When Myung Lee started playing golf in Seoul, South Korea, in 1993, he thought it was a fun way to spend some time with his friends.
Thirty years later, after immigrating to the United States, he plans to turn the hobby into a business and has purchased the Elm Lake Golf Course from previous owner Fred Hall.
Lee told The Dispatch he closed on an eight-month-long deal to purchase the golf course Friday and plans to renovate the clubhouse and build additional facilities on the property. He also plans to rename it Elm Lake Country Club.
“The winter time here is going to be slow, so that will be a good time for us to expand out a restaurant space and add (indoor) screen golf here as well,” Lee said. “I’m really happy about the sale. It’s very exciting but also worrying because now we have to plan and make those changes.”
Lee said he began in 2022 looking for a golf course to own and operate. While he could not find any near his home in Texas, he fell in love with Elm Lake just five days after the course went up for sale in October.
After touring the property and the Golden Triangle early this year, Lee said he was as good as sold to start his golfing business there and put down roots in the adjacent Elm Lake Subdivision.
“This area is a lot like my own hometown in South Korea,” Lee said. “I was looking for a golf course at other places, but when I saw Elm Lake, I thought the course was in great condition and it had a good price compared to other places I had been looking.”
Elm Lake Golf Course originally opened in the mid-1990s under the ownership of Hall and Elm Lake Golf Course Inc. Realtor Doris Hardy said Hall and his co-owners were looking to pass on the business and retire.
After taking the time to find the right buyer, Lee fit the bill for an owner who would appreciate the legacy of Elm Lake and expand upon it in the near future, she said.
“A lot of this was part of the vision (for the golf course),” Hardy said. “… This is destined to become the go-to place for a very broad area. You have Columbus, Starkville, West Point and some of the surrounding areas that will grow. This will become a recreational destination point for families and children.”
The property was listed for sale at $1,295,000. Lee declined to disclose the final price for the deal, but he said he plans to invest about $1 million into the property.
Improvements will include renovating and expanding parts of the clubhouse for a large sports bar and restaurant, a fitness center and an indoor golfing room for patrons to practice their swing on a simulated green.
“I will say that I paid a lot of money,” he said.
Lee also plans to add a pool and waterpark area for children to use, and he will reserve about 30 acres on the property separate from the course for further additions. The name change will take effect in 2024.
Lowndes County Tax Assessor Greg Andrews said the course and clubhouse combined are appraised for tax purposes at $944,250 as they sit. Adding other facilities to the 148-acre property could increase its appraisal to $1.9 million once those additions generate revenue, he said.
Lee said that while changes at the golf course will happen, he wants to take the first six months of ownership to familiarize himself with the staff at Elm Lake, better understand the business and obtain a better idea of what golf course members would like to see added.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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