PLAQUEMINE, La. — A grassroots effort has led to a new lease on life for the only golf course in this small city about 15 miles south of Baton Rouge.
A ribbon-cutting event brought together local officials for the return of the facility, which had operated more than 20 years in Plaquemine until its closure in April 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The gathering culminated efforts from residents of the country club to bring the golf course and other attractions back into full operation just as springtime activities begin.
It took the help of The Island community homeowners to get the wheels in motion after A. Wilbert & Sons sold the facility to Bultra Properties in fall 2020.
Bultra opted against plans to reopen the golf course, said Bill Greenfield, president of The Island Homeowners Association.
The residents of the community were not ready to take their golf gear elsewhere.
“We put a group of people together who were interested, and we ended up figuring we could open ourselves if we could get more money from our homeowners association,” he said.
The Island Homeowners Association brought the proposal up for a vote, which drew approval from 75 percent of the association members.
They increased the dues for the homeowner association, struck a deal with Bultra and opened the pool and golf course in June 2021.
“We had to crawl before we walk,” said Greenfield, a Luling resident who moved to Plaquemine in 2018. “We didn’t have any income yet and no capital to make it go.”
The association offered members one month free with an annual membership when paid upfront. It helped put money in the coffers for work on the facility, he said.
“Big expenses were ahead, including sand for the sand traps, and redoing some of the traps,” he said. “We were trying to get it where we could open, but we didn’t want to open the course with it being less than nice.”
The facility never fell into disrepair during the shutdown.
The Wilberts maintained the upkeep of the facility, and paid fees for seven months to groundskeepers who helped keep the course cut and in shape.
Bultra continued the work after the acquisition from the Wilberts.
“They had it for right at a year when we took over,” Greenfield said. “When we opened the course, they continued to help us in different areas until we could get our feet on the ground, so we’re thankful to Wilberts for keeping up the grass cutting until they sold it, and to Bultra for keeping it up until we could open the course.”
Other efforts helped restore activities for the golf course. Brent Barbier signed a lease to reopen the restaurant.
“I don’t think we’d be where are today if the restaurant wasn’t open,” he said. “We complement each other, and we help each other, and that’s what we try to do.”
The swimming pool is available to all community members, as well as non-community members, who must register at the pro shop. It is open to the public during the summer for non-community members.
The community members at The Island took a hands-on approach to reopening the golf course, Greenfield said.
“Different members here will say they’ll have work parties to work on the sand traps or spread sand in one area or cut weeds,” he said. “We have a lot of volunteers, and some cut grass and some help in other areas – and a lot of these volunteers have full-time jobs.”
One of the chief concerns among many homeowners centered around what would happen to the land if it remained idle.
“Talking with the new owners, they bought it as an investment and had ideas on what they wanted to do, but they worked with us and we wouldn’t have been able to do this without their considerable amount of help,” Greenfield said. “Right now, we‘re in the lean times because of the winter, but we still get a lot of play and next year we could be more successful.
“I think the homeowners really enjoy it staying here,” he said.
Other challenges remain, particularly the need to replace the greens, which have a finite life.
Equipment to maintain the greens is also costly, Greenfield said. “Now we’re growing, and there’s a seventh filing that just started for a new area of communities. Ten houses are going up as we speak, and that can only make us stronger.”
The loss of golf courses in Brusly and St. Francisville leaves few other choices, aside from Baton Rouge.
“None of them are moneymaking operations,” he said. “We have an opportunity for the people on the Westside, but we don’t have as many people in this area, so we have to continue our marketing efforts.”
Operation of the golf course will bring its share of hurdles, but he said the homeowner association is up for the challenge.
The words of one homeowner summed up why the efforts are worthwhile, Greenfield said.
“One resident told me he was tired of seeing so many things leave Plaquemine – things that were there when he was young,” he said. “Everyone who lives here has an incentive to make sure it stays here.”