He added tongue-in-cheek, “We did a lot of planning on this thing.”
The twin brothers may not have known much about the sport, but they’ve certainly shown they have what it takes when it comes to running a course.
Locust Hills celebrated its 50th year in operation this summer, starting with nine holes in 1966 and gradually expanding to its current 36 in 1999.
The two 18-hole layouts sit on 300 of the original 320 acres. One of the family homes and a 20-member church supported by the Kitchens occupy the other 20 on the other side of N. River Rd.
Although Rich and John, who will turn 70 on Christmas, still work at the course, the seventh generation of Kitchens has taken over much of the day-to-day operations. John’s son, Andrew, is the head pro and runs the clubhouse with Rich’s son Jay, who has multiple roles. Rich’s oldest boy, Wes, is the course superintendent.
“If they need to know something, they ask questions,” Rich said. “But they’ve been asking fewer questions every year.”
Locust Hills is on solid footing despite competing with a glut of courses in the Springfield area. But like everyone else in the industry, the Kitchens took a hit during the Great Recession.
After a peak of nearly 68,000 rounds in 1999, they had about 50,000 in 2015. But they’ve seen a slight uptick the last few years and are operating in the black with the help of a thriving outing business. Locust Hills hosts about 180 outings annually, thanks in part to their popular bar-b-que pork chop dinner. Rich’s wife, Carol, and John’s wife, JoAnn, help prepare the meals.
A $400,000 banquet facility built in 1999 has helped, too. Previous post-round dinners were held in the cart barn.
“I used to have to hose that thing down each time to make sure it was clean,” Rich said with a laugh.
Hospitality and reasonable greens fees have long been staples of Locust Hills, which also is known for not gouging golfers at the concession stand.
They don’t serve alcohol since Pitchin is a dry township. And while that probably puts a dent in their bottom line, it hasn’t kept golfers away.
“We’ve been loyal to them, and they’ve been loyal to us,” John said. “Right now, you can’t sock it to people because the market is too competitive. But back when we could, we didn’t, and they appreciated that. That’s why people stay with us.”
Jim Justice, a former Southeastern boys basketball coach and Kettering schools administrator, plays in three golf leagues at Locust Hills. Asked why he’s a regular there, Justice said: “The better question is, ‘Why did the leagues go there?’ And I know the answer to that. They’re so accommodating, and the people in the clubhouse are friendly.
“Other courses take your money and don’t want you to bother them. But at Locust Hills, they speak to you and want you to have a good day.”
The original nine holes were etched out by Dick Kitchen, who passed away in 1991. He drew them up on a chalk board after looking over local courses, going from one high spot to another.
The other 27 holes also were done by the Kitchens, who sort of stumbled into a winning design. Part of Locust Hills’ appeal is that both 18s aren’t too taxing, making them playable for golfers of all skill levels.
You won’t find railroad ties guarding greens. And sand traps are sparse.
“We didn’t make it extremely hard. Did we know that? No. It cost money to do that other stuff, and we didn’t have the money,” Rich said.
“Some courses — we know a couple of them — went belly up. They made them too tough. The owners were good golfers, and they wanted the toughest courses around. Every time we added on, we shortened the course. We didn’t do it intentionally, but somebody was looking after us.”
Rich and John had an unwritten rule that their kids needed to gain experience elsewhere in order to bring back some expertise to Locust Hills.
Wes was assistant superintendent at Four Bridges Country Club in eastern Ohio. Jay worked previously at Licking Springs in Newark. And Andrew did his PGA apprenticeship at Swan Lake in Plymouth, Ind.
Rich and John have three other children who have careers away from the course, but no one would be surprised if some of their 15 grandchildren end up making a living at the onetime family farm.
“It’s on Wes, Jay and I to keep this going,” Andrew said. “That’s what drives me personally and motivates me — to look down the road and see how we can keep this course in business for another 50 years.”
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