MOUNT VERNON — In 1976 Jimmy Carter was sworn in as the 39th president of the United States, Apple appeared on the technology scene, the Cincinnati Reds swept the Bronx Bombers in four games to win the World Series, and Bill Barbour took the helm of Irish Hills Golf Club.
There are a few things that can be identified by one word: Colosseum, Pentagon, Hollywood, and, for those in Knox County, Irish.
Bill moved to Knox County with a solid foundation in his back pocket.
“I was an assistant pro with my father at Sleepy Hollow (near Cleveland). My father was a pro there for 35 years,” Barbour said.
Sleepy Hollow still holds the Barbour Cup Tournament every year.
“He was a great player, much better than me. He played in five U.S. Opens,” Bill said.
Barbour then was the one to ask the question:
“If you finished third in the 1941 U.S. Open at Canterbury, how much money did you make?”
The golfer then answered his own rhetorical question.
“$35. a far cry from today, isn’t it?”
This year the third-place finisher cashed a check for $1,532,530.
Hence golf success couldn’t fund a lifetime in the game.
While Irish Hills now boasts a renovated clubhouse and meticulous grounds, there was a very humble beginning. Heather Barbour, a Physical Education teacher at Twin Oaks and Columbia schools, and Bill’s daughter-in-law, related one of the stories from the past.
“When Bill and his wife Cindy (she passed away last year after 50 years of marriage) first came here, they lived in a part of the clubhouse, and Bill would sleep with his window open. That was his alarm clock. The parking lot was gravel back then; he would hear a car pulling in, get up, brush his teeth, get dressed, and be at the counter to greet the first golfer.”
Originally a nine-hole course nestled on the east side of State Route 13, four miles south of Mount Vernon, Barbour’s dream was to own and manage an 18-hole course.
“I have made some unbelievably great friends over the years,” Barbour said.
One of the iconic aspects of Irish Hills is the tunnel running under State Route 13 connecting the front nine with the back nine.
“There had to be permits and drawings and they had to be thorough. We had to close the road for two days,” Bill said of the construction process. “Back then there were no roofs on golf carts; had I known the roofs would be coming, I might have made the tunnel bigger.
“They were going to put it in a different place, but they hit bedrock.”
Barbour said the back nine was not a part of the original plan for the course.
“I never thought about it; it was by accident,” he noted.
A housing development was being planned for the land. After he was offered the chance to buy the 56 acres, the addition was discussed.
“I was talking to some of my friends, and they said, ‘why not?’”
Eight years after acquiring the course, the two-year project of building the back nine took place, designed by Barbour.
“We just kept walking and walking, trying to figure out if I could get nine holes in that land; some said I had to be crazy, I guess I was crazy.”
Even Bill Barbour’s father questioned the logic.
“You’re making a living with nine holes; is it worth a chance?” his dad asked.
“After it was in for a little while, he said that this was the best thing I ever did.”
Another of the major improvements has been the renovation of the clubhouse.
“That was all him,” Bill said, pointing at his son.
Along with social media and a website, Billy has an eye on the future of the course.
“The clubhouse just didn’t match what the course was outside. Our goal has always been, ‘How do we serve the people? How do we give them the best experience and the best value?’”
Improvements such as restroom facilities and a larger space to socialize before or after a round were two of the goals met with the improved clubhouse.
When asked to describe his dad, Billy did not hesitate:
“His character. That is what people say the most. He can be a tough read because he is quiet and reserved until he knows you,” the younger Barbour said.
“We were out turning on water, and there was a group on number eight, and they were struggling. He got out of the cart, gave them a lesson and helped them with their grip and played the last two holes with them.”
Since turn-around is fair play, when asked to describe his son, Bill was happy to do so.
“He is much better than I am, I don’t even own a computer. It was his idea to upgrade and make the course better for the future,” Bill said. “He wanted to make things better, better gear and a good deal for the money.”
Standing in a light rain outside of the clubhouse, the two Barbours agreed they want what is best for this community.
On Aug. 22, there will be a celebration of Bill’s 50 years of community service with a golf scramble.