With all the recent rains, everything is coming up green, especially the greens at the Brundidge Country Club.
Terry Casey, Brundidge Country Club president, was the program guest at the Brundidge Rotary Club Wednesday. He told the Rotarians that the golf course has had a facelift. The putting greens have been reworked with Tifdwarf Bermudagrass, which is used on championship greens, and the fairways were seeded with 419 Bermudagrass.
“The Tifdwarf takes the heat better and doesn’t cost as much to maintain,” Casey said.
“We are working hard to keep the course in good condition and keep people playing.”
Casey said the Brundidge Country Club is unique in that most towns with a population of 2,000 don’t have a golf course. He recognized the men who were ambitious enough to invest time, energy and money into what was probably thought a fool-hearted idea.
“On Dec. 14, 1962, the Brundidge Country Club was incorporated,” Casey said.
“The first board of directors was Robert Barr, James Caldwell, William Caldwell, Joe Chambers, Ralph Dickert, Foy Ingram and John Ray.
“In 2012, we celebrated our 50th anniversary and that makes Brundidge County Club one of the oldest established small clubs around.”
Casey said membership dues were once raised to a whopping $35 a month.
“At a club meeting, it was told that one member, a tightwad, recommended that the dues be raised to $35,” he said. “The rest of the members said if the tightwad could pay $35 a month so could they.”
At one point in time, the BCC could boast of 145 members or more. Today, that number has dropped significantly.
“Clubs all across the country are experiencing a decline in membership,” Casey said. “There are several reasons and the economy is one.  Another is the culture. Young people just aren’t playing like they used to and cost, time and interest in other things are the reasons. And, it’s not just at small courses. Big city clubs are struggling, too.”
The Brundidge Country Club has been an asset to the community. It was the home club of Pike County High School and Pike Liberal Arts School golf teams for a while.
The Club continues to provide recreational opportunities for the community. It hosts several tournaments throughout the year including the Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Douglas Botts Memorial tournaments.
“We also host ABC scrambles and have a couple of those coming up soon,” Casey said. “We’ll host the Douglas Botts Memorial Tournament on May 21 and a scramble at the end of May and one in June and another in July.
“So Brundidge Country Club continues to be an asset to Brundidge and we hope to be around for a long time.”