Comments on: Cantonment’s Historic Champion Golf Course Closes

By: Rod 2019

Rod 2019 — Wed, 06 Mar 2019 18:45:24 +0000

Any updates since 2017 on this golf course?
Just arrived w family from Atlanta to build a home in Cantonment. Thanks!

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 14:31:40 +0000

In regards to Cantonments historical golf course. I too am heart broken about the closing of the course. I enjoyed bringing wife to learn on this course due to its relaxed environment and believe me when I say she got hooked with wanting to play golf via her play there. Owner was great and very golf oriented with lots of desired plans and had a legit vision of the course. Unfortunately money is again the culprit to preventing ones dreams. I drive by daily and see the course and have flashbacks to mine and my wife’s good times and now they are just that as it is obviously not looking as if it is a top priority for property owners to give this course real support. I did visualize investing in this course myself recently yet it was not in a actual golf course but seeing if it were possible candidate to have a TopGolf driving range being its size and location. This is a perfect location as for traffic flow and with the entertainment value TopGolf could offer it would truly offer Cantonment a big boost in attraction. Yet apparently property/land owners in this area have no desire in growing Cantonment and allowing good sense business’s to expand her. Just drive through and see the existing environment and all the failed businesses structures which now seem to be left for peddlers and trash dumps. No pride in our owners of the leased land and or regulations to make it mandatory to keep clean and or appealing. There needs to be an HOA mandate in my humble opinion, especially in this short stretch between Harvesters bank and Porky’s Pizza . Just thinking out loud

By: Sandy

Sandy — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 14:17:05 +0000

The first time I played golf was at this course. This was a place I could go and not feel embarrassed or pressured to hurry up. The gentleman who ran the property was one of the nicest you could meet. He worked day and night to keep things up. Countless evenings I saw him mowing at dark. I didn’t personally know him, but I know he wanted the course to be a success. I would like to extend best wishes to the gentleman, and say shame on all the negative responders. Where is kindness anymore??? Thank you sir for the enjoyment I experienced. And just know that good things will come your way

By: Frank Hutchison

Frank Hutchison — Sat, 26 Aug 2017 14:09:41 +0000

It’s hard for the tenant to turn a profit due to all retires from the paper mill getting free greens fees. If the course is going to survive International Paper needs to take over and run it for at least a break even situations!

By: Hugh

Hugh — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 03:57:35 +0000

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this small golf course. It serves the local people and it is what it is. A one man tenant was not enough to take care of it. Not enough income to pay landscapers to take care of it. Hopefully in the future, more people that play golf would patronize this facility, and make it profitable. I moved to Cantonment in 1955 to be employed at Chemstrand at the time. I passed this golf course every day, but never learned to play golf. I wished I had, but too old now to learn. As for the housing in that area, it was a nice subdivision at one time. Every thing gets old if you don’t keep it up. Most people in that subdivision are old and unable to do anything to their houses. They are lucky to get a breath every day. So stop all the bashing and judging things by the way they look. The Paper Mill will find a new tenant and the locals will have a course to play again. Also the course owned by Monsanto/Ascend on Old Chemstrand Road is currently open too.

@ scool bus kid – bet it made a few angry, because my kids did the same thing.

By: Wayne Schumm

Wayne Schumm — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 03:07:19 +0000

Played there the last day it was open and for the past 7 or 8 years on a regular basis. Hope that it is open again soon. IT will be interesting to see just how community minded I.P. really is and how quickly or if they are actually are looking for a new management group to take over and re-open the course. I think when the mill village was set up in 1941that property cannot be used for anything else. I. P. needs to take responsibility for keeping the property looking good so as it dose not becone an eye sour in the community while they look for a new operator.

By: MartMX

MartMX — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 17:42:30 +0000

Picture this….’Cantonment Motocross Park’ – just kidding.

By: Havesomefaith

Havesomefaith — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 17:24:17 +0000

Geez, did some of you commenters even read the article? The Mill has plans to re-lease it, and hopefully it’ll be back open very soon. There is no telling why the current tenant had to close up shop…how about calling him and asking him? On beautiful days, I have to wait in line to play at the CCC (The Cantonment Country Club as us long-time fans call it). I grew up playing those links with my dad and Grandfather. I intend to teach my kids out there as well. Have a little faith. I’m an old millennial or young Gen Xer, depending on who you ask, and I LOVE Golf!

By: MikeinBeulah

MikeinBeulah — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 16:34:13 +0000

Here is land for the industrial park Escambia County is trying to push onto us. Leave OLF8 alone!

By: William

William — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 13:36:24 +0000

>>>How is this golf course “historic”?

Because it is old enough to be listed on the state’s Heritage Trail, as the story says