Prospective buyers of the Jones Creek Golf Club recently drained a lake on the 18-hole course, leaving neighborhood residents with a view of a giant mud hole.
On Jan. 21, Stephanie Walton watched as the Willow Lake quickly drained behind her home, leaving weeds, mud banks and one old tire exposed.
“It was super heartbreaking,” Walton said. “That’s one of the main reasons we bought this home. I’ve always wanted to live on water.”
In 2018, Jones Creek Golf Course owner Julian Saul closed the course after losing a lawsuit against the Columbia County government over silt that had filled the pond. Neighbors have complained about the lack of maintenance on the course, and some residents have mowed portions on their own.
Recently, the county informed Saul that the Willow Lake dam was in danger of collapsing, said Tripp Nanney, president of the Jones Creek Home Owners Association. The dam is located near Southern Pines Drive and Furys Ferry Road in Evans.
On Friday, the prospective buyers used a tool to open a drain in the lake, but the tool broke and they were not able to stop the release of water, said Mike Carrigan, president of the Willow Lake Home Owners Association, a subset neighborhood within Jones Creek.
“It probably hasn’t been opened for 20 years,” Carrigan said.
Nanney said the prospective buyers, who wish to remain anonymous, drained the lake to assess how much dredging is necessary and determine if they would need to rebuild the dam if they purchased the golf course. Willow Lake provides the water for the entire golf course, including for the sprinkler system to keep the greens and fairways lush, Nanney said.
The dam has major erosion on the side facing Furys Ferry Road, and though Walton and Carrigan said they want the lake refilled, Nanney said he doesn’t expect the prospective buyers or Saul will allow the lake to refill within the next two months because of the danger of the dam collapsing.
Once the prospective buyers decide whether to buy the course, it’s likely they will have to dredge the lake and rebuild the dam, which means a long delay before residents get their lake view back, Nanney said. If they pass on the purchase, then they may partially refill the lake, Nanney added.
In 2020, Jones Creek Investment LLC defaulted on a $4 million loan for the course, and when the 195-acre property went on sale at the county courthouse, no one placed a minimum $1.5 million bid.
Getting the golf course back into shape could cost between $3 million and $10 million, Nanney said.
“It’s going to be a major undertaking,” he said.
Joshua B. Good is a reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at joshua@theaugustapress.com.
