A golden anniversary is going to be a golden opportunity for area golfers.
In honor of its upcoming 50th anniversary, Rozella Ford Golf Course is offering a deal in which a 2009 membership can be purchased for nearly half the cost."Beginning August 1st, we're offering a once-in-a-lifetime membership deal," said Bo Wright, the PGA professional at Rozella Ford the past seven years. "If you pay for your 2009 membership now we're only going to charge you $499, which is about half of what a membership would cost. If you pay for your 2009 membership now, you play the rest of this year free, so you're really getting about a year-and-a-half of golf for $499. That's a pretty good deal."
Wright said the membership deal is the first of a number of special opportunities planned for Rozella Ford over the next two years, as the course celebrates its 50 years in Warsaw.
Plans for the course began in 1958. The first 15 holes were completed in 1959, and the current 18-hole course opened in 1960.
"This is Warsaw's original golf course," said Wright. "For the better part of 30 years, it was Warsaw's golf course. At its height, in the mid 1980s to the early 1990s, there were about 35,000 rounds per year played here."
Wright said one of the things he likes about the course is its character.
"I think Rozella Ford has the most character of any of the courses around here because of its maturity," said Wright. "It's full of mature trees, it has rolling fairways. They took farmland and didn't change it much. It's very much the way it was 50 years ago."
Wright said that Rozella Ford's prices, as well as having Bogeys Steak House at the course make it very popular amongst golfers.
"I don't know if you can find a course like this unless you go to South Bend," said Wright. "You have a 17-year PGA professional here, you have Bogeys Steak House, and you have a beautiful golf course that's been here for years. I think we have the full package here at Rozella Ford."
Wright said Rozella Ford currently has about 200 members, but thought that the $499 membership deal could certainly up that number.
Along with being a 17-year PGA professional, Wright was also named the 2006 and 2008 Indiana PGA Merchandiser of the Year.
