Course scheduled to re-open July 2011
(VIENNA, VA) – Billy Casper Golf (BCG) – owner and operator of more than 125 golf courses, country clubs and resorts – has been selected to re-open and manage the award-winning, majestic Sapelo Hammock Golf Club in Shellman Bluff, GA, 45 minutes south of Savannah.
The engagement increases BCG’s portfolio to 19 courses in the Southeast. Like other award-winning operations, Sapelo Hammock has amassed numerous honors to include the prestigious “Top 100 New Courses” from Golf Digest.
BCG will oversee all aspects of the Sapelo Hammock operation, including golf course and property maintenance, sales, marketing and public relations, staffing and training, merchandising, restaurant and banquet activities, financial management, golf instruction and special events.
Closed since June 2010, the course is slated to re-open in July 2011. Shellman Bluff Acquisition, LLC and The Owners Group, owners of Sapelo Hammock, have embarked on a capital enhancement plan including re-turfing greens, minor re-design of several holes for even greater playability, renovating the clubhouse with updated décor, and a general agronomy and maintenance plan.
Daily-fee play and regional memberships will be offered.
Complementing resort-style experiences at Sapelo Hammock, non-golfers and families enjoy a host of nearby leisure activities including nationally-renowned speckled trout and red fishing, boating, kayaking, bird watching (Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge), access to inter-coastal waterway and Atlantic Ocean beaches in addition to historic landmarks and sightseeing.
“After conducting due diligence on several management companies, Billy Casper Golf was a perfect match for us,” says Michael Hardy, President of Shellman Bluff Acquisition, LLC. “The company’s enthusiasm for our property, proven success in the market with systems in place, and access to regional and national leadership made us very comfortable.”
“Sapelo Hammock is a welcome addition to the Billy Casper Golf family of premier golf courses,” says Peter Hill, Chairman and CEO of BCG. “The impressive facilities will shine once again with a healthy dose of our best practices in agronomy, guest service and other disciplines to make Sapelo Hammock a preferred destination for golf, dining and social activities.”
BCG will enroll Sapelo Hammock in the Audubon International “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” program, ensuring high standards protecting the environment and preserving the natural heritage of golf. Participating courses see increased efficiencies in maintenance, energy, water, pesticides, fertilizer, equipment wear and labor.
Tucked away along the Sapelo River, the 18-hole, 6,887-yard, par-72 course is routed through historic oak-lined fairways with breathtaking marsh views. Designed with five sets of tees to accommodate golfers of all skill levels, Sapelo Hammock features Champion Bermuda greens, 4-19 Bermuda fairways and roughs, and coastal Georgia marsh grass hazards.
The back nine is highlighted by the difficult par-3 No. 17, Sapelo Hammock’s signature hole. The 189-yard hole features a natural island hammock surrounded by marsh and provides a daunting challenge for even the most seasoned golfer.
For more information: 912.832.4653.
About Billy Casper Golf
Widely respected as a high-performance owner-operator of more than 125 golf courses, country clubs and resorts, Billy Casper Golf holds the second largest domestic portfolio. The company provides turnkey club management for public-agency and private owners, developers and investors. Founded more than 20 years ago in cooperation with golf legend Billy Casper, the firm is headquartered in Vienna, VA with regional offices strategically convenient to courses’ locales.
Industry leaders and media praise the company’s best-of-breed infrastructure that shows clients favorable returns on investments. Billy Casper Golf’s economies of scale make and save money for courses while delivering personal touches to golfers and club members.
Buffalo Communications – a division of Billy Casper Golf – is the global public relations, branding and marketing-communications firm. In addition to creating and implementing programs for Billy Casper Golf courses, Buffalo represents many of golf’s top brands (products, resorts, destinations and communities) worldwide.
For more information: www.billycaspergolf.com, www.buffalocommunications.com, 703.761.1444.
Contact:
Nick Lashinsky
Billy Casper Golf / Buffalo Communications
703.891.3324
nlashinsky@billycaspergolf.com
www.buffalocommunications.com www.billycaspergolf.com
