Greystone is back on course

CABOT — Aug. 26, 2011, was a

sad day for most of the homeowners

in Cabot’s Greystone subdivision.

It was the day two golf courses at

Greystone closed. For many, those

greens are what attracted them to

Greystone in the first place. But

thanks to a group of aggressive

buyers, both courses will be open

ing soon.

Jim Cooper, owner of Cooper’s

Hawk Golf Course in Melbourne,

had the winning bid for the Moun

tain Springs Golf Course when the

courses were auctioned off on the

morning of March 1. Mitch Ward is

one of the winning bidders for the

Cypress Creek Golf Course.

Cooper’s Hawk was recently

voted as the No. 1 public course in

Arkansas by Executive Golfer Maga

zine. The course’s general manager,

Nathan Alloway, said plans are being made to bring the same familyfriendly environment and affordable green fees to Mountain Springs that are offered at Cooper’s Hawk.

He said he expects the deal to close within the next two weeks, with a May opening for the course.

“It’s not going to be as expensive as the previous memberships, and we think it will be better quality,” Alloway said about the 190-acre Mountain Springscourse. “We want you to come out and enjoy golf, and bring your kids.”

Alloway said Cooper plans to get a new fleet of golf carts for the Cabot course, but they won’t be ready until around May 1. Alloway also said there will be renovations to the restaurant. The course has a pool, tennis courts and a clubhouse.

Although the closing date for the property may be a little sooner for the new owners of the 222-acre Cypress Creek course, the opening date willbe later, maybe mid-July, Ward said.

“The previous owners let the greens go,” said Ward, who is the owner of Red River Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep in Heber Springs. “We will be planting Bermuda greens and redoing the sand traps.”

Ward said more improvements may be made later, but for now, the course has a small clubhouse with a snack bar.

“There are 300 lots (in the subdivision) not sold, so as more houses go in, we have intentions of adding an extra clubhouse and possibly a pool,” Ward said.

Built in 1995, MountainSprings is the older of the two courses. Cypress Creek was built in 1998.

Tom and Billye Everett are some of those homeowners who used the Mountain Springs and Cypress Creek courses regularly. In fact, Tom played golf every day.

“It’s been a lifestyle, and most people thought the courses would never close, but they did,” said Tom Everett, who moved to Cabot from Houston.

Tom’s wife, Billye, isexecutive director at the Cabot Chamber of Commerce, and her happiness that the courses will open back up is twofold.

“We were very, very concerned at the chamber when they closed,” Billye Everett said. “Greystone is known as one of the best golf courses around. It was one thing Cabot had to bring people here; golfing is just a part of Cabot.”

Staff writer Jeanni Brosius can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or jbrosius@arkansasonline.com.