I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! I just had coffee with Stephen McIntosh, the new owner of Ironwood Golf Course, and I think everyone who's been saddened by the deterioration of this lovely South Georgia course is in for a treat. As a business analyst, Stephen has a history of turning businesses around... at least one golf course among his successes... and as he begins the transformation process in Cordele, he is a bundle of energy. His enthusiasm is infectious. I felt it this morning. And the remaining members at Ironwood apparently have the fever, too, as evidenced by the volunteer efforts that are currently underway to restore the course to its former glory.
In 2009, Ironwood Golf Course, in Cordele, Georgia was where I first began wrapping my feeble brain around the idea of a Hidden Fairways web site. It struck me that of the hundreds of golf courses I had visited over the previous few months, there were a select few that I would go out of my way to visit again. In that group, of course, some were in major markets and had all the exposure they needed in order to thrive. But it seemed to me that the ones like Ironwood, in small towns and rural areas, could use some additional exposure. So in many respects, without Ironwood, there might not be a Hidden Fairways. Whether that matters is subject to argument... but to me, Hidden Fairways matters. And so does Ironwood Golf Course, so when I got some negative emails about deteriorating conditions at Ironwood it broke my heart. Actually, I only received two, but since I've gotten no negative reports on any other Hidden Fairways courses, it bothered me.
So when I received an email from Stephen this morning, asking me to join him for coffee, I was very interested in hearing his plans. I'd like to give Mr. McIntosh an opportunity to move ahead at a realistic pace without the burden of unrealistic expectations, so I don't want to spill too many of the beans right now. Let me simply say that, if you are a golfer who's played Ironwood over the past year or so, only to be disappointed, that's about to change. Keep your eyes on Ironwood's Hidden Fairways page. As things develop, I'll keep you updated. In the meantime, I'm making Ironwood's FREE GOLF coupon available to any visitor to this web site so everyone can have a chance to visit Cordele - without risk - to see what's happening. They're working hard to get the course back in playable shape, and I suspect it'll be better every week as the Spring progresses.
At a time when major golf courses all over the country are being put up for sale, it's great to see this unique South Georgia track in the enthusiastic hands of its new owner. Not that long ago, Ironwood was worth the 2 hour drive from Atlanta for a round of golf. Soon, it will be that once again... and more.
