A tear streams down general manager and superintendent Marshall Hone’s face as he sits on a wooden bench inside the clubhouse of Highland Springs Golf Course reflecting on his grandfather’s legacy. “I do get emotional about that because I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him,” he says, “and he instilled a lot of work ethic in me.”
In 2006, Marshall’s grandfather, Vaughn Hone Sr., purchased Highland Springs with current owner Mark Hone, Marshall’s father. At the time, the family also owned Red Oaks Golf Course in Bloomingdale, Ohio, but listed the property for sale in 2021. Red Oaks was built in 1962 as a 9-hole facility, and Vaughn Sr. and his son built an additional nine holes in 1996.
Highland Springs is nestled in the mountains of Wellsburg, West Virginia, between Ohio and Pennsylvania. Steep, winding roads lined with ranch houses and family-owned businesses lead up to the 18-hole, links style course. Located in Wellsburg, a 2,400-resident community along the Ohio River, Highland Springs is one of roughly 25 courses in a 30-mile radius. It stands out for one overarching reason — the property resides in both West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Highland Springs is one of 11 courses in the United States that allows golfers to play in two different states in one round. Others on the list include Bois de Sioux Golf Course, which has nine holes in Minnesota and nine in North Dakota; Council Fire Club (Georgia and Tennessee) and Gateway Lodge Golf Course (Michigan and Wisconsin).
Ken Skotak excitedly laced his shoes up, as his wife waited for him on the first tee. “My goal in retirement is to play golf in all 50 states,” he says. “So, this I get two for one.” The unique factor attracts visitors from all over. Skotak travelled from Phoenix to visit the course.
Other than paying different property tax rates, the dual-state residence only brings a tourist attraction, with no added regulations or state differences. Pennsylvania’s property tax rate varies across the state, but averages 1.41 percent, significantly higher than West Virginia’s 0.55 percent average.
Highland Springs features a James Harrison-designed, par-72, 18-hole layout. The challenge comes with the length, as the course holds only two water hazards and two bunkers, and measures 6,355 yards from the back tees. With four ryegrass teeing options per hole, the longest hole, No. 18, measures 534 yards from the back tees. Hone’s team is working to shorten some holes to make the layout more friendly for seniors and beginners.
Found on the back of the shirts and hoodies in the clubhouse is the slogan “Tee off in West Virginia — putt out in Pennsylvania.” The 10th hole allows golfers to do just that — a 474-yard straight shot along the side of the entry road to the course. No. 16, a short par 3 with water fronting the green, begins in Pennsylvania and finishes in West Virginia.
Although the bordering property doesn’t face issues on the administrative side, the Hone family hasn’t gone without their struggles. The Great Recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, droughts and staffing have all proved challenging for the public facility.
“When 2009 and 2010 came along and we had all the problems in the country and market, it got really bad for three or four years for all golf courses,” Mark says. “They took a big hit, and we were able to sustain it because of how we run our business.”
Despite a high demand for golf, Highland Springs strives to remain affordable. “We know our audience around here,” Mark says. “These are retired steel workers, blue-collar, really good, hard-working people.” Eighteen holes with a cart on the weekend costs just $32.
Lack of water has proved to be an ongoing issue. Last year, the course’s only irrigation pond ran out of water, meaning Marshall had to ship it in.
In the early months of the pandemic, Highland Springs stayed open, as West Virginia was one of the states that permitted golf. Pennsylvania courses were ordered closed during a six-week stretch in 2020. Contrasting regulations between the states attracted new faces to Highland Springs. “We got a lot of PA players to come over and see us for the first time, and they were able to see that we were here,” Marshall says.
Running a business as a family can also bring dilemmas, including occasional heart-to-heart conversations. “At the end of the day, we have arguments, but we leave it at home or we leave it at the golf course,” Marshall says. “We’ll go sit down and have dinner together, but we don’t argue about what needs to be done and what doesn’t.”
Without that mindset, a legacy wouldn’t be able to be built. When Mark was younger, working in corporate America and starting a family, he realized he wanted something more. After coming to that conclusion, he went to his father, who owned a trucking business. “I said, ‘Dad, I want to do something else in life,’” Mark says. “And to make a long story short, we ended up buying a golf course in 1996.”
When deciding on which route to go, Mark thought about getting into farming. He knew he wanted to establish a business for his future family and their families. “I said, ‘I just want to do something generational where we can hand it down and be proud,’” Mark says. “[Dad] would be really proud now, because Marshall does an unbelievable job.”
Mark and Vaughn Sr. purchased Red Oaks in 1996, before selling the course in 2021. During that time, the father-son pair built an additional nine holes, making it an 18-hole facility. In 2021, after putting Red Oaks up for sale, Marshall moved over to run Highland Springs on his own for the first time. Mark now lives in a cabin along Highland Springs, right on the land he and his father established part of the family legacy.
