Once the jewel of golf courses in the Miami Valley, Shaker Run has been in some serious decline for many years. Armco sold it to a Cincinnati-based partnership late in 1993, and it was opened to the public in 1994. An additional nine holes were added in 1999 to make it a 27-hole facility.
As late as 2005 the course was in good enough condition to be selected by the United States Golf Association for its Amateur Public Links championship. That’s the one in which Michelle Wie played against the men.
But just as the Public Links event disappeared from the USGA calendar, Shaker Run faded from the public consciousness. There were ownership changes. The giant Textron Corporation, which lists E-Z-GO golf carts as one of its properties, owned it for many years and leased it to others.
Unfortunately it has not been operated successfully and the golf course suffered as a result. At times it has been in horrible condition. I’m told that in 2011 there were six greens that didn’t have adequate grass.
So when I heard there were new owners having a media outing to reveal their plans to rescue the place, I thought, “Here we go again. This sounds like a re-run of past press conferences.”
What we learned was that David and Kristi Bowen of Mason became the majority ownership holders of Shaker Golf Group LLC at the beginning of this year. The Bowens didn’t go into this with their eyes closed because David has been a silent partner since April 2011.
Steve Lambert, who has been involved in Shaker management, holds the remaining financial interest but is now semi-retired and working exclusively with Shaker’s renovation projects.
The Shaker Group sold a 12-acre plot of land within the Lakeside nine holes to Fischer Homes to raise capital for an ambitious renovation project that began early this year with doubling last year’s golf course maintenance budget.
The clubhouse has been renovated and given new HVAC units. We were told that all of Shaker’s outstanding debts have been paid. Membership has grown to 143 households and three corporations.
Shaker did not have a head golf professional this year, but Ryan Nightingale will assume that role on Oct. 2. Nightingale has been the senior assistant pro at NCR Country Club for the last five years. Tony Lambert is the course superintendent and Tim Lambert will be the director of golf instruction.
In the next six months Shaker will rebuild all of the bunkers on the Meadows nine and rebuild 4-7 bunkers on the original 18 holes.
Chip shots
• Two golfers from the Miami Valley have qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship Oct. 7-12 at the Capital City Club in Atlanta and the Atlanta National Golf Club in Milton, Georgia.
Ben Hogenkamp, formerly of Minster, shot 72 on Sept. 14 to get one of four qualifying spots at Pinnacle Golf Club in Grove City. Brandon Johnson of Beavercreek shot 72 at Heritage Club in Mason to get one of four spots there.
• Rudy Gimbrone, head golf professional at Moraine Country Club from 1971 to 1997, died Thursday. He was 81.
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