Golden Hills Golf & Country Club
March 26, 2009
If you would like to experience an oasis of calm amongst all of the development and traffic along Highway 378 in Lexington, try pulling into the Golden Hills Golf and Country Club.
From 378, you have probably caught a glimpse of the first hole, or heard golfers teeing off on the signature 10th. But that is just a taste of what lies ahead. A challenging 6,500 yard golf course and 180 homes currently occupy the original 300 acres of land that was bought in 1985 by John Berry. John Berry had never built a golf course in his life, but he did have extensive experience in construction. He had never played golf, but he did have a vision of what the
Golden Glow Dairy farm on the outskirts of Lexington could become.
Outskirts? Yes, it’s hard to believe the development along 378 in these past 20 years. We have seen a lot of change here in Lexington. When dad built this course, there wasn’t much of anything between here and I-20, said Dian Berry, current General Manger of Golden Hills Inc., and daughter of John Berry.
Although he solicited the help of noted course developer Ron Garl out of Florida for the layout, the actual construction of the course was a hands-on affair for John Berry who literally did most of the work himself.
At Golden Hills, it has always been a family affair. John has stepped aside from the day-to-day operations of the company and has passed the torch on to both Dian and her brother, Chad, who is the golf course superintendent. Dian also is a registered broker and has handled the sale of the homes sites on the property.
Initially, there was a Scottish theme to both the golf course and the residential development. And while the Scottish names of the roads have not changed, the Berrys quickly learned that South Carolina golfers were not ready for the Scottish style roughs with fescue grass. South Carolina golfers did not like rough that was too high; we modified that detail of the course very quickly, says Berry.
Golden Hills has a great team of energetic staff members including PGA Professional Dan Haglage to help deliver programs and run tournaments. Dian calls them the best staff we have ever had.
As they celebrate their 20th anniversary this August, Golden Hills remains much more than just a golf course, it’s a year round facility that boasts tennis teams, a Junior Swim team, men’s, women’s and Senior’s golf associations, and golf clinics for the juniors in the summer. It has remained true to and surpassed the original vision of John Berry. It’s a slice of heaven on what has become a very busy street.
