Grand Island hosts final day of play

LEESBURG — Somber moods and sullen faces were in stark contrast to the bright fall day Thursday as some of Grand Island Golf Club’s regular members prepared to tee off in one last daily blitz before the course’s doors were closed at the end of the day.

Even though they were engaging in one of their favorite activities, many of the golfers waiting for their turn on Grand Island’s first hole had a difficult time stifling the anger they felt in the wake of the recent decision made by the Lee County Parks and Recreation Authority and the Lee County Board of Commissioners to cease all operations at the county-owned course. Much of the golf course property is expected to be the site of the construction of a new $50 million, 50-bed hospital.

“It’s a terrible decision,” said golfer Ben McNutt, who has been a daily fixture at Grand Island for the better part of the last 20 years. “This is part of recreation, and if they’re closing this down, they need to close down the baseball complex and the soccer complex.

“The commissioners are treating the citizens of Lee County like dirt. And they will be voted out in the next election.”

A majority of the dozen or so golfers who had joined McNutt in a final competitive round at their home course shared similar sentiments, calling the decision everything from “short-sighted” to “crooked” to “stupid.”

“The pitiful part is, this is a good draw for the community, as far as commercially and businesswise,” Hank Wadkins said of the 18-hole course that was built by developer John Gay in 1994 and taken over by Lee County in 2001. “To tear it down makes no sense at all.”

Former Lee County School Board member, local political figure, and avid golfer Greg Duke was yet another player gathered around the tee ready to share his feelings about the closure.

“First off, I love (County Commission Chairman) Rick Muggridge to death,” said Duke. “I’ve known him most of my life. But this is the most ill-advised move these commissioners have ever made, in my opinion.”

A fierce champion of Lee County, Duke said he was frustrated by the decision on multiple levels, not the least of which was the fact that he felt the county was giving up an important part of its character and one of the things making it a desirable place to live, by deciding to close the course.

“I’ve always considered Grand Island one of the crown jewels of Lee County,” he said. “I’ve spent many days out here on this golf course since it opened. I’ve spent thousands of dollars a year on this golf course, and now, I’ve got to move that money to Dougherty County.”

Duke said he was especially concerned about the impact the closure will have on the young people of Lee County, some of whom have used their time playing at Grand Island to propel themselves to impressive golfing heights.

“The youth that I’ve played with out here have done nothing but impress me,” said Duke. “The Joiners, I don’t know if you’re familiar with them, but (they got) college scholarships to Georgia Tech. We’ve got another couple of young kids that are coming up that are going to be potential tour prospects after they get done with their college careers on the golf team.

“Being a part of the Lee County School System for the 12 years I was on the school board, this course was always very accommodating to our local high school. It’s just a shame.”

Golfer Jason Hedrick, who was playing with Duke in their final blitz round, also spoke about the impact the closure would have on the young people of Lee County, including his own son, who even at a young age is already an avid golfer.

“I came here about a year ago, didn’t have anywhere else to go play, and the golfers here and the employees, they embrace new people, they’re not snobbish, and it’s for all kinds of people. And they allow you to bring your children to play with you,” said Hedrick. “With my children growing up in Lee County schools, it’s a shame now that we won’t be able to farm the next Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth out of Lee County because we’re losing a resource.

“I have a child who’s 5 years old who’s been playing golf since he was walking, and I started playing when I was walking. It’s sad.”

Along those same lines, Hedrick spoke about his grandfather, whom he said at one time served as president of the Georgia Golf Association and who had worked to expand golf’s reach to nontraditional players.

“His initiative in the Georgia Golf Association, the years he was president, was to grow the game to children and to minorities and to people that could not afford to be in a country club,” Hedrick said. “And what a progressive thing the county had done to operate a golf course for those reasons.”

Although many of those gathered around the tee box spoke of the broader implications of closing the course, it was obvious that the decision came as a personal blow to several of the golfers who looked at Grand Island as something of a second home.

“We’re a tight-knit group here, we’re like family,” said Berry Vandeboe. “Now we’re going to have to split up. Half of us are going to Stonebridge, and half are going to River Pointe and some will go to Flint River. That’s what’s so sad really.

“I tell my wife all the time, ‘All my real friends are here. This is where I come to see them.’ All those fellas I used to work with, we stay in contact, but these guys out here are my real friends. It’s just very, very disappointing.”

The feeling of a family dissolving was also felt in the Grand Island clubhouse, as employees and regulars hung out in the grill room Thursday afternoon, swapping stories and commiserating about the fate of the club.

Rachel Milner, who has worked at the club for nearly four years, said even though there had been talk of closing the course for some time, she was shocked when she found out she would no longer have a job after Thursday.

“We’re very, very angry,” she said. “I didn’t think they’d actually go through with it.”

Despite that anger, however, Milner said she’d leave Grand Island with fond memories, having enjoyed her time working there.

“It’s been amazing,” she said. “When I got here, I didn’t expect to stay very long. But I just fell in love with the people here, the employees. And I wanted to make it a nice place for the community.”

The Grand Island “family” was also weighing heavy on Becca Irvin’s heart, even though she had only worked at the club for roughly 8 months.

“I think at the end of the day, this is a sad thing, because this is a home for a lot of people, and I haven’t even been here that long,” Irvin said. “You see these people, they come out here with their friends, this is their life.

“And it’s a family here, with the golfers and the employees. I think that’s the saddest thing. You have different age ranges that come out here and play; some come as a family, then you’ve got the blitz. So it’s just a sad, sad thing.”

Golfer Jay Dukes, himself a regular at the club for years, likely summed up the prevailing sentiment held by many of those who loved the links-style course, saying simply, “We will tearfully miss this place.”