Column: Residents strive to keep country club in action

Daily Journal

Despite all the unfair stereotypes, local country clubs play a significant role in a community. Certainly there are the social/entertainment and recreation aspects, but a local golf course also helps define the community.

When businesses look to locate in an area, they often look at the quality of life in those areas. Is this a place where we want to live? A vibrant local country club is part of that image.

Hillview Country Club in Franklin has struggled financially in recent years, and the future of the club, a community institution for generations, was uncertain. Now a group of local residents is purchasing the golf course, with the hopes of increasing membership and making improvements.

The owners of the club have approved selling the club and golf course to a group of four residents, Jim Admire, Pete Grimmer, Tom Grimmer and Max Woodbury. The four local businessmen formed Hillview Holdings LLC to buy the club and golf course, which they plan to keep private.

The sale is expected to be finalized this month. Then the group will take over operations of the course and plans to make improvements to its facilities, which include the golf course, clubhouse with a banquet hall and pool.

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