U.S. Kids Golf, which bought the Southern Pines, N.C. facility in 2015, will be redesigning and then operating a new restaurant, Heartwood at Longleaf, to replace the Filly & Colts restaurant that had been independently owned. Other improvements include converting existing greens to Bermuda grass, constructing a Golf Academy Learning Center, and enhancing the irrigation system.
As 2017 gets into gear, it will be a busy time at Longleaf Golf & Family Club in Southern Pines, N.C., The Pilot of Southern Pines reported, as U.S. Kids Golf, the new owner of what was formerly Longleaf Golf & Country Club (http://clubandresortbusiness.com/2015/04/u-s-kids-golf-foundation-acquires-longleaf-gcc/), continues to enhance the facilities and its Kids Golf Academy.
The long list of projects that are being undertaken at the club, The Pilot reported, includes a complete redesign of the club restaurant, construction of a Golf Academy Learning Center, and the conversion of the existing greens to Bermuda grass. Additional work will be completed on an enhanced irrigation system for the golf course. These projects will begin in January and will be complete by this fall, The Pilot reported.
The new restaurant, Heartwood at Longleaf, will replace the independently owned Filly & Colts restaurant and will be owned and operated by U.S. Kids Golf. The new restaurant design, The Pilot reported, will include expanded dining room seating areas, a new bar area, a unique patio dining area with a fire pit, an updated kitchen and modern décor. The restaurant’s menu, which is still in development, will feature Americana cuisine, The Pilot reported.
Longleaf is currently interviewing new staff for the restaurant, to include a Chef and Food & Beverage Manager, and the new facility will open in the spring.
“As we continue to make Longleaf Golf & Family Club one of the area’s premier golf clubs, we feel that having an inviting restaurant for the members, families and guests is very important,” said Dan Van Horn, Founder and CEO of U.S. Kids Golf. “Heartwood at Longleaf will have a unique design which will provide a variety of seating options for dining and for banquets and a new menu offering items that the entire family will enjoy. We are excited to add this new addition to our club.”
The restaurant will be open for club members and the public, The Pilot reported, and Longleaf will be offering dining memberships for frequent diners at the club.
U.S. Kids Golf will officially break ground for the Golf Academy building in the first quarter of this year, The Pilot reported. This will provide a headquarters for the growing U.S. Kids Golf Academy that was established at Longleaf in 2015. The 2,000-sq. ft. facility will have offices, storage areas and hitting bays for golf instruction.
The building will be equipped with the latest in golf training technology, including a golf simulator that can be used during inclement weather and in the evenings for training, The Pilot reported. U.S. Kids Golf will also have a complete clubfitting area in the Golf Academy building, which will be located adjacent to the current practice facility, allowing convenient access to both the driving range and short-game areas for the students.
“The original goal for U.S. Kids Golf was to create a living laboratory at Longleaf Golf & Family Club to offer specialized instruction for kids and adults, and to train future instructors on how best to provide a great environment for young golfers to have fun learning the game,” said Jim Hardy, Director of the U.S. Kids Golf Academy, who will be recognized in late January at the PGA Show in Orlando, Fla., as one of the Top 50 Junior Golf Instructors by U.S. Kids Golf for 2016.
“We have made great progress growing the participation for the Academy and being involved with the certification of Junior Golf instructors, and we look forward to the opening of our new Golf Academy building this fall,” Hardy said.
On May 8, The Pilot reported, Longleaf will begin the conversion of the existing putting surfaces from Bentgrass to MiniVerde Bermuda grass, to provide a faster and more durable, year-round putting surface. The golf course will remain open with temporary greens, and the conversion project will be complete in early August.
In addition to the putting surfaces, Longleaf will be upgrading the irrigation for the golf course, and changing the design of some of the existing bunkers on the course, The Pilot reported.
“The first half of 2017 will be extremely busy at Longleaf,” said Jeff Cowell, the club’s General Manager. “We continue to work to make our club one of the premier facilities in the area, and we are very excited about the direction we are heading.”
Van Horn reported signs of significant progress to The Pilot. “Our membership numbers have increased, including new junior members, overall golf rounds are on the rise and the participation in our golf academy continues to increase each month,” he said.
“Our six-hole short course, Bottlebrush, (http://clubandresortbusiness.com/2016/09/short-course-opens-longleaf-golf-family-club/) has been very popular, and we are thrilled to see entire families playing and enjoying this course,” Van Horn added. “We are hoping that as we continue to enhance the club and golf course that more families will want to play Longleaf and become members of this wonderful club.”
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