Reflecting back, Mark recognizes the confidence his father had in him from a young age. During the buying stage for Highland Springs, he relayed his questioning feelings to his parents: “Who am I to run two golf courses? And my mother says, ‘Well, obviously you can handle it because your dad and I have full faith in you.’”
Mark places similar confidence in Marshall. “Fear of failure, not in a negative way, but I instilled that in him,” Mark says. “I think his work ethic and just his everyday attitude toward life to do the right things, to be a good father, husband, family guy.”
Marshall “didn’t fall far from the tree,” Mark says. He learned both the turf and business sides of owning a course from watching his father. The family had an apartment above the clubhouse at Red Oaks, where Marshall spent a lot of time. “Work hard and be an example, and they pick up on it,” Mark says. Marshall attended Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, where he played on the golf team.
Mark also taught Marshall the importance of precision and teamwork — essential values in the golf business. He can’t spray greens, mow fairways and mow rough all in the same day. He must lean on his staff and surround himself with good people.
Running a successful business in Wellsburg can only be possible with the help of determined employees and dedication from family and community. Highland Springs’ scorecard, after all, is lined with ads from 11 local businesses, regulars play the course every day, rain or shine, and multiple leagues are held throughout the week.
Gary Matteson has worked at Highland Springs for 18 years and retired from his day job in 2008. He now works in the clubhouse, giving him front-facing interactions with customers. “This community is great,” he says. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.” Matteson greets customers each day and checks them in for tee times. He also helps run the bar and takes phone calls.
Matteson has known Mark for most of his life. He taught Mark in school and coached him in basketball. Matteson was playing golf one day when Mark stopped to ask him if he wanted a part-time job at Highland Springs. “That was it,” Matteson says. He has been there ever since.
After working on a golf course in college, Gary Harmon headed for the steel mills. Wellsburg was once a booming area for the steel industry, but most mills, including the one where Harmon worked, have closed. After being unemployed for two years, Harmon found his way back to the greens. He has spent the past 15 years working with the Hones. “Marshall and them,” Harmon says, “they treat us like family.” Harmon can be found mowing fairways and greens or assisting Marshall with tasks around the course and clubhouse.
The course has only two full-time employees outside of the Hone family: Harmon and Toby Diserio. Highland Springs has a small part-time staff and gains seasonal additions each summer. The crew plays golf together at least once a month. They also frequently gather for cookouts.
“They’re all family to me,” Marshall says. “We go to war every morning, go out here in the cold, they throw the overalls on, and they get on with it.”
Because they operate with a small full-time crew, Marshall and his father must be knowledgeable multi-taskers. Marshall is a licensed spray tech, superintendent, general manager and coach. He has learned the necessity of delegating tasks and leaning on his team. Mark and Marshall handle permitting, bills, paychecks and scheduling. Food and beverage selections are hand-shopped for at Sam’s Club, with nothing ordered in.
Marshall’s immediate family also makes sacrifices. His fiancée, Teresa, often makes trips for supplies and food for the clubhouse, and she will occasionally work a clubhouse shift. Teresa cares for their two kids, Stella and Hudson, allowing Marshall to spend abundant time at the course.
Mark’s post-retirement activities involve assisting with the children. He still makes appearances on the course, working three shifts a week inside the clubhouse. As the current owner, he still runs some business aspects of the operation.
He enjoys taking a drive around the course, asking customers where they are from and what their thoughts are about course conditions. He has noticed the increase in young adults diving into the game. “I’m seeing a lot of 22-to-25-year-olds, which was lacking for a long time,” he says.
Marshall’s community involvement is evident on the course as a superintendent — and also as a coach. He began coaching the Brooke High School boys’ golf team in 2020, teaching the game to three kids. The next season, the team increased to nine. Five years later, the number is up to 39. A one-person girls’ team started in 2022. That roster has expanded to seven players.
To boost awareness of the new high school programs, Hone began a junior clinic at Highland Springs. Participants earned a gym credit for attendance. Hone relied on Facebook, fliers and word-of-mouth to spread information about the opportunities.
Marshall gives back to the golf community by helping make the game available to area residents. The course began hosting an annual fundraiser for the kids. Last year, the event raised nearly $10,000, allowing each kid to receive a golf bag, a golf shirt and anything else they need to get started in the game.
“I’m just really into growing the game of golf,” Marshall says. “I’m in a position where I’m very lucky and fortunate in life, and I try to show that in another way.”
Stella and Hudson are now set up for job opportunities as they get older, accomplishing just what Mark had hoped. He views his family business with gratitude.
“I’ll work my tail off all my life, but money is not the object,” he says. “It’s watching my grandkids grow up and have a good, successful life that the golf course will provide. In this business, it’s all family. It’s all legacy.”
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