Indian Springs Golf Club reopens

Another sign of our return to sports normalcy: golf returns to Jackson County.

Indians Springs Golf Club in Marianna celebrated its reopening after Hurricane Michael on Thursday.

The course isn't quite how you remember it. Course superintendent Kyle Beebe says four thousand trees were downed on and around the course during the storm, but it's finally playable thanks mostly to the efforts of Beebe and friend Donnie Bradley.

"I think this are needs some getting back to normal, and maybe playing that afternoon round of golf might to it for a lot of people," Beebe said. That's what we're hoping. I know I've had a lot of interest and people asking me when it's going to be open. We were doing it as fast as we can, just me and one guy basically cleaning up the entire course."

Although the first rounds in five months went off without much fanfare--no ribbon cuttings and the like here--Beebe expects the course will soon be embraced by folks in the area.

"We are a working community up here in Marianna so we probably won't be flooded with players, but hopefully by the weekend people will be itching to play so they'll come out and hopefully we'll have a good crowd."

Cleanup is not complete. Limbs dangle over the rough and several stumbs serve as reminders of the devastation. Players must sign a waiver before playing and are warned to stay on the cart paths.

The club's event is the Cattleman's Tournament, set to tee off on April 5 to raise money for agricultural college scholarships.