Southern Oaks aka Foxwood

[GolfNut57]

Is now back to being open to the public for general play. When it was Foxwood originally it was private but then went to being a semi-private course that the public could play sometime in the early 80's. Eventually it was closed down for a year or so and then reopened by new owners who renamed it Southern Oaks and returned it to totally private status. Just found out today that they have gone back to being semi-private again and anyone can play it by just paying a greens fee. Guess the new owners found out there was no way to keep the course afloat with just getting members dues only. Much the same as other courses in the area have found out.

I have always thought the course was ok to play other than the fact that you had to quite often scrape/footwedge goose crap out of your putting line or deal with hard pan dirt in the rough areas. I wonder if the new owners fixed those two areas while they were still private? Current greens fees to the public are now $28 on weekdays (M-Th) and $39 on weekends. (F-Su)

[Jackrabbit Hog]

I played Foxwood quite a bit in the late '80s and early '90s.  Back then the pro or assistant pro was Rocky Mantooth, who I knew from my youth playing at Rolling Hills in Cabot.  What I remember most about Foxwood back then was the hardpan.  Seemed like no matter where I was off the tee - rough, woods, middle of the fairway - it was hard as a rock.  But the layout actually wasn't bad for a neighborhood type course.

[GolfNut57]

I remember Rocky. Is he still with us or has he passed on? Wasn't he the one that opened up the Hickory Creek golf course out off highway 89 in the northern part of Pulaski county? Yeah the layout was pretty good imo. So...........how many times did you try to hit the passing trains with a golf shot on hole #15? 

[Jackrabbit Hog]

I remember Rocky. Is he still with us or has he passed on? Wasn't he the one that opened up the Hickory Creek golf course out off highway 89 in the northern part of Pulaski county? Yeah the layout was pretty good imo. So...........how many times did you try to hit the passing trains with a golf shot on hole #15? 

Can't say I ever TRIED to hit them, but I know I got close a few times when I hit my usual wayward drive.

I lost track of Rocky shortly after that, so I don't know what he's up to or if he's even still around.  Good guy, good golfer.  His dad, Homer Mantooth, was a very good golfer too and he was another one who started at Rolling Hills.  As I recall they were from Jacksonville so it makes sense Rocky might have started a course in that area.

[CabotHog87]

Can't say I ever TRIED to hit them, but I know I got close a few times when I hit my usual wayward drive.

I lost track of Rocky shortly after that, so I don't know what he's up to or if he's even still around.  Good guy, good golfer.  His dad, Homer Mantooth, was a very good golfer too and he was another one who started at Rolling Hills.  As I recall they were from Jacksonville so it makes sense Rocky might have started a course in that area.

Yes, Rocky, Homer, and Margaret are all at Hickory Creek in Jacksonville.

[Jackrabbit Hog]

Yes, Rocky, Homer, and Margaret are all at Hickory Creek in Jacksonville.

Homer's still kicking?  Good for him!  He's gotta be pushing 90.

[clutch]

Can't say I ever TRIED to hit them, but I know I got close a few times when I hit my usual wayward drive.

I lost track of Rocky shortly after that, so I don't know what he's up to or if he's even still around.  Good guy, good golfer.  His dad, Homer Mantooth, was a very good golfer too and he was another one who started at Rolling Hills.  As I recall they were from Jacksonville so it makes sense Rocky might have started a course in that area.

What about Dorothy Mantooth? Dorothy Mantooth is a saint!

Somebody had to be the one to throw that movie quote in this thread. Carry on.

[theFlyingHog]

I grew up in Foxwood and was a member at SO for a couple of years. If there's any rain you better bring a boat since it was built on a swamp. This delays the spring growth most years. The last time I played there the greens were really a little too fast for some of the slopes(looking at you, number six). The fairways generally have super tight lies as the grass has little vertical growth and the runners in that Bermuda can twist your wrist something fun.(I always bitched that they didn't verticut the fairways enough). I love the layout for the most part. If you're a bomber and know where, there are places you can shave lots of yardage. But it still plays fair to average golfers

[GolfNut57]

I stopped by there early yesterday afternoon (Monday) just to check out the latest clothing in the Pro shop and found not one single car in the parking lot. The entire place was closed down for the day. The Pro shop had a sign on the door that said "Pro shop closed on Mondays, if you want to play and need to check out a cart please go to the Bar to do so".  WTH? Other than Christmas I have never seen a solo golf course that is open for business closed down for a day on a weekly basis. That struck me as very symptomatic for their financial issues. I am betting it won't be too long, maybe within 3 months or so, that they will announce the course is being shut down again. As an aside I did see that they finally went away from those annoying gas golf carts and went to electric ones.

Does anyone know of other golf courses that close down for a day every week? Back when Mt Springs and Cypress Creek were both owned together by Dr. Dickson those two courses would each close down for a day for course maintenance but never on the same day so that the members would at least have access to one of the two courses.

[Dillar Dog]

Yes.  Quite a few close on Monday.

I would even say most private clubs.  Chenal, pv, cclr and (maybe?) maumelle.  Weird they still let people play though.

[CabotHog87]

When I was a member at Southern Oaks before moving to Fayetteville (2010-2011) they were always closed on Monday.

[ricepig]

Yes.  Quite a few close on Monday.

I would even say most private clubs.  Chenal, pv, cclr and (maybe?) maumelle.  Weird they still let people play though.

I don't know a private club that doesn't close on Mondays, except when the 4th of July is on Monday, and Labor Day. They close on Tuesdays on those weeks. Now, some will let you play if you have your own cart, and the MGA's always play on Monday nights/afternoons on the closed course.

[Jackrabbit Hog]

I don't know a private club that doesn't close on Mondays, except when the 4th of July is on Monday, and Labor Day. They close on Tuesdays on those weeks. Now, some will let you play if you have your own cart, and the MGA's always play on Monday nights/afternoons on the closed course.

I guess after Perry Maxwell created golf, he rested on a Monday and therein lies the tradition.

[TheJoeyBucketz]

I guess after Perry Maxwell created golf, he rested on a Monday and therein lies the tradition.

Nice

[HognitiveDissonance]

I played Foxwood last summer. It was in pretty good shape.
It was one of the hottest days of the year. At one point, my golf glove was getting slick because of perspiration.
The Canadian geese are everywhere.
Greens are nice.
I've always had fun playing that course.

[onebadrubi]

I use to aim AT the train.  Fun times.