Friends of Saddlebrook LLC, a group formed by neighbors to help save the Indianapolis, Ind., golf course, will catch a glimpse of the work being done by Green Golf Partners to restore the property on November 5. The entire golf course and clubhouse are expected to open in the spring.
Neighbors who raised $250,000 to help save the Saddlebrook Golf Course in Indianapolis, Ind., will gather there early next month to celebrate their achievement, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported.
The public course, an anchor for the neighborhood, closed in late 2015 after owner Cooprider Golf & Recreation Inc. defaulted on a $2.4 million bank loan. Friends of Saddlebrook LLC, the entity neighbors formed to help save the course, raised the money to bring the course back to playing condition, the Business Journal reported.
Green Golf Partners, which bought the course in late July, is using the funds to restore the entire course and clubhouse in preparation of a spring opening. Marion County assessor records show the company paid $342,048 for the 6.5-acre property, the Business Journal reported.
On November 5, neighbors will get a sneak peek at the progress that’s been made so far. The “Saddlebrook is Back” event is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the clubhouse. Presentations will be made by both Green Golf and public officials, and a silent auction supporting Friends of Saddlebrook will be conducted, the Business Journal reported.
“The golf course was too important to the beauty and value of our neighborhood to lose,” Lisa Cole, chairwoman of the Saddlebrook campaign, said. “We had to try and be part of the solution. In Green Golf Partners, we’ve found more than a buyer, we’ve found a true partner.”
Green Golf manages 15 golf courses and clubs in five states, including Kemper Lakes Golf Club in suburban Chicago, which will host the 2018 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Saddlebrook is the first course Green Golf owns, the Business Journal reported.
“Our purchase would not have been economically viable without the neighbor-driven capital campaign,” Green Golf CEO Matt McIntee said in written remarks. “We’re grateful for the ‘Friends’ investment, which goes a long way to ensuring the future of Saddlebrook.”
The greens, fairways, bunkers, ponds and irrigation system all accrued extensive damage during the course’s closure, Green Golf said.
The clubhouse and restaurant are set to reopen yet this fall, before the course. Green Golf is partnering with Rolyno’s Original Pizza, which has four locations in the metropolitan area, to offer dine-in, carryout and delivery. Rolyno’s will offer samples during the November 5 celebration, the Business Journal reported.
Indianapolis-based RN Thompson developed Saddlebrook in 1992 and expanded it to 18 holes two years later. In March 2016, the property was sold at auction for $690,000 to a real estate investor, causing some concern within the community about its future.
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