Gulf Hills Golf Club in Ocean Springs closing
A historic golf course in Ocean Springs is set to close at the end of the month unless a buyer can be found. The news coming last night from the Gulf Hills Golf Club after 92 years in business.
The 18 hole golf course that opened in 1927 has seen better days. The Board of Directors of the club decided the course would cease operations on October 31st, citing the rising cost of maintenance along with declining incoming. Gulf Hills Golf Club President Bob Hinds said, “It’s been deteriorating over the years, the last few years, Katrina caused a lot of problems. The oil spill caused a lot of problems because there wasn’t place for golfers to come and stay. The weather was a big part of it.”
Currently, a group of over 500 shareholders governed by a board of directors own the 92-year old property.
They put the course on the commercial real estate market in the hopes of keeping it open under new ownership, but interest in the property remains unsteady. “We’ve had three or four bites, but then you never know what they’re going to do, you know?”
If the course does indeed close down at the end of the month, members of the board say that they’ll continue to maintain its many greens.
Donna Brown is the general manager of the separately owned Gulf Hills Hotel next door to the course. The hotel where Elvis Presley stayed will remain open as well as the Sandtrap Restaurant.
Brown says the hotel has hosted visiting golfers in the past and the course closing may have a negative impact. “I can’t not think that it wouldn’t. It would be the same thing if the hotel closed and the golf course was still open. There’s a stigma that goes along with that.”
Right now, it’s a sad time for members at Gulf Hills. “They’re disappointed. They’re really disappointed to not have a place to play because anyone that’s ever played this course loves it. They love the layout and everything.”
But some like Brown believe at some point better times will come for the property. “I do believe that someone is going to recognize the potential, there’s my word, the potential that his hotel and golf course still have for this Coast.”
Leave a Reply