Facing closure only a few years ago, the Ellabell, Ga. club has been thriving under Hal and Shannon Godwin. In addition to clearing out a large amount of underbrush upon taking over, the new owners redid several greens and are gradually enhancing the bunkers—filling them with the same sand used at Augusta National.
Black Creek Golf Club in Ellabell, Ga. opened in 1994, but three years ago it was facing closure when Hal and Shannon Godwin came riding to the rescue, the Savannah Morning News reported.
“I wasn’t looking to get into the golf business, but when O.C. Welch [the club’s then owner] was going to close it down, I asked my wife Shannon if I should look into buying it,” Godwin said. “She said ‘Go for it.’”
Godwin did indeed go for it, and the result is a course that is now one of the finest public courses in the area in terms of layout, condition and pricing, the Morning News reported. In addition to the golf course, which is thriving, there is also a full-service restaurant that is open to the public.
Godwin, who has a full-time job as a longshoreman, said, “Shannon is the brains of the operation. She pretty much runs things.”
Paul Goth is the club professional and he has been with the club for two years, the Morning News reported. A native of Centerview, Mo., he joined Black Creek from Spokane, Wash.
“I love the course and the area,” Goth said. “Hal has done a lot of work to improve the course. It’s in great condition and he’s working constantly to make it better.”
The availability of golf courses during the COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a boon for Black Creek, the Morning News reported. Although the restaurant was closed until June 15 other than for takeout, Godwin and Goth said play has virtually tripled.
“People want to get out and do something,” Goth said. “Golf courses haven’t had to close, and we’ve got a good course and we’re accessible.”
From a cost-to-play standpoint, Black Creek is a bargain, the Morning News reported, and children under the age of 12 play for free.
“We try to keep our rates affordable for the average guy,” Godwin said. “We want to make golf accessible. We want that average guy to come here and play and not have to worry about what he’s spending. We want to grow the game.”
Godwin also has opened the course to the golf teams from Bryan County High School, Southeast Bulloch and South Effingham, the Morning News reported.
“We don’t charge them anything,” Godwin said. “We work with them and help them anyway we can.”
Black Creek is not a long course. It plays 6,287 yards from the back tees. Par is 72 with a course rating of 70.4 and a slope rating of 130, the Morning News reported. While the course is fairly trouble free, it provides some challenges from the blue tees, but is friendly from the other three sets of tees.
The two nines offer a contrast. The front has a wide-open links style layout, but when golfers make the turn, they find themselves faced with tree-lined fairways, the Morning News reported. Greens are large and undulating.
The course is located in the middle of one of the nicest subdivisions in the area, the Morning News reported. Godwin, who plays to a four handicap, said that was one of the motivating factors in his desire to keep the course alive.
“I live here,” Godwin said. “I didn’t want the course to close because of the convenience. Also, it would have devastated our home values. The golf course was what led to the development of homes.”
One of the first things Godwin did when he assumed ownership was start clearing out a great deal of overgrown underbrush and then he started on the fairways and greens, the Morning News reported. A trip around the course is clear evidence his plan is working.
“We dug up and redid four greens completely [Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6] and we’re working on redoing the bunkers,” Godwin said. “We’re gradually replacing the sand as we can.
“We’re using the same sand they have at Augusta National. It costs $1,000 a ton so it’s a slow process.”
Godwin said he and Shannon have yet to draw the first dollar in salary from the course, the Morning News reported. Profits go back into course improvement.
With 25 employees Black Creek also has an impact on the area economically, the Morning News reported.
“We want the course to be what golfers want,” Godwin said. “So far it’s been successful.”
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