Don Byrd Sells Wawasee Golf Club
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE -ÊWawasee Golf Club owner Don Byrd may qualify for a lifestyle change - but don't count on it.
Byrd, who has known nothing but long hours and hard work in life, has sold his golf course. So, will his work schedule change? Not likely.
"I pray the Good Lord gives me time to clean up my messes," Byrd. Asked if he was going to play more golf in the future, he said, "I hope to. I've only played three times in the last 10 years."
What Byrd has sold is 240 acres of prime real estate on the north shore of Lake Wawasee. Included in the acreage is the 18-hole golf course he has owned since 1954. "All this land is zoned residential," Byrd added.
Although the golf course hasn't been open for play this summer, Byrd has continued to mow grass and keep the greens manicured. "I just didn't put the flag sticks on the greens," he commented.
Will the new owners operate the golf course? "I'm trying to talk them into keeping a golf course, at least a nine-hole course," Byrd said. "But, to date, a decision hasn't been made."
The real estate has been purchased by Turkey Creek Holdings, L.L.C. The names of the buyers and the amount of money involved wasn't revealed. The papers were signed two weeks ago.
Byrd chuckles at a comment in an area publication that speculated the sale price amounted to "$2 million per hole" (18-hole golf course) which would total $36 million. "That's ludicrous," Byrd said.
The course is located in a prestigious neighborhood. Across the street on the shores of Lake Wawasee are the well-known Lilly estate once owned by pharmaceutical magnate Eli Lilly; the Spink Condominiums (formerly the Spink Arms Hotel); a large residence owned by Peter M. Nicholas, CEO of Boston Scientific; beachfront where the former Sergeant Hotel was located; and a huge new residence being constructed by Randall L. Tobias, former CEO of Eli Lilly, said to be costing several millions of dollars.
Byrd grew up in Delaware County where his dad was the golf pro at Minnetrista Golf Club. "That's where I learned to play golf. My dad never gave me any golf clubs, though. I had to work for them," Byrd said. "At one time I held all the course records in Muncie," Byrd added.
With World War II in progress, Byrd decided to join the Navy after graduating from Royerton High School in 1943. "But they didn't keep me very long and I ended up enrolling at the University of Arizona in Tucson," Byrd said.
He played on the AU golf team for four years and helped the team win several Southwestern Conference golf crowns before earning his degree in psychology. "I think that degree helped me to play golf. It's a game of the mind," Byrd said.
He worked as a golf pro at the country club in Tucson, played on the pro tour for a while but left Arizona after he won the Arizona Open Golf tournament in 1953.
He returned home to Muncie in 1953 to help his dad build a golf course there. But when he learned the Wawasee Golf Club was available for lease, he was interested.
"I tried and tried to figure out a way I could swing the deal. Finally I decided I wanted a lease with an option to buy. After all, if I was going to put the course in shape, I wanted to do it for me not for another owner."
The course was owned by Frank Remy of Anderson. Remy and his brothers started an electrical company later known as Delco Remy. When General Motors bought the company, young Remy, aged in his 30s, retired with his new-found fortune.
Remy owned the Wawasee Golf Course from 1911 until Byrd took over the operation in 1954. A nine hole course for many years, Remy expanded it to 18 holes in 1932.
The first year was a success for Byrd. "Of course I worked 24 hours a day." But he decided he could handle the purchase and the rest is history.
Byrd remembers the many golf tournaments he won including the Arizona Open, the National Legion Golf Championship, the National Navy Golf Championship, state pro-am tourneys and many others. "I've got a box of medals I won. You know, they didn't pay much money in those days, just gave medals."
But once he owned the Wawasee Golf Club, "I couldn't run this business and play golf too."
He smiles when you ask him if he plans to spend more time with his family. He is extremely proud of his daughter, Donyel, her husband, John Stipp and their family. Byrd is quick to point out he also has a grandson, nine-month-old Ian Stipp Byrd.
Donyel and John are both I.U. grads and social workers in Bloomington. "My daughter is like me. She works too hard," Byrd says.
"The friends I have made here (at the golf course) are as important to me as anything," Byrd added.
Byrd still has some building lots to look after in Country Club Acres near the golf course and will be putting a sewer lines in the addition soon. After that he is planning a big garage sale of golf items, collectable records, art works and just odds and ends sometime before Labor Day.
Then when things really slow down, he wants to write a book. Among other things will be chapters on his experience as a professional golfer; his trials and tribulations with the state and federal governments over his land development at Wawasee. One case was in the courts for five years before Byrd finally prevailed. "That nearly bankrupted me," he added.
Byrd has a wealth of information about the area, his meetings with Eli Lilly and many others over the years. The book should be a blockbuster. Put me on the list for the first book.
