(Photo by Robert Sorrell/Bristol Herald Courier)
Tracing its history to 1894 as one of the oldest country clubs in Tennessee, the club will now operate golf services and its restaurant out of its fitness and aquatic center, through a management agreement with Lifestyle Fitness that also includes operation of the golf course.
Construction equipment sits outside the Golf Club of Bristol clubhouse in Bristol, Tenn., which will soon be demolished, as the 18-hole golf course continues operation, the Bristol (Va.) Herald Courier reported.
The Golf Club of Bristol is owned by Bristol Preservation LLC, which acquired the Country Club of Bristol in July 2015, the Herald Courier reported. Since then, it’s had multiple operators.
The club traces its history to 1894 and is one of the oldest operating country clubs in Tennessee, the Herald Courier reported. It has occupied four properties since its founding and its current golf course, originally designed by A.G. McKay, opened in 1958, It was remodeled in 1999 by the Mark McCumber & Associates design group, with changes executed by Course Crafters.
In April 2020, the Herald Courier reported, Bristol Preservation LLC owners Mitch Walters and Roscoe Bowman told club members that they had reached an agreement with Donnie Bradford, the owner of Lifestyle Fitness, to lease, operate and manage the golf course, in addition to the fitness and aquatic center, the Herald Courier reported.
“Please be assured that as the property owners we tried the very best we could to allow The Golf Club of Bristol to survive and succeed, in spite of the months of frustration and lack of professionalism we experienced with the previous owners,” the April letter to members stated, the Herald Courier reported.
Golf operations and services, and a restaurant, are now headquartered in the fitness center, the Herald Courier reported. The pro shop was the last thing to operate in the country club building before it closed.
“Those days are over,” said Walters, referring to gatherings at the country club building.
“[Bradford’s] doing a great job,” Walters added, noting that the golf course remains well-kept and operational.
The historic country club building, which closed in March, remains vacant. Walters confirmed on August 8th that demolition of the structure will begin soon, the Herald Courier reported.
There’s no need to keep the country club building, Walters said, while acknowledging that it had some historic value for the town of Bristol. “All you need is a pro shop and hot dog stand,” he said.
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