Hinds to close Eagle Ridge Golf Course
The Clinton Courier
On October 8, Hinds Community College President Dr. Stephen Vacik announced that the Eagle Ridge Golf Course on Hinds’ Raymond campus will be closed at the end of this year.
In a letter announcing the decision, Vacik said the course has long been a part of college and community life.
“For many years, the golf course has been more than just a recreational facility. It has been a gathering place for friends, families, alumni, students and community members,” he wrote.
“After extensive review and careful consideration, the college has made the difficult decision to cease golf course operations,” Vacik wrote. “This decision was not made lightly.”
Vacik said the course requires a significant institutional investment and that the college must align its financial resources with its core mission of providing accessible, high-quality educational opportunities for students.
“We have reached a point where we must prioritize resources toward areas that more directly support student success and the long-term sustainability of the college,” he wrote.
He said the decision does not reflect on the course’s patrons, staff or the many people who have worked to support and maintain it over the years. Instead, Vacik wrote, it reflects “the difficult realities facing higher education institutions.”
Vacik also thanked those who have supported the course.
“We are sincerely grateful to everyone who has supported the golf course through memberships, tournaments, events and countless rounds of golf,” he wrote.
“While this chapter is coming to a close, the memories and relationships built here will remain an enduring part of our institution,” Vacik wrote.
He said the college intends to determine how best to use the land to benefit the community.
The day prior, October 7, the college officially dedicated its new Health Sciences Complex on the Rankin Campus in Pearl, celebrating the completion and opening of the college’s new flagship facility for training the region’s nursing and allied health professionals.
Hinds officials say the $64 million, 160,000-square-foot Health Sciences Complex represents a major investment in the future of health care education and workforce development in Mississippi and will address the growing demand for skilled health care professionals throughout the state and region.
The complex opened in August for the fall semester and is expected to train more than 650 people annually for health-related careers.
