NEW MANAGER

The Tri County Country Club has a new leader, but a veteran in the game of golf. Bill Sergent, 56, a former golf coach at the University of the Cumberlands and Director of Golf at Crooked Creek in London and the co-director of the Duramed FUTURE Tour has accepted the challenge of taking Tri County Country Club to new levels.

Sergent was the golf coach for 19 years at the University of the Cumberlands when it was Cumberland College. His efforts at Cumberlands earned him a spot in the University of the Cumberlands Hall of Fame.

After his stint as a golf coach, he became Director of Golf at Crooked Creek. “Some changes were made at Crooked Creek and I didn’t fit into their plans,” said Sergent.

With Sergent available, the board of Tri County Country Club went after the former five-time champion of the Pepsi Invitational.

The board released this statement last week about Sergent’s hiring. “We would like to announce that Bill Sergent will be the new Manager