Fox Haven Country Club now up and running

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Country Club is gone forever.

A local establishment that stood for 73 years closed last December because of high debt and dwindling numbers in membership.

Although having to shut the club down was a dull reminder of economic problems and the landscape of the country club model, change can sometimes lead to better opportunities.

With a new name and a new initiative, Fox Haven Country Club is now open for business.

For three months the club sat empty until a local individual bought the property where the Sikeston Country Club used to stand. Now, a group of new Fox Haven club members help operate the facilities and the club that was once buried in the red is now entirely debt free.

Unlike the Sikeston Country Club, however, Fox Haven is now a private club.

"Since it's owned by an individual, it was decided since there's already one public course (in Sikeston) that this one would be private and be for the use of it's members," Fox Haven general manager Rob Collins said.

Fox Haven, which name derives from a hoard of foxes that call the course home, opened it's doors two weeks ago and have already climbed to 250 members.

The Sikeston Country Club, which at one time had over 600 members, had fallen to 220 members at the time of its foreclosure.

"We started from zero and haven't really advertised," Rob Collins said. "We know that some of our old members haven't come back and they will. We're actively pursuing membership.

"I think the old members realized how much they missed it during the winter when it was actually closed down," Rob Collins said. "They lost being with their friends, other club members. Everybody is happy to get back here."

Fox Haven membership has been lowered substantially from where it stood last year, according to Collins. An open house put on by the Fox Haven staff a week after its opening drew nearly 500 people wanting a glimpse at the new club.

"We've tried to make it as cheap as we absolutely can and still be able to operate profitably," he said.

The new club offers members a chance to keep their own private golf carts on site -- something nowadays that is rarely seen in most other country clubs.

Remodeling began in March with new ceilings, paint, carpet, furniture and countless other upgrades to the club house.

"There's people that have come out that have started to think about becoming a member because they enjoy playing here," Club pro Kevin Collins said. "They're seeing the improvements in the club house and the overall advancements to the new club."

Currently the club's swimming pool, which will remain open to the public through a summer membership, is undergoing a major renovation. An entirely new floor will be installed as well as new diving boards, a new fence and cosmetic improvements.

The new pool is expected to be done sometime around the beginning of June.

The club's fully stocked pro shop will also remain a public store.

With new physical changes there is also a wanted change in atmosphere.

Fox Haven is pushing a new family climate to the club in hopes of attracting a younger generation. Management is hoping to add playground facilities, basketball courts and other amenities if their family initiative takes off.

"If you're going to survive now you have to have the families," Rob Collins said. "It's hard to do because so many families are involved in so many other activities nowadays. We're making a big push to try and make this family-friendly."

In addition to some of the previous staff members, Fox Haven has incorporated a new chef which, according to Collins, has upgraded the food quality. There's also new waitresses in the lounge area as well.

The managerial staff that remains from the carry-over include Rob Collins, Kevin Collins, who has been the club's golf pro for 20 years, and the golf course superintendent, Darryl Best, who has been at the club for 14 years.

"There's good continuity there," Rob Collins said. "They know what the members like and how we run the operations."

As far as the golf course goes, there won't be too many changes to the 18-hole, bent green course. The changes that will be made, may not go seen by the casual observer.

"The golf course is undergoing renovations that you won't really see," Rob Collins said.

A new irrigation system and new equipment will be utilized in improving an abused course that sat without maintenance due to lack of funds over the last few years.

Improving the quality of the grass, primarily the greens, is tops in where most of the course advancements will be.

"It's in good shape now, but in the next year or two we're going to be making improvements and making it a better course to play on," Rob Collins said. "Mainly, we're just going to clean it up."

Despite the four months the club was closed, the course itself wasn't badly effected. It did take, however, a few months work to have the course back where it needed to be.

"We had a warm winter which helped a lot," Kevin Collins said. "There wasn't much vandalism during that time period and we were able to come back and pick it right up.

"The course should come out of it in pretty good shape, considering what we went through and how we had to shut down."

The club was once home to the Sikeston High School golf team, as it has been for years. After the closure, the Bulldogs were forced to find another practice facility and forfeited the opportunity to host Invitationals.

"We've certainly invited them back for next year," Kevin Collins said. "It's up to the school whether they want to."

The major tournaments that the club has had for many years will remain open to the public, despite the changes. The next recent tournament will be the NewWave Communications 3-Man Scramble, June 2-3.

"I think the biggest change to the club is that it's now a private club. That's pretty much the only difference," Rob Collins said. "Like in the past, you can't just come out, pay a green fee, jump in a cart and take off. You can play as a guest with a member, but other than that it's about the same."