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Under new ownership, Cateechee Golf Club will now be known as Cateechee Ranch. -
New ownership will provide upgrades at Cateechee.
On Feb. 9, the new ownership of Cateechee Ranch officially closed on the property and are set to begin renovations in the coming weeks.
Back on Jan. 27, Tyler Cox and Justin Rogers hosted Cateechee Vision Night to share their plans for the future of Cateechee Ranch to members and to others within the community. Just two weeks later, Cox and Rogers closed on the property and are beginning to plan for the future. Cox sat down with The Hartwell Sun as he said he has heard the uncertainty of the future of Cateechee after the Vision Night. With the closing of the property, he hopes that eases some of the doubt.
“The closing was a big deal,” Cox said. “There has been a lot of anticipation from the community and from the members alike. Is it going to happen? Is it not going to happen? This thing has been up and down for quite some time. We got involved back in early November, and we were going through a due diligence process. It worked out really well with the sellers, the Schell family, and the estate to get this thing across the finish line. There are a lot of legalities and things that have to be navigated through on both sides. That is what has taken so long honestly. But we did it, and it was a mutual thing for both them and us. They are all still involved and helping us with the transition past the closing, which has been great. They just haven’t dropped the ball and run away completely. It has been really good.”
Now that the property has been closed, renovations are underway as a bar & grill has been and is the number one priority on their list. Cox shares their vision for year one under their leadership.
“I am a big advocate of under-promising and over-delivering,” Cox said. “With that being said, our number one goal is to get our members and the public alike. A nice restaurant with a bar & grill to patronize and enjoy the food there. Our goal is by May 15, we will have a full and operational bar & grill for people to use. We have already filed permits with the city, so we are aggressively making headway there. We will have trade partners here next week to walk us through that process of construction. Year one is a lot of stabilization to get the club back to operational and functional. Getting members reengaged and current members alike to catch some momentum heading into the fall to look at our first capital project that we would like to do. We will also be cleaning some things up, pressure washing, painting, fixing some cart paths, enhancing the quality of the course. Our goal is to always add value. We have rebranded this Cateechee Ranch now, and at Cateechee Ranch we want to create an experience. Even during our stabilization phase we want to create an experience for members to enjoy, and also for the public to enjoy as well.”
The biggest question that has made it all the way around Hart County has been, “Will the bar & grill be open back to the community?” Cox shares good news to all who have been asking.
“It will be for the public to enjoy just as well,” Cox said. “We are looking at a Wednesday through Sunday operational schedule. We will have a Sunday brunch, which is great. I love brunch and it is my favorite meal. We will be open to the public and there will be no upcharge to penalize the public to come and eat. The rates will be the rates for any traditional restaurant. We welcome the public. We think the community is a big supporter of this project here at Cateechee Ranch, and we want to be collaborative with them as we move forward.”
After they build stability and build momentum heading into year two, Cox also details what they have already planned for what is in store for the Cateechee Ranch.
“The big projects we have is the hotel, the fitness and wellness center, the equestrian center – as far as an order of timeline, the hotel will be one of the next things out of the ground,” Cox said. “It will help us provide lodging. More people can stay and experience the amenities and services we have and to really enjoy that. We are looking at some cottage styled cabins to lease as well for some small golf play events. One of the things in the near future is a TrackMan on the range that will light up the range at night. It will have netting and lights down the range with food and beverages out there to create an experience to play at night and to enjoy it in the spring and summer nights. We really want to get people engaged with the club as a whole.”
Up to this point, there has been a lot of uncertainty about the future of Cateechee Golf Club.Cox’s message to help ease the worry is that it is more about the community than Cateechee Ranch.
“This is a community project,” Cox said. “This is not just us, and the community. We need the support of the community. We want them to come and stay, spend money, play golf, and enjoy all of the other amenities that we have. Also to really be a part of advocating for us. If they can’t give financially, be a cheerleader for us in the community. We have a big vision, a lot of capital behind us, the ability to complete what we want to do, but it is better if we do it together. The community and the city have already been great proponents for us in this project. It is really something special. We get to integrate well into the fabric of our community. Hartwell is a great place to live, it’s growing, a lot of movement is happening in this area. Our message is to come enjoy, be our cheerleaders, enjoy the restaurant, enjoy the golf, and come and be a member at Cateechee Ranch.”