Residents of Jones Creek subdivision need to face reality that their golf course is not coming back.
Current fighting over the former clubhouse becoming a restaurant is rooted in the residents’ concerns about that use conflicting with future return of a golf course. The golf course’s fate was sealed in Sept 2018 when the lawsuit with Columbia County over drainage was lost.
Opinion
With options such as West Lake, Champions Retreat and Bartram Trail already available, Jones Creek making a comeback just is not fiscally feasible. Even if the demand was there, the money isn’t. The economics of starting a golf course right now doesn’t pencil out.
According to a 2020 Augusta Chronicle story, the property was auctioned at the courthouse steps after defaulting on a $4 million loan. No bidders responded, and the owner kept the minimum bid at just over $1.5 million.
Since that time, the only change is that the course has deteriorated further, and the gap to get the course operational again has gotten wider.
For someone to come in and put the course back into operation would require purchasing the land at a number that nobody can seem to nail down. Then, typical golf course renovation costs can range from $500,000 to $15 million, according to a 2021 article in Golf.com. Golf Digest published an article in 2022 that indicated the cost is almost always in the millions. Typically, annual operating costs for private golf courses is around $1 million according to Golf.com.
High operating costs, stiff competition, high acquisition and renovation costs all contribute to the fact that Jones Creek will never again have a playable course in the subdivision.
Seeking alternative uses for the clubhouse make sense. The loophole to apply for a PUD modification verses full rezoning avoids a county commission vote and is likely to enrage homeowners even more. While an alternative use should be sought for the building the way the current owner is going about the process is not sitting well with residents.
Mark Herbert, who purchased the clubhouse in 2019 for a steal at $250,000, is likely to get what he wants one way or another, at least eventually. Herbert, who unsuccessfully ran for county commission chair in 2018, has built up plenty of political capital and favors over the years. His endorsement of Doug Duncan in that race after receiving 9.38% of the vote behind Pam Tucker’s 43.94% likely sealed the win for Duncan. Many wondered whether, if Herbert had not run, Tucker could have won in the primary. Herbert’s endorsement of Duncan likely sealed the fate on Tucker’s run for office. Duncan led Tucker by only 2.74% in the primary.
Whether a restaurant is the right use for the Jones Creek clubhouse is hard to say. But the decision should rest with the county commission not the planning commission, especially because of the volatile nature of the situation with the residents.
A restaurant is one logical use for the building and would benefit homeowners. It also takes an underutilized building and puts it into good economic use. But residents see the use as the final nail in the coffin of their future golf course.
We would ask Jones Creek residents to consider what they want the building used for if not a restaurant. What would be an acceptable use? If the answer is golf course clubhouse, then they are denying the inevitable and should get on board with Herbert’s proposed use. If they have a better idea, they should get the HOA to scrape the funds together to buy the building from Herbert or try to come to some sort of compromise.
