Mission:
Green Island County Club is a full-service private club that is dedicated to providing exceptional service, amenities, and culinary experiences for its members and families.
Vision:
To be the preeminent private club for families in the region
Values:
Exceptional Service
Members and Families
Amenities
Culinary Experiences
Club History
“Nestled in the hills where majestic pine forests march into the sparkling waters of Lake Oliver, the Green Island Hills neighborhood is the model of elegant living and nature existing in perfect harmony.” The concept of the Green Island Country Club began back in the late 1950s when Georgia Power announced the building of a hydroelectric dam on the Chattahoochee River. The proposed site for construction was an area near the Columbus Water Works known as Clapp’s Factory Site. The Jordan Company, which owned property in the area, realized that this dam would create a lake and scenic shoreline, and the idea was born of a uniquely developed real estate opportunity in what would become Green Island Hills.
Gardiner Garrard, Sr. headed up the preplanning and early construction because “he had a marvelous concept of the beauty and exclusive nature of the Green Island Hills area.” He engaged “an associate from the J.A. Griener Club, engineers from the Baltimore area, who further planned the lots and land usage of Green Island to include an 18-hole golf course.” The development area included a large area of land with a few older properties and some back roads to reach them. Mr. Garrard devised a plan that would include additional sewage lines, water mains, and substantial road systems. He hired architect George Cobb (long time consulting architect for Augusta National) of Greenville, South Carolina, to draw up the plans for the golf course and had General Bell assist in its construction, which began in 1960. At the same time, the old Big Eddy Club was renovated into a private dining establishment.
Originally, the “clubhouse” consisted of a Men’s Locker Room and a Snack Bar, which offered crackers, candy, and drinks. A small Ladies’ Locker Room was added shortly thereafter. As the desire for more variety at the Snack Bar arose, “chicken boxes” were catered from the Big Eddy Club. Then in 1962, Gladys “Big Mama” Lyles was hired as the Dietician. A small kitchen was added to deliver an expanded menu with grill items such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and chili. The kitchen also allowed for different kinds of items including fried chicken and a variety of salads. Over the next few years, a bar was constructed down in the Men’s Locker Room and the kitchen was upgraded and expanded several times.
Construction took two years and Green Island Country Club opened in 1962. G. Gunby Jordan was instrumental in the development of the neighborhood and the Country Club, and for Green Island being added to the PGA Tour. The Green Island Open was added to the PGA Tour in 1970 and the tournament name changed to the Southern Open in 1971. This tournament grew to become what is now the Buick Challenge and eventually moved to Callaway Gardens in 1991. In the tournament’s time at Green Island, all of the major golf professionals—Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, and our own Larry Mize—played its course.
In 1985, wishing to give the Members the opportunity to own their own Club, Gunby Jordan sold Green Island Country Club to its Members.
Green Island began to look at expansion and redesigning of the Club and its grounds. The architectural firm of Cole & Hornsby was contracted to remodel the Clubhouse and tennis facility and to build a pool snack house. Construction began in 1993. The result was a completely brand i ii new Clubhouse (the other was bulldozed) that “recalled elements from the 17th and 18th century English Country Houses... the approach usually through gates, the view (including)a wide angle of perspective extending down a long drive, the drive terminating in a motor court enclosed by wings extending from the central building.” The new facility now housed a large ballroom which could be partitioned for smaller gatherings, a formal dining room upstairs with adjacent entertainment rooms, a casual dining room downstairs, a full-service Golf Shop with Men’s and Ladies’ Locker Rooms, and a Men’s Grill above the Men’s Locker Room.
The newly remodeled two-story tennis building in the same architectural style included a Tennis Pro Shop, Locker Rooms, and a lounge and observation deck on the upper level. The Pool House also had the same architectural style enclosing a snack bar, party area, bathrooms, and pool storage. Large sunbathing areas surround the outside pool and baby wading pool. The Clubhouse reopened in full grand style in 1995.
John Lafoy was retained to redesign the golf course because of his association with George Cobb, the original golf course architect, and Wadsworth Golf Construction Club was contracted to undertake the work. Ground was broken in February 1996, and Larry Mize hit the first tee shot on the newly finished course November 1st of that same year.
Green Island continues to grow and change, challenge and improve. Spring of 1999 saw a renovation project of the first tee box in which the elements of wood and brick seen elsewhere on the course stylishly come together to give the golfer a wonderful anticipation of what Green Island’s golf course has to offer. Later in the summer a gazebo was added to complete the project at the first tee. In November of the same year, in response to a number of suggestions in the Club’s Annual Survey, the Bunker Room opened as an additional restaurant for the Club. Formerly this room had been used as the bar for the Swan Room and had one weekly function in the Member Mixer on Friday nights. But, as requested by the Members, this room is now used every evening, Tuesday through Saturday, as an alternative casual dining experience known as the Bunker Room Steak & Chop House.
As the club celebrated it’s 50th Anniversary in 2011, it had just completed planting all new greens with a Champions bermuda in October of 2010, replacing the bent grass greens which were prevalent in years past. Another milestone is the publication of the clubs first history book titled, “From These Hills.”
In the long history of this Country Club, one remembers the highlights. Staff members that have been with the Club a number of years can recall when some of our current Members were boys and Mr. (Gunby) Jordan offered them 50¢ apiece for each rock removed from the golf course. In 1973, 17 inches of snow fell on Columbus in a 24-hour period which Don Branch and his crew recall as being a “huge mess.” The aftermath of Hurricane Opal came through in the early nineties and destroyed over 100 trees.
Green Island Country Club is a retreat from the hectic hustle and bustle of the city in the heart of Green Island Hills. Those who are long-time Members or who have worked here a number of years indicate that Green Island has always stood apart in its “family” atmosphere of service. The word retreat is defined as “a place of privacy or safety, refuge.” For many, Green Island has become their “home away from home.” We are glad to have you as part of the Green Island Country Club family and hope that we can serve you and your family’s needs for many years to come.