The Elks Country Club is a nine hole golf course on the outskirts of Hillsboro in Highland county, that provides a beautiful backdrop for a round of golf as well as a challenge for golfers of any experience level.
The sprawling course plays at a Par score of 72, for 18 holes, with a total length of 6439 yards. The course has been rated by the USGA as a 71.1 with a slope rating of 127 on a 55 to 155 scale. The 127 slope rating indicates that the course plays as moderately difficult and would likely present a challenge to most golfers.
The well manicured greens and fairways allows visitors to enjoy a rousing round of golf without worrying about the conditions on the course and how it could effect their scores. This well defined course presents local golfers with a challenge while simultaneously guiding them in the direction of the best shot available.
The layout of the course slows smoothly from one hole to another making it easy to navigate, despite the lack of a continuous cart path, even for novice golfers and hobbyists alike. Players must also rely on their ability to visualize the shot they want to hit to put themselves in the best position to reach the green. This task is made immensely more difficult, especially for a beginning golfer, by the fact that the majority of greens on the course are not visible from the tee boxes.
The Elks Country Club serves as the home course for the boys and girls golf teams at Hillsboro High School. Given the relationship between the school and the course the club began a summer youth golf league in an attempt to create an environment for young aspiring golfers to learn about the game and gain experience playing it.
Steve Newby, the manager of the pro shop at the country club, expounded on the league and its purpose when he said, “We targeted kids in the fifth through the eighth grade. Because we have found that at the high school level kids go to the coach as freshman wanting to play golf with no experience. We thought that we would start a youth program to get kids going at an earlier age. We plan on doing it again next year and into the future.”
Newby estimated that the club averages 7500 rounds of golf on a yearly basis. The course also hosts many outings and tournaments. Also available to golfers and the public at the Elks Country Club is the Elk House Restaurant.
The Elks Country Club also make charitable contributions to the community in partnership with the Elks Lodge.
Reflecting on his seven years as pro shop manager and his nearly 50 years of experience with the Elks Country Club as a player Newby said, “I enjoy being around the members of the Elks Lodge. I love high school golf season, being out here in the evenings when they are having their matches I get to know the kids. I want to make this place a place where members want to come and want to be.”
Reach Ryan Applegate at 937-402-2572, or on Twitter @RCApplegate89.