Good Luck Don. [[In-content Ad]]
SYRACUSE -ÊWawasee Golf Club owner Don Byrd may qualify for a lifestyle change - but don't count on it.
Byrd, who has known nothing but long hours and hard work in life, has sold his golf course. So, will his work schedule change? Not likely.
"I pray the Good Lord gives me time to clean up my messes," Byrd. Asked if he was going to play more golf in the future, he said, "I hope to. I've only played three times in the last 10 years."
What Byrd has sold is 240 acres of prime real estate on the north shore of Lake Wawasee. Included in the acreage is the 18-hole golf course he has owned since 1954. "All this land is zoned residential," Byrd added.
Although the golf course hasn't been open for play this summer, Byrd has continued to mow grass and keep the greens manicured. "I just didn't put the flag sticks on the greens," he commented.
Will the new owners operate the golf course? "I'm trying to talk them into keeping a golf course, at least a nine-hole course," Byrd said. "But, to date, a decision hasn't been made."
The real estate has been purchased by Turkey Creek Holdings, L.L.C. The names of the buyers and the amount of money involved wasn't revealed. The papers were signed two weeks ago.
Byrd chuckles at a comment in an area publication that speculated the sale price amounted to "$2 million per hole" (18-hole golf course) which would total $36 million. "That's ludicrous," Byrd said.
The course is located in a prestigious neighborhood. Across the street on the shores of Lake Wawasee are the well-known Lilly estate once owned by pharmaceutical magnate Eli Lilly; the Spink Condominiums (formerly the Spink Arms Hotel); a large residence owned by Peter M. Nicholas, CEO of Boston Scientific; beachfront where the former Sergeant Hotel was located; and a huge new residence being constructed by Randall L. Tobias, former CEO of Eli Lilly, said to be costing several millions of dollars.
Byrd grew up in Delaware County where his dad was the golf pro at Minnetrista Golf Club. "That's where I learned to play golf. My dad never gave me any golf clubs, though. I had to work for them," Byrd said. "At one time I held all the course records in Muncie," Byrd added.
With World War II in progress, Byrd decided to join the Navy after graduating from Royerton High School in 1943. "But they didn't keep me very long and I ended up enrolling at the University of Arizona in Tucson," Byrd said.
He played on the AU golf team for four years and helped the team win several Southwestern Conference golf crowns before earning his degree in psychology. "I think that degree helped me to play golf. It's a game of the mind," Byrd said.
He worked as a golf pro at the country club in Tucson, played on the pro tour for a while but left Arizona after he won the Arizona Open Golf tournament in 1953.
He returned home to Muncie in 1953 to help his dad build a golf course there. But when he learned the Wawasee Golf Club was available for lease, he was interested.
"I tried and tried to figure out a way I could swing the deal. Finally I decided I wanted a lease with an option to buy. After all, if I was going to put the course in shape, I wanted to do it for me not for another owner."
The course was owned by Frank Remy of Anderson. Remy and his brothers started an electrical company later known as Delco Remy. When General Motors bought the company, young Remy, aged in his 30s, retired with his new-found fortune.
Remy owned the Wawasee Golf Course from 1911 until Byrd took over the operation in 1954. A nine hole course for many years, Remy expanded it to 18 holes in 1932.
The first year was a success for Byrd. "Of course I worked 24 hours a day." But he decided he could handle the purchase and the rest is history.
Byrd remembers the many golf tournaments he won including the Arizona Open, the National Legion Golf Championship, the National Navy Golf Championship, state pro-am tourneys and many others. "I've got a box of medals I won. You know, they didn't pay much money in those days, just gave medals."
But once he owned the Wawasee Golf Club, "I couldn't run this business and play golf too."
He smiles when you ask him if he plans to spend more time with his family. He is extremely proud of his daughter, Donyel, her husband, John Stipp and their family. Byrd is quick to point out he also has a grandson, nine-month-old Ian Stipp Byrd.
Donyel and John are both I.U. grads and social workers in Bloomington. "My daughter is like me. She works too hard," Byrd says.
"The friends I have made here (at the golf course) are as important to me as anything," Byrd added.
Byrd still has some building lots to look after in Country Club Acres near the golf course and will be putting a sewer lines in the addition soon. After that he is planning a big garage sale of golf items, collectable records, art works and just odds and ends sometime before Labor Day.
Then when things really slow down, he wants to write a book. Among other things will be chapters on his experience as a professional golfer; his trials and tribulations with the state and federal governments over his land development at Wawasee. One case was in the courts for five years before Byrd finally prevailed. "That nearly bankrupted me," he added.
Byrd has a wealth of information about the area, his meetings with Eli Lilly and many others over the years. The book should be a blockbuster. Put me on the list for the first book.
Good Luck Don. [[In-content Ad]]