Wedgefield may be revived; Island Green on life support

The future of the golf course at Island Green Country Club doesn’t look too promising.

But Wedgefield Plantation Country Club may soon be foreclosed upon and could reopen under new management.

Both courses are owned by Ray Watts, the owner of Apex Homes who splits time between the areas of Charlotte, N.C., and the Grand Strand.

They were closed on June 7, when Watts said there weren’t enough memberships and play for the summer to warrant remaining open.

He said he was closing them for at least the months of June and July and hoped to reopen them for the fall if memberships and prospective play warranted it.

Both courses remain closed, and both will require an infusion of funding to reopen as they are becoming overgrown with weeds.

Wedgefield may get that funding from Paramont Capital of Arizona.

The company’s chief financial officer, Kevin Wolfe, has contacted the Wedgefield Plantation Association homeowners organization and said the lender plans to foreclose on the property by early September and would like to reopen the course, according to Wedgefield Plantation Association vice president Bob Garrison.

“They realize they have to come in and do some things to the course to reopen it, and they need to reopen it in order to sell it,” Garrison said.

Garrison said Paramont has contacted at least three golf course management companies that have visited the property in the past couple weeks.

Watts purchased Island Green in December 2012 from BB&T Bank, which had foreclosed on the course in the summer of 2012 from its England-based owners, and purchased Wedgefield in December 2013 from the Marlowe family, which had acquired it out of bankruptcy.

He made improvements at both courses shortly after his purchases.

Both public-access courses have bargain-priced green fees and rely largely on member and community play, and both have traditionally had monthly or annual membership plans.

Jamie Adams, a 14-year resident of the Wedgefield housing community, said memberships dwindled as course conditions worsened over the past couple years.

“We supported it until the conditions got so bad, and everyone has moved to Heritage Club or Founders Club,” said Adams, whose husband and 14-year-old son regularly played Wedgefield. “He wasn’t maintaining the golf course so why would people maintain a membership.”

Watts vowed to keep the courses maintained while closed this summer with at least grass cutting, but neither course has been cut in the past couple months. Tee boxes, fairways and bunkers have weeds and vegetation growing unabated, and greens will have to be revived.

Georgetown High School has traditionally played its boys and girls home matches at Wedgefield and the girls season begins in the coming weeks. Girls golf coach Chad Hebard and the school’s athletic administration have been scrambling to find a place to call home.

The team has been practicing at both Founders Club at Pawleys Island and True Blue Golf Club, but neither is offering to host matches because they already have some tee times booked and the busy fall season is approaching.

The team may have to play all of its matches on the road in 2016. “Nothing is worked out yet,” Hebard said. “Wedgefield’s not in playable condition. Even if they open up there won’t be anybody playing on it for two or three months it doesn’t look like. The best-case scenario is somebody buys it and we can get back there next year.”

Wedgefield is a 7,034-yard Porter Gibson and Bob Toski design that opened in 1972 on the site of an old rice plantation. Watts’ Wedgefield purchase included a manor house, guest cottage, several buildings including one that contains a snack bar and another that houses the golf pro shop, a swimming pool, maintenance barn, restaurant that seats more than 100, and two tennis courts.

Island Green is a 6,194-yard par-72 Bill Mooney design off S.C. 707 in Myrtle Beach that opened in 1980. Watts’ Island Green purchase included about 70 acres of undeveloped land that were previously an additional nine holes that closed in 2005 for planned redevelopment.

It appears much of that land will be sold at auction at the Horry County Courthouse in Conway on Sept. 6.

The county posted a notice of the sale as a result of the common pleas court case: Colonial Charters Lender, LLC vs. The Plantation at Colonial Charters LLC and Leonard Ray Watts. Some property around Colonial Charters Golf Club on S.C. 9 in Longs is also up for sale at the Sept. 6 auction.

The Island Green course is not listed in the properties being auctioned.

Watts proposed a new membership for all Island Green residents consisting of membership in the golf course and amenities center with monthly dues of $35 per month over a full year.

Watts proposed the homeowners associations within Island Green collect and remit the payments for their residents. The membership would be per household, not per person, so it would be a better deal for families. Memberships at $35 per month would also be available to transient rentals.

The golf membership would be for walking, and cart-inclusive memberships would be available at additional cost.

“I gave them what it would take to make it viable,” Watts said earlier this month. He was unavailable for comment Monday. “If they support it we’ll stay with it, if they don’t support it we can’t obviously. It’s their decision.”

