Jade Greens to close its golf course this fall

Financial woes have shuttered many golf courses nationally, and that trend will affect Auburn.

Financial woes have shuttered many golf courses nationally, and that trend will affect Auburn.

Jade Greens owner Jim Hawk said he decided last week that his nine-hole course will close Nov. 27.

“It becomes tougher and tougher to make the numbers work,” said Hawk, adding that he has not decided whether he will sell or redevelop the property.

Hawk said his family has owned the majority of the course’s property since the 1960s, and his parents sought to build a nine-hole course there. That came to fruition in 1988, when the project began, before it opened in June 1990.

“We had a great run as a little nine-hole course out here,” said Hawk, whose father designed the course. “But times change and things get a little different.”

Before then, Hawk is hopeful that some of Jade Greens’ league members and other regulars can have a final get-together on a to-be-determined date.

“We’ve made some wonderful friends along the way, and have had a lot of great employees,” he said. “We’ve had a great time.”

Jade Greens will become the latest course in the area to close. Sumner Meadows, an 18-hole links-style course, shuttered in 2013 after years of financial struggles.

The City of Kent is in the process of selling the Riverbend Golf Complex Par 3 course to a developer.