The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

Hend-Co-Hills Country Club Sold

by Dessa Rodeffer, Publisher/Owner

April 3, 2013

It was quite a shock to hear Hend-Co-Hills Country Club was sold April 1st, and being turned back into a farm, not that I have anything against farming. I love the country farms and the work farmers do to feed a nation, fuel a nation to keep our soldiers at home rather than guarding a foreign oil field, and I am glad farming is finally getting a little better profit for all their hard work.

The sad, thing is how hard everyone worked to have a country club, golf course, tennis course, camping ground.

It gave our county residents a place to eat and enjoy family and friends for get-togethers at a nearby affordable place.

My four childen practically grew up on the golf course and/or at the swimming pool and tennis courts. It was easy to get my kids motivated throughout the summer if they wanted to go to Hend-Co-Hills in the afternoon. They always got their chores done. They took swimming lessons from Rich Lutz, the club manager.

I typed up and sent out the club newsletter to help pay for my monthly membership. I am not sure where things went astray but I heard it was the flood of 2008 that made members from Iowa unable to use the club and they found other places to golf. The present owner and golf pro Cory Bizarri, was unable to keep it afloat and CIT Small Business Lending Corp., filed a notice to foreclose on Jan. 25 at the Henderson County Courthouse stating $863,495.45 was owed.

There was talk other investors would pick up the club again and make it work and I was hopeful, they would even bring it back to serve as a restaurant, campground and even a pool and tennis court again. But April Fool's day came around, and it is no joke....the club is no more.

My boys and husband enjoy golfing when they all return home and I am sure Todd Hamilton (British Open Champ in 2004) will miss the course that he learned to golf on, as many others have in high school. West Central has suffered the loss of a bowling alley at Country Fun, now their golf course is gone. It's hard to start from scratch, but maybe some one could put all these things together into one great location. In 1970, it pulled our county together. But for today, the county mourns the loss of what was a great place to play.