Great Falls, Mont.'s only executive golf course has new owners, a new management team, and a new name.
But mostly, the Hickory Swing Golf Course hopes to present a new image to golfers who play the 18-hole facility on the West Side formerly called Emerald Greens.
Billy Thompson, who has excellent credentials as both a player and a greens superintendent, will be general manager of Hickory Swing. He'll be working for local businessmen Mark Liggett and Dick Zadick, who bought the golf course recently at a sheriff's auction for a reported $701,000.
The par-60 Emerald Greens course went through bankruptcy proceedings last year but remained open for play. Jerry Bass was the original developer of Emerald Greens and his son, Jonathan, managed the facility the last several years.
"I think there's a big demand for a course like this," said Thompson. "It's a great place for kids to learn the game and for older people to play golf at an affordable price.
"We're hoping to get the course back into shape and create a new image. We're going to remodel the clubhouse and make lots of improvements."
Thompson is only 30 years old, but has a wealth of experiences in the golf business. He worked on the greens crew at Eagle Falls for two years, then spent three years as superintendent at Gannon Ranch before that course became Zahara Valley. The 9-hole course southwest of town folded a few years ago, but when Thompson worked there, the greens were excellent.
(Great Falls Tribune)
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