Eagle Ridge Golf Course faces closure after nearly 70 years — but important questions remain unanswered
By Guest Columnist Jerry Nix
After nearly seven decades of serving golfers throughout Central Mississippi, Eagle Ridge Golf Course is scheduled to close January 1, 2027, following a decision by Hinds Community College officials that has left longtime members, community residents and former college golfers questioning the financial justification and timing of the closure.
The announcement came October 8 through a Facebook statement from Hinds Community College President Dr. Stephen Vacik, who cited rising operating expenses and the institution’s responsibility to prioritize funding for education, workforce development, and employee compensation.
According to the college, Eagle Ridge costs approximately $700,000 to $850,000 annually to operate.
What remains unclear to many golfers is how much revenue the course generates, what its actual annual net operating losses are, and why substantial improvements were made to the facility shortly before the closure announcement.
A historic course with deep community ties
Eagle Ridge has served generations of golfers from Jackson, Raymond, Clinton, Vicksburg, Brandon and other central Mississippi communities.
For many, the course represents far more than eighteen holes of golf.
It has provided a place for recreation, exercise, fellowship, charitable tournaments and competitive golf for students and residents of all ages.
The course has also hosted fundraising events benefiting Hinds Community College scholarships, including the HCC Foundation Fun Fest and the Ken Smith Memorial Tournament.
Longtime members say these events demonstrate that the facility has contributed to the college’s educational mission in ways that extend beyond its daily operating revenue.
I have been a member with my wife since 1996, and I represent Eagle Ridge golfers in the Central Mississippi Senior Men’s Golf Association in questioning whether all reasonable alternatives have been examined.
I understand that a public college has financial responsibilities, but before closing a facility that has served this community for nearly seventy years, shouldn’t the public be allowed to examine the actual financial numbers and the alternatives?
Recent improvements raise financial questions
One of the most troubling aspects of the closure announcement is its timing.
Golfers familiar with the course report that substantial improvements were undertaken during late 2025 and 2026, including work that significantly improved playing conditions.
Some members estimate that approximately $500,000 was invested in the facility during this period, although that amount has not yet been independently verified through college financial records.
Questions have also been raised about reports of an earlier state appropriation or allocation of approximately $800,000 to $850,000 for golf course improvements.
The existence, amount, timing and expenditure of any such funding have not yet been established through public documentation.
These circumstances raise questions that deserve examination.
When were improvement funds approved? How much was actually spent? Were closure plans already being considered when the improvements were authorized? And was the course given sufficient time to attract additional customers and tournaments following the improvements?
The college has stated that substantial investments failed to generate sufficient revenue to cover operating costs and continuing maintenance needs.
That explanation deserves consideration. However, a complete financial picture requires more than a statement of annual expenses.
It requires documented revenues, operating costs, capital expenditures, and actual net losses.
Golfers organize to seek alternatives
Following the October 8 announcement, members of the Eagle Ridge golfing community began organizing an effort to preserve the course.
Greene Morris, a senior golfer in his eighties who has been unable to play for more than a year because of injuries, prepared a respectful letter requesting that college officials reconsider the decision.
The letter proposed alternatives including private management, community partnerships, independent operating arrangements, and potential investment opportunities.
Fifty-five signed copies were subsequently delivered to the college president’s office.
The appeal did not demand that Hinds Community College continue subsidizing an unprofitable operation indefinitely.
Instead, it requested an opportunity to explore whether another operating arrangement could preserve the course while reducing or eliminating the financial burden on the institution.
Since then, golfers from several organizations have become involved, including approximately 45 senior golfers at Eagle Ridge, 50 younger golfers and 40 women golfers.
The concerns have also been shared with the eight clubs affiliated with the Central Mississippi Senior Men’s Golf Association.
College announces plans to seek outside operators
On October 22, Hinds Community College distributed another statement reaffirming its intention to discontinue golf course operations.
The announcement included one significant development: the college intends to issue a Request for Proposals seeking qualified entities interested in operating the facility.
However, the college cautioned that no particular outcome is guaranteed and that proposals must demonstrate long-term financial viability while meeting the institution’s responsibilities as a public college.
That announcement leaves important questions.
What lease terms would be offered to an outside operator? Who would be responsible for maintenance, capital improvements and equipment? Would an independent operator have sufficient authority to make the business decisions necessary to succeed?
There are also questions concerning the ownership of the property.
Some golfers understand that the course occupies state-owned land leased for recreational purposes. The precise ownership arrangements, lease provisions and restrictions on future use need to be confirmed through the relevant public records.
A management proposal may provide a solution, but its success could depend heavily on the financial and contractual conditions established by the college and any other government entities involved.
What about the college golf team and employees?
The proposed closure also affects five full-time golf course employees.
Hinds Community College has stated that affected employees may apply for available positions at the institution for which they qualify.
The college has also indicated that its golf team would continue practicing and competing at other local courses, with officials expecting minimal disruption to the program.
Nevertheless, the financial implications of those arrangements remain relevant.
What will the college spend to obtain practice and competition facilities elsewhere? How will those expenses compare with the costs of operating its existing facility? And how will the changes affect the college’s student-athletes?
These are reasonable subjects for public examination.
A question of transparency and public accountability
The decision to close Eagle Ridge presents a difficult balance between the financial responsibilities of a public educational institution and the value of a longstanding community recreational facility.
The college maintains that its resources must be directed toward students, educational programs, workforce training and employee compensation.
Those are legitimate institutional priorities.
But the community also has a legitimate interest in understanding the financial analysis supporting the closure, particularly following recent investments in course improvements.
I and other concerned golfers are seeking greater financial transparency and a meaningful opportunity to evaluate alternatives.
A formal request under the Mississippi Public Records Act is being pursued to obtain existing records concerning golf course revenues, expenses, improvement funding, property agreements and the decision-making process.
Concerned golfers have also contacted elected officials, including State Senator David Blount, seeking assistance in obtaining information and exploring whether the closure can be delayed while reasonable alternatives are evaluated.
More than a game
For many older residents, Eagle Ridge provides an important opportunity to remain physically active and socially connected.
Weekly tournaments bring together retirees, veterans, former business owners, educators and others who have spent decades contributing to their communities.
Some have played Eagle Ridge for thirty, forty, or even fifty years.
Others learned the game there as students and later returned with their children and grandchildren.
The value of those relationships may not appear on a financial statement, but it remains part of the course’s contribution to the community.
The proposed closure is also significant to younger golfers who may lose an affordable public facility and to families who have developed traditions around the course.
Before the gates close, the public deserves answers
The central issue is not whether Hinds Community College should be required to operate a financially unsustainable golf course forever.
The issue is whether the decision to close Eagle Ridge has been supported by a complete and transparent examination of the financial facts and available alternatives.
The public deserves to know how much money the course actually loses, how improvement funds were spent, what legal obligations apply to the property and whether another operator could reasonably maintain the facility.
It is possible that a full review will support the college’s decision.
It is also possible that a workable alternative could emerge.
Either outcome should be based on documented financial information rather than speculation.
After nearly seventy years, Eagle Ridge Golf Course deserves more than an uncertain future and a closing date.
Before the final round is played, the people of central Mississippi deserve to know whether every reasonable opportunity to preserve this historic community asset has truly been explored.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Jerry Nix has been a member of Eagle Ridge Golf Course since 1996 and serves as the Eagle Ridge representative for the Central Mississippi Senior Men’s Golf Association.
