Business Spotlight: Prestwick Country Club
Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing
Photography Provided
Everyone loves a comeback story, and if you can combine that with great golf, even better. Such is the case for Prestwick Country Club, which was built in 1975 and has served the community for nearly five decades. Much like the rolling hills of a golf course, through the years Prestwick has seen some peaks and valleys. In recent years, not enough time, money and effort was spent on upkeep of the property or customer service. As of May 2021, however, that has all changed as the country club is under new ownership. As such, a lot of exciting changes have come to pass, with more planned for the future.
With this new ownership, we have brought back the prestige that used to be Prestwick Country Club, says Jeff McKinley, business development director.
For starters, they have repaved the entire course and parking lot. They bought new mowers to keep their course and greens immaculate. They also have a new, state-of-the-art golf simulator, and purchased all new golf carts with GPS tracking systems.
And we mustnt forget the food. Open for both lunch and dinner, the Prestwick Bar & Grill has a full-service menu and full-service bar, with indoor and outdoor seating that can accommodate more than 150 guests. Best of all, the kitchen is helmed by a fabulous new chef, Silvano Martinez, who creates delectable meals for all tastebuds, some of which are his own recipes.
The area that housed the old tennis courts is being repurposed into pickleball courts – one of the only outdoor pickleball courts in Hendricks County. They are located right across the street, within walking distance of the clubhouse.
Even if you dont play golf, you can play pickleball, and while youre on a break from playing, you can order from our restaurant and we will deliver your food and drinks to you over there as well, says Cameron Klein, administrative coordinator.
Prestwick Country Club is easily accessible, and capable of handling large company outings and fundraisers. McKinley not only coordinates golf outings on the property, but other events as well, including weddings, receptions, reunions, open houses and business meetings, which are held in their beautiful reception area. They have a couple of nice overlook areas for these events, and can accommodate both indoor and outdoor occasions for a couple hundred people.
Nate Littlefield is Prestwicks superintendent, in charge of maintenance of the golf course and grasses.
Prestwick has been in disrepair for the past 10 years, he says. With new ownership we are going to be updating and repairing the course to proper playing conditions. First and foremost, we will be addressing the irrigation system as well as bunker renovation. Currently we are installing all new pumps for the irrigation system, and locating and repairing the wiring while also replacing all sprinkler heads.
The golf course is a challenging 18-hole layout that can play anywhere from 4,800 yards to nearly 7,000 yards for the golfer. Plus, the topography is unique. In fact, Prestwick Country Club is unlike any other course in the state in that none of their holes overlap or sit next to one another.
That means if you hit your ball way out of the way, you wont hit it into another hole, Klein says. Thats good for outings too, as it keeps up pace of play. Plus, it keeps you private and secluded on each hole.
Klein first worked at Prestwick as a teenager washing carts and doing odd jobs here and there. After graduating from college, he came back to do the books, and now he is helping to run things at Prestwick.
Once youre involved here, its hard to leave, Klein says. We have longtime employees and members who have been here for many years, who have seen it through the best and worst times. Everyone sticks around because this place has a very special hold on everyones heart – something thats hard to find anywhere else.
Klein is proud of the staff.
They are all very excited to come to work each day, and thats how it should be, he says.
Everyone here has a positive attitude, McKinley adds. When golfers come in, theyre greeted and welcomed to the club. Its those little things that come with being a member that they are happy to see again. When they step foot on our property, they know theyll have a good time.
Although its a country club, its not private, and its open to the public for tee times. The staff is also accepting memberships.
Though weve been around for awhile, were happy to be getting everything back up to par, no pun intended, McKinley says. Beyond that, we want to raise the bar. We have a lot of dynamic plans for the future.
One big goal for the Prestwick team is to be more accommodating to families, and the staff members have attempted to accomplish this by adding outdoor seating overlooking the putting green, and also planning camps and lessons intended for aspiring young golfers.
Prestwick Country Club is located at 5197 Fairway Drive in Avon, IN. For more information, call 317-745-6448 or visit them online prestwickgolf.net.
