Longtime Marshall golf course sees new name, upgrades as developer adds housing units

MARSHALL — Changes are beginning to take shape at the former Alwyn Downs Golf Course, with more planned in future years.

Ann Arbor-based Norfolk Homes purchased the site in early 2020 with plans to transform a portion of the property into housing. A variety of improvements to the 6,207-yard course and restaurant at 1225 S. Kalamazoo Ave. have ensued.

The latest phase of the redevelopment project will be unveiled Saturday as the course celebrates a grand opening under a new name: Emerald Hills Golf Club.

Festivities for the renamed 18-hole course will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday. The restaurant, renamed the Tavern at Emerald Hills, will be open, with live music performed on the newly remodeled outdoor patio.

“We’re looking forward to having people stop by to see the improvements we’ve made so far, and let them know about the work that’s coming,” Jim Franke, co-owner of Norfolk Homes, said in a press release. “We believe people will be glad to know we’re doing everything possible to transform this destination into a beautiful jewel for Marshall.”

A new roof, windows, doors and siding have been installed at the restaurant, along with updated lighting and fans on the patio, and a pro shop at the clubhouse, according to Joel Tompkins, manager of the club and tavern.

Future interior renovations, to be completed in stages, will allow the tavern to operate year-round.

“We will focus on carry-out with dine-in options at first,” Tompkins said. “We have seating for about 150 people — 60 inside on the first floor and about 80 to 90 on the patios outside. Our initial menu will include pastas, salads and wraps with fries. We have a full bar and soft drinks and eventually we’ll have a structured cocktail list with seasonal drink offerings.”

The course’s fairways and greens, which opened to golfers in 2021, have also undergone extensive improvements, Tompkins said. A short-range practice area of 50 to 75 yards is under construction.

“Due to the 2020 lockdown, we were unable to care for the course for several months and it had become overgrown, so we mowed everything down and turned a hayfield back into a golf course,” Tompkins said. “We took out 200 round bales of hay just in that first summer.”

To make the course more playable, dozens of trees were removed, the greens and fairways were reseeded and an intensive fertilization program was launched.

“We’ll continue to improve the course conditions for all golfers in the years ahead,” Tompkins said, adding the course is expected to remain in its current 18-hole configuration for the remainder of 2022.

The upgrades are part of a larger effort to revitalize the former Alwyn Downs property with a variety of housing options.

Three homes on Oak Drive are in the final stages of construction, and work on the first two lots of two-story duplexes is expected to begin soon, according to Eric Zuzga, Marshall's director of community services. A total of 16 duplexes (32 units) are planned along Rebecca Street.

Development of additional housing — including single-family homes and apartments — is expected in future years, though when those will be built remains uncertain.

When the additional housing is built, two holes are expected to be removed from the current golf course, according to Tompkins.

“Once we’re at 16 holes, we still will operate as a 18-hole course, with two holes played twice,” he said. “We won’t be changing the game, just adjusting a couple of hole numbers.”

The overall development plan calls for a variety of home styles while retaining a nine-hole course. The speed at which units are built will largely depend on how quickly they sell, according to Zuzga.

"Maintaining recreational activities in town is a very positive component of the project," he said. "Norfolk is making improvements to the golf course and restaurant which will help keep them viable and an asset to the community. Providing green space, opportunities for local residents to golf affordably, providing a buffer from the airport and new housing, and another dining option is all a big win for the city."

For more information about Emerald Hills Golf Club, call (269) 367-2121 or visit emeraldhillsmarshall.com.

Contact reporter Greyson Steele at gsteele@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-501-5661. Follow him on Twitter: G_SteeleBC

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Former Alwyn Downs becomes Emerald Hills Golf Club in Marshall