History


In the mid 1950’s, on the verge of unprecedented economic opportunity in Greenville, South Carolina, a small group of businessmen decided to develop a new golf course where nature and humanity had enough room to struggle together, away from the current course offerings where the holes and the players were too cramped. The result of this venture was the Green Valley Country Club, still only a short drive from downtown Greenville, but with plenty of space to roll about the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and meander along the banks of the Reedy River.

Amongst the club’s charter members were many who were also members at the famed Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, the place at which Green Valley’s original course architect, George Cobb, had already left his mark. Ambitions were high that Green Valley could become the Augusta National of South Carolina. But from the beginning, Green Valley offered a culture and lifestyle unique to itself, and its ambitions included opening up play to women and juniors and creating a space in which families could build a culture for themselves.

As the decades passed, Green Valley remained true to its vision, not only by sustaining an excellent golf course, but by offering a range of amenities around which whole families could find recreation. Green Valley became a staple of the Greenville community.The recent economic downturn was also unkind to Green Valley—unfortunate not only because the club approached the possibility of closing its doors, but also because the goodness that Green Valley was, and the dream of what it could become, began to fade. But just as hazards ultimately make us better golfers, so too does hardship forge us into something better and rekindle a vision for the future.

In the spring of 2011, the Kaplan Family, purchased the club with dreams of restoring and furthering its former glory along with today’s modern conveniences. In a short two years, the restoration had begun. The course is playing better than ever, as golfers begin learning to maneuver its new renovations and look forward to future improvements. The club now boasts a new fitness center, high quality tennis offerings, a wide range of great dining options, facilities and vistas perfect for special events, and other amenities that families can enjoy for generations, all at more than competitive membership rates.