PGA golfer Jay Haas purchases Eagle Zone with sons and other investors
June 18, 2018
PGA golfer Jay Haas and his two sons are among a group of investors who have purchased the Eagle Zone driving range in Greenville with plans to invest more than $250,000 and turn it into a golf instructional center.
The investor group includes among others his older son, Jay Jr., who teaches at Greenville Country Club; his younger son, Bill, who competes on the PGA Tour; and his brother-in-law, Dillard Pruitt, who played on the PGA Tour and is now a PGA Tour rules official. The group also includes John Gerring, who manages Eagle Zone and has more than 50 years’ experience as a head golf professional at a variety of noted country clubs, such as Holly Tree Country Club in Simpsonville, Atlanta Country Club, and Bloomfield Hills Country Club in Michigan.
Haas said their plans call for using the group’s connections to bring in some of the country’s most experienced and notable golf coaches to conduct clinics along with himself and his sons Bill and Jay Jr.
In addition, Jay Jr. will offer one-on-one instructing, along with the facility’s six current instructors, including Jamie Michala.
“I see the bones of a great facility with a comfortable, homey golf shop, driving range and clinic space that appeals to golfers of all ages,” said Haas, who recalled his days as a youngster hitting balls under the lights at a driving range near his hometown of Belleville, Illinois, outside of St. Louis.
Haas said he’s always been intrigued by driving ranges as the place most golfers develop their love for the game and first learn how to hit golf balls. Haas, who frequently drove past Eagle Zone and lives nearby, said he often took Jay Jr. and Bill to Eagle Zone, then known as Pelham Tees, when they were small boys.
Haas and the investor group recently closed the sale of the 24-acre facility at 8000 Pelham Road for an undisclosed sum. They are planning to rebrand the facility with a new name in the coming months.
Haas said the group’s immediate plans include new mats, new balls and enhanced lighting, as well as retaining the instructors, club fitting, club repair and retail business. Renovations of the building could include displaying a variety of golf memorabilia that he and his sons have collected over the years, including Ryder Cup and President’s Cup gear.
“Golf has been great to the Haas family and this is another way to give back to the game with instruction and an avenue for some to further enjoy the game while getting younger players to discover it,” Haas said.
