On June 29, I had the privilage of sitting down with Dr. Tom Spencer, the founding president of the Jasper County Country Club, to discuss not only the impending closure of Stone's Throw Golf Course, but also how the course grew from vision to reality back in the 1950s. When asked how he was, he told me, "Depressed. I just got back from the golf course, and I got beat." Despite his almost 90 years of age, he is still an avid golfer with a true love of the game and a great sense of humor.
By the time any of you read this, the "new" 9 holes at the course will be closed (the last day was scheduled for June 30), though the club house will honor all events through August 14 before an auction of the property on the 19. As many already know, the "old" 9 holes previously closed after being purchased by Jesse James, whose own house sits adjacent to the course. However, it is importand to remember that nothing is set in stone... yet.
In the early 1950s, after driving past the Olney golf course many times and sometimes playing there, a group of 19 people decided that Jasper County needed its own course. The idea blossomed into a vision, which soon became a project in full-swing.
"The first problem was where to put it," Spencer said. Someone in the group knew of 80 acres that was available west of Newton. Spencer said the first time he saw it, he knew it was "just perfect for a course." The acres included a rolling terrain, a creek that ran through, and beautiful trees - and it had a "terrific price."
Despite this good price, the group still only had about $400 in the bank. Convincing the owners and realtors to give them the land with a down payment, promising to find a way to get the full amount of about $3200, the group purchased the land and set to work. They advertised 1 year memberships for $35, and incredibly got about 65 members the first year. Many had never even played golf before, but people in this small community were excited anyway. They wanted to learn.
In 1953 construction began, with the first golf being played there in 1954. The course, originally called Jasper County Country Club until the name was changed to Law's Creek decades later, started out with sand greens instead of grass greens, and no club house.
In the 2nd year, the group, which was now more like a board of directors, decided they needed a club house. Luckily, 2 members had the expertise necessary to build it with the help of other club members. "It was small, but very nice," Spencer said.
After 6 years of sand greens, enough money was available to install grass greens, and once again the members built the majority of it themselves. "It seemed like everything we had to do to build the course, we had a member or two who knew what to do and how to get the right equipment. Everyone was so gung ho. We had no less than 12 or 14 volunteers out there every weekend," Spencer added.
Soon, membership grew to over 200. Teams were formed from Newton, Flora, Oblong, Fairfield, and Olney, and they went from course to course competing against each other. Many other people from various surrounding towns came to the country club to play as well. "I got to know a lot of people through that golf course," Spencer remembered.
Of course, the country club has changed much since its humble beginnings in the 1950s. A driving range was added, and the "new" 9 holes were added and playable in 2001. The club house has changed more than once. Golfers now use carts to travel the course instead of carrying their own clubs. Sadly, despite these improvements, membership had drastically declined.
So now the course is closed, and the club house is set to close on August 14 as well. An auction is scheduled for August 19 at 10 a.m., and the real estate will be sold off first in 3 chunks - the club house and a few acres; the driving range and "new" holes 1 and 9, about 30 acres; and "new" holes 2 through 8, around 48 acres. Following these sales, the personal property, including all equipment and club house items, will be auctioned off as well.
According to Jason Wallingford, a spokesperson on behalf of the current owners of the course, the company said they were forced to close the course because the "lack of play and interest from the community left them no choice." In regards to why the club house is now also being closed though the original plan was to keep it open for the various parties and receptions that take place there every year, Wallingford said, "They didn't see a point in paying someone to run the club house with no course to support it."
The high school golf team is probably the group losing more than almost anyone else. They're not only losing their competition space, but also their practice space. "I don't really know what we're going to do yet," NCHS Golf Coach George Martin said. He added that he had not yet spoken with Doug Mammoser, the NCHS Athletic Director, to discuss what comes next. "We'll have to play all our matches somewhere else, and we'll probably have to practice at the high school," Martin said. It is interesting to note that at least 19 golfers from NCHS have received scholarships to junior colleges and universities.
It was clear during my interview with Spencer that his heart is simply broken over this whole ordeal. He's spent hours on the phones with people, trying to make last minute deals to save the course. Each time one doesn't go through, it seems his heart breaks a little more. "I guess it wasn't meant to be," he said of the last deal that fell through.
Truly, it is a sad sight to see beans planted on the fairways that were built with Jasper County sweat by Jasper County hands. But we can't change the past; we can only affect the future. As I hear talk around town, I hear many people lamenting the loss of this landmark in the county's personal history. The time to save it is nearing its end. But remember, nothing is final... yet.
Though Stone's Throw General Manager Mickie Zada chose not to comment on record, it was clear from our conversation that she's still praying for a miracle. I'm sure Spencer is praying for one as well. There's still a chance. If someone were to come up with a succesful offer before the auction on Aug. 19, it could be saved. If someone were even to save the club house by purchasing it at auction and reopening it for business, maybe the rest could be saved. Now is the time to act, Jasper County. If you want your country club to stay open, now is the time to make sure the closing is not set in stone.
