A South Carolina golf course is changing ownership, but it will still be known as “The Sarge”.
The Sergeant Jasper Country Club in Ridgeland – which is about 35 minutes north of Savannah, Georgia, and at a similar distance west of Hilton Head Island – has been a staple in the community since 1960. The Congaree Foundation announced last week who acquired the nine-hole course.
“The new and renovated Sergeant Jasper Golf Club will support access to the game of golf, providing a new home for high school teams in the area, as well as a quality public golf course for Lowcountry,” said a press release.
The Congaree Foundation said local golfers can kick-start the club on 2 March. The statement said it would also offer opportunities to learn new skills and serve as a source of talent for other fields in the region.
“The acquisition of Sergeant Jasper is a natural continuation of the Congaree Foundation’s mission: positively impacting the lives of young people locally and around the world, providing opportunities through the game of golf,” said John McNeely, executive director of the foundation’s program. “The reopening of the course reflects our commitment to serving the local community.”
Sergeant Jasper’s chairman, Bradley Bonds, said the club had many shareholders, but most have died and membership has dropped dramatically in recent years.
Her father and another board member, Buzz Bonds, said the club started with around 130 members and decreased to 10 at one point, although it has rebounded to 45-50 members.
“The club needed financial help and Congaree approached the board about taking ownership of the club to use it, in part, for youth golf,” said Bradley Bonds. “We went through the process with Congaree to make it public.”
Bonds said that with the Congaree Foundation taking over ownership, there will be “a much better product with many improvements”.
“We needed financial help and Congaree came to help,” he said. “They explained that they wanted to have golf programs for young people and still have golf for the public. This facility would not have existed for much longer if the Congaree Foundation had not saved the golf course. “
The foundation said it plans to allow high school teams to play for free.
“Access to the course will also offer an opportunity for high schools in the area to establish new golf programs for boys and girls,” said McNeely. “The club will host events for the local chapter of First Tee.”
Congaree helped several schools in Jasper County, starting in 2018, when his first girls’ golf lessons introduced the game to more than 300 students.
In partnership with the Congaree Golf Club in Gillisonville, the foundation also hosts underprivileged students for its Congaree Global Golf Initiative. It welcomes students from all over the world, including many from South Carolina and Georgia. They attend an intensive camp that offers golf instruction and college admission preparation.
“The Congaree Foundation is looking forward to making Sergeant Jasper a full-service course for the entire community to enjoy,” said McNeely.