Bob Murphy, chairperson of the Island Green General Council, a cooperative of nearly 20 HOAs that include more than 1,200 properties, said Watts is requiring 100 percent participation of residents in memberships and doesn’t believe that’s possible.

“I don’t think the golf course will ever open,” Murphy said. “In this community a lot of people are on fixed incomes and you’re not going to get 100 percent of nothing. We just can’t do that.”

Murphy said Island Green residents are more intent on saving – and if necessary purchasing and/or operating – the amenities center, which hosts games, cards, potluck dinners, etc.

“That’s kind of the center of this community,” Murphy said. “That’s important to all of us.”

Island Green membership privileges would include use of the golf course, tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools, steam room, hot tub, weight room, library and meeting room, and horseshoes. Members will also receive 10 percent discounts in the pro shop and restaurant.

Watts’ membership proposal claims funds collected would also support maintenance of roads and all amenities.

Residents say there are large potholes on the entrance road that is owned by Watts, and lighting on the road is out.

Watts said if the demand surfaces for the golf course, he’d be willing to reinvest in maintenance. “I spent a ton of money on it the first go-around,” he said. “We’re willing to do that if we have support.”

He also said he has spoken to representatives of more than one course management company that may be willing to take over operation of the layout.

“I’m not comfortable closing the course. If [the residents] want to do this, even if I didn’t want to do it, I’d like to find someone to operate the golf course,” Watts said. “I think golf courses are a great amenity. But it all starts with the demand.”

Watts has been in the real estate business 31 years.

“I’m in the real estate business first,” he said. “I’d rather they hit golf balls, but if not it’s still a good real estate deal.”

First Tee fall programs

The First Tee of the Grand Strand will begin its fall programs on Sept. 19 and will be introducing PAR classes for those who have passed PLAYer level in the spring. New or existing PLAYer participants will have an opportunity to advance for the spring season.

The First Tee will be offering 90-minute After School Programs on weekdays at the same eight locations that hosted spring programs beginning at 4 p.m. or 4:30 p.m., depending on the location.

Programs are offered at Willbrook Plantation on Mondays, Wachesaw Plantation on Tuesdays, both Shaftesbury Glen Golf & Fish Club and Cane Patch Par 3 and Driving Range on Wednesdays, Legends Resort on Thursdays, and both Crown Park and the Hackler Course at Coastal Carolina on Fridays. Eagle Nest Golf Club is a host site from 2-3:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

Programs are for children ages 7 to 14 and both scholarships and fitted clubs are available for families in need. To sign up visit www.TheFirstTeeTheGrandStrand.org, fill out the application and pick a desired location. For more information contact program director Patrick O’Brien at 843-467-3020 or patrick@thefirstteethegrandstrand.org.

Junior event on tap

The 2016 South Carolina Golf Center Junior Classic will be held Sept. 10-11 at Shaftesbury Glen Golf & Fish Club and is open to golfers ages 7-17. The tournament is being run in conjunction with the S.C. Junior Golf Association and Carolinas Golf Association.

The entry fee is $150 for players ages 13-17, who will play 36 holes, and $120 for players ages 7-12, who will play 18 holes over two days. The deadline to register is Sept. 6.

Call the S.C. Golf Center at 843-369-3112 or email info@scgolfcenter.com for more information.

BMW hits $12 million

The Web.com Tour’s BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation held each May in the Greenville area, broke the $12 million mark for dollars raised since its inception in 2001 with its awarding of this year’s proceeds to charities earlier this month.

Checks equaling nearly $680,000 were awarded to 18 charities located largely in the Upstate. The tournament also awarded $11,200 in non-cash contributions to philanthropic organizations in 2016.

To assist the non-profits, the tournament provides opportunities to earn funds through ticket sales, volunteer recruitment and one-day pro-am team sales.

The 2016 benefiting charities included: BMW Car Club of America Foundations, Child Evangelism Fellowship of Greenville, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Greenville Tech Foundation, Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County, Harvest Hope Food Bank, Mobile Meals of Spartanburg, National Christian College Athletic Association, New Foundations Home for Children, Palmetto Animal Assisted Life’s Services, Project Hope Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolinas, Shriners Hospital for Children in Greenville, SYNNEX Share the Magic, The First Tee of Greenville, The Reserve at Lake Keowee Foundation, Upstate Warrior Solutions, and Urban League of the Upstate.

This story was originally published August 22, 2016 at 10:43 PM with the headline "Wedgefield may be revived; Island Green on life support."