Member Clubs
HOLSTON HILLS COUNTRY CLUB
and swimming complemented by a grill room and ballroom that served as hubs of Marion ’ s social scene . It fell on hard times early in the 21st century , however , with the club facing closure by 2008 . In recognition of its value as a recreational and economic development asset , the foundation loaned money to the town of Marion to acquire the property and operate it as a public facility .
It was more than a small local government could manage and the town ultimately decided to get out of the golf course business . That left the foundation , which still holds the note on the property , facing a big decision .
“ We all came at it with the same mindset . We want to keep it a golf course , we want people to come out and play golf and get exercise , but we knew we had to invest to
When you get up high and see the mountain views , especially with the leaves changing , it ’ s spectacular .”
— SCOTT FERRELL
make it a viable business ,” Helton said . “ If you have an asset and don ’ t put any money into it , it will deteriorate and lose value .”
There was also the matter of finding somebody both qualified to run Holston Hills and interested in doing so .
Ferrell , a golf industry consultant who had stints with the PGA Tour , Gary Player Design and Bobby Jones Links , was perhaps an unlikely choice given he currently resides in Greenville , S . C . That meant Little , a longtime PGA member professional who had moved back to southwest Virginia , would have to be the “ face ” of the day-to-day operations .
After learning the foundation was exploring the possibility of selling the course , Ferrell and Little met with its board of directors a couple of times to see if they could make a deal . That didn ’ t happen , but after two years of discussions , they came up with a mutually beneficial lease arrangement .
“ As we developed a relationship , the foundation was all-in ,” Ferrell said . “ We knew there were things that needed to be done and they ’ ve been supportive of all the improvements we wanted to make .”
With funding from the Smyth County Community Foundation , a number of course upgrades were completed earlier this year . This includes a total bunker renovation , drainage enhancements , fairway aerification , reseeding and fertilization , resurfacing the cart path , replacement of tee markers , pins and flags , and removal of dangerous dead trees .
The new operators also replaced Holston Hills ’ entire cart fleet with new Club Car golf carts , repainted the pro shop and grill and installed new flooring and fixtures , restored food and beverage service , and rebranded the property with a new logo , website and bolstered social media presence .
“ I ’ m proud to say I ’ ve never seen the course in better condition ,” said Ferrell , whose father ran the club for five years in the 1970s . “ I ’ d put it up against any course locally . It ’ s really fun to play and it ’ s become a huge value for our customers .”
The scenery isn ’ t too shabby , either . “ When you get up high and see the mountain views , especially with the leaves changing , it ’ s spectacular ,” he added .
While Little acknowledged he and Ferrell take “ a lot of pride and satisfaction ” from breathing life back into Holston Hills and from the positive public reaction and increased play that have followed , it should not be confused with complacency .
“ We both enjoy playing nice golf courses and we want the one we grew up playing to be as nice as it can be ,” Little said . “ We ’ ll continue trying to make it better .”
Turning over the keys to two men who have deep roots in the Marion community and genuine affection for Holston Hills was “ huge ” for the foundation and critical to the revitalization effort , Helton noted .
“ The fact that Jeff and Scott are so well-known in this area , there are a lot of people in this community who grew up and went to school with them , so there ’ s really good nostalgia with them coming back ,” she said . “ I ’ m really not surprised it has been successful . It ’ s a great ‘ circle of life ’ story .” vsga . org J ANUARY / F EBRUARY 2024 | V IRGINIA G OLFER
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