Golf Club at South River Transitions to Private Club

If you are a golfer looking for a secluded private course right here in town then you are in luck. is currently in the process of transitioning from a public daily-fee course to a members-only private club. As members are added, the club is also implementing a number of renovation projects.

The club has been building membership for the past two years and as they reach certain trigger points renovations are implemented. The club keeps a running tally of membership numbers on their website. Currently, there are 163 members with the goal to reach 300 by spring 2012. Once membership reaches 300, the renovations will be completed and the club will become totally private, open to members and their guests only.

So far the club has passed two trigger points which funded the construction of a state-of-the-art practice facility and upgrades to the clubhouse pro shop. Future changes will include renovating the course, focusing on rebuilding bunkers and changing the layout of a few of the holes. The final renovations which are set to begin as the club reaches 275 members will focus on the clubhouse with other possible additions including more dining areas and an indoor hitting station.

Donna Loftin, the director of membership said the transition to a private club has been a slow but steady process of building membership and making renovations. “We announced privatization at the end of 2008 so we’ve been in a conversion for the past two-and-a-half years,” she said.

The club is owned by The Brick Companies, which also owns the Queenstown and Potomac Ridge public courses. After circulating a survey within the community, Loftin said the company decided that privatization was a smart move.

“It was determined that there was a real need for a private golf club in this area,” she said. “So they decided that the club at South River was the best located for that.”

From there, the club conducted surveys to determine what members would want from a private club. “We’re not your typical, traditional country club,” she said. We’re strictly a golf club so our main focus is first the golf course and offering the best experience to our members which has been a real draw for us.”

Loftin said another draw has been the opportunity to weigh in on the changes being made at the club. The renovations are a work in progress so the club can adapt building plans to meet changing needs as membership grows. “Originally what we thought we were going to be two and a half years ago we’ve changed just a little bit based on the members that are joining the club,” she said. “We’re catering towards the members and what their needs are.”

General Manager Mike Kriel said the club seeks feedback from members and potential members regularly. The club often conducts surveys to gauge member needs, and creates renovation plans based on those recommendations. He said this has been a successful strategy for building membership.

“You have to stay on top of what people want and what are their expectations,” he said. “It’s not ‘build it and they will come’ it’s ‘what do they want’ and then we provide that.”

Kriel said a signifigant portion of his new members are coming from other private clubs because they are looking for something different. The unique opportunity to contribute to the renovation plans is appealing and the course itself is a draw as well.

“The biggest surprise of this golf course is that it’s non-traditional,” he said. “Old traditional courses go up and back but each of these holes is an individual piece. It’s a challenging course but we have sets of tees for anyone.”

The course was recognized by Golf Inc. Magazine in the Winter 2010 issue as a runner up in the best clubhouse renovations and remodels category. It will remain open to the public until the transition is complete.