’t immediately respond to an e-mail today seeking comment on Finchem’s remarks.

Augusta National, a private club in Augusta, Georgia, that hosts the season’s first Grand Slam tournament each April, has been the subject of criticism over its male-only membership Titleist 712 AP1 Irons policy. The issue gained attention this year when International Business Machines Corp. promoted Virginia “Ginni” Rometty to chief executive officer. The club historically invites the CEO of IBM to be a member, including the four previous chief executives. IBM is a Masters sponsor.

Golf’s richest circuit won’t change its position on the issue because “we don’t have to,” Finchem said in a press conference today in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, site of the Players championship.

Billy Payne, the club’s chairman, declined to discuss the membership issue when asked during last month’s tournament. Payne said the club’s policies will remain private. Warren Buffett, an Augusta National member and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK/A), said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on March 5 that he would allow women to join the Titleist 712 AP2 Irons club if he were in charge.

The tournament will continue to be recognized as an official event because “we think it’s that important to golf,” Finchem said. Money won and scores and statistics compiled during the invitational event run by Augusta National will continue to be used as part of the PGA Tour’s season-long results.

According to PGA Tour policy, discount golf clubs that host a tournament co-sanctioned by the tour must maintain non-discriminatory policies on the basis of religion, sex or national origin. The Masters is not a co-sanctioned event and has no contract with the PGA Tour.

Tiger is struggling to regain his form of old

Simpson handled the grouping along with Australian Geoff Ogilvy just fine at Quail Hollow. It was Woods who struggled.

He made no more bogeys and picked up two birdies on the back nine to get under par for the day, perhaps the biggest consolation in a round that seemed sloppy.

Playing his first tournament since a disappointing Masters, Woods managed a 1-under-par 71 and is in a tie for 56th place (along with Phil Mickelson), six strokes back of Simpson, who is tied for the lead with Ryan Moore and Stewart Cink. They all shot 7-under-par 65s.

Playing his first tournament since a disappointing Masters, Woods managed a 1-under-par 71 and is in a tie for 56th TaylorMade RocketBallZ Driver place (along with Phil Mickelson), six strokes back of Simpson, who is tied for the lead with Ryan Moore and Stewart Cink. They all shot 7-under-par 65s.

"I made too many mistakes on the front nine,'' Woods said. "I didn't take care of the par-5s. I had an easy up and in at 8, which I messed up there. [No.] 10, I short-sided myself, and three or four shots and I'm right there. I've got to obviously not make those little mistakes like that tomorrow.''

"I made too many mistakes on the front nine,'' Woods said. "I didn't take care of the par-5s. I had an easy up and in at 8, which I messed up there. [No.] 10, I short-sided myself, and three or four shots and I'm right there. I've got to obviously not make those little mistakes like that tomorrow.''

Simpson, 26, acknowledged he was nervous about the idea of playing with Woods on Thursday during the opening round of the Wells Fargo Championship. It was just the second time they had played together, and the first ended after less than 12 holes -- when Woods was carted off the course at Doral in March with a flare-up of his Achilles problems.

Woods, meanwhile, struggled to get discount golf clubs under par. His front nine was particularly poor as he made three bogeys, hit just three fairways and only five of nine greens. A bogey at the ninth hole dropped him to 1 over par.

"We went from 10,000 people following us on every hole to zero,'' Simpson quipped.

Simpson handled the grouping along with Australian Geoff Ogilvy just fine at Quail Hollow. It was Woods who struggled.

Woods, meanwhile, struggled to get under par. His front nine was particularly poor as he made three bogeys, hit just three fairways and only five of nine greens. A bogey at the ninth hole dropped him to 1 over par.

Simpson, 26, acknowledged he was nervous about the idea of playing with Woods on Thursday during the opening round of the Wells Fargo Championship. It was just the second time they had played Mizuno MP 53 Irons together, and the first ended after less than 12 holes -- when Woods was carted off the course at Doral in March with a flare-up of his Achilles problems.

He made no more bogeys and picked up two birdies on the back nine to get under par for the day, perhaps the biggest consolation in a round that seemed sloppy.