A Roundtable With Three Golf Gurus
Discussing the steps turning Olde Eight from a dream to reality.

BY MARK PAZDUR, PUBLISHER

GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA: Olde Eight, located in the foothills of the Palmetto State, has been a dream that started seven years ago. “I’ve had the good fortune to teach at many of the best clubs around the world,” smiled Shane LeBaron, director of instruction at Olde Eight. “About a decade ago, a student of mine questioned me with ‘what’s next’ in my career? I’m a talker, and for one of the few times in my life, I didn’t have an immediate answer. I had always wished for ownership in a golf club, so I began my quest to find the right location that would offer all the daily services one would need, be reasonably close to a major hub airport, and offer either mountain, beach, or direct lake access. While service and amenities are ultra important when establishing a club’s culture, its location attracts a certain amount of attention in itself.”

Wouldn’t It Be Great If?

Shane cast a wide net looking for a fit.

“My search started before COVID was part of our vocabulary and golf hadn’t started its robust recovery. I was surprised at how many existing golf clubs and large pieces of land were available for sale. Let’s just say it’s a fraction of that now with the sport’s resurgence.

“My first site visit to what is now Olde Eight didn’t go according to plan. I got food poisoning the night before, but I carried on,” detailed LeBaron. “With atypical cold weather and a grumbling stomach, when I set foot on the property, I knew in an instant this was it. I felt our team could establish a new business model for the Upstate. When my wife asked, ‘What was my first impression?’ I uttered ‘endless possibilities.’”

David Duval (former No. 1 player in the world and current Champions Tour competitor) was an early investor.

“The first time I saw the land, I was all in. A holistic family lifestyle is its driving force, and I feel blessed to be a part of the community. During my career, I’ve played hundreds of courses. I can count on one hand how many would be interesting to play every day. Olde Eight is one of them,” praised Duval.

With financing in hand, one problem existed before heavy construction could commence.

“We needed to purchase two additional parcels of land to make Olde Eight a reality,” explained LeBaron. “Our interest remained intentionally discreet, respecting the sensitivity of the local landscape. In our first meeting with Greenwood County, they came to the table with ‘Project Oakley’…in reference to the Oakley sunglasses David Duval was synonymous with wearing during tournament play.”

After several months of negotiations and land deeds and entitlements in hand, it was time to turn a vision into a reality.

“While our golf experience is the belle of the ball, family matters here. From our 700 unspoiled acres with miles of hiking trails, private guided hunts, to bass fishing on uncrowded Lake Greenwood, Olde Eight isn’t a one-trick pony. I know we’ve done our job when a family packs up after their stay, and the kids look out the car’s rear window and urge their parents to turn around and go back!”

Rolling Basketballs

“We hired the best in the business, from contractors to shapers, to manage construction,” said David Engram, director of golf at Olde Eight. “Literally all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, and we opened the course months ahead of schedule. It was a well-oiled machine with a big hiccup along the way. One of our contractors was Total Turf, whose work is at Baltusrol in New Jersey and Cherry Hills in Colorado. That’s what I call fine company.

“A towering crane was needed to install the new golf course irrigation pump station. As the crane positioned the massive piece of equipment, it started to slide backward in slow motion toward one of our natural ponds. Literally, there was nothing we could do but watch in angst. Fortunately, the crane stopped just feet to spare before toppling into the water.

“I challenge any golf facility to match our management team’s golf IQ,” continued Engram. “The architect concentrates on aesthetics, but it’s golfers who make it functional. For example, once the greens had been shaped, we took basketballs out on the dirt greens to see how the breaks would impact play. Why basketballs? Their size allowed us to easily measure the green’s grading, and if we used something heavier [like a bowling ball], it would likely damage the topsoil. I think we approach design from a different perspective than construction crews.”

Drinks All Around

Grand opening celebrations last fall were well attended. “I couldn’t have written a better script,” reported Alex Applebaum, head golf professional at Olde Eight. “Little did I know when I picked the pin placements for our opening rounds what was about to happen. On hole No. 7, a par-3 protected by a pond, Shane knocked it into the hole. Then, David Duval, with his competitive spirit alive and well, almost followed. For a brief moment, Mitch Kovitz, one of our managing partners, held the course record when he turned in his scorecard with an 85. Then, within a minute, David Duval followed up with his score of 66. A course record that still stands to this day.

“The word unique is used far too often, but we have a phrase at the club: uniquely Olde Eight. What makes it unique for you will likely be different for your spouse and extended family.”

For more information on the progress at Olde Eight, please visit OldeEight.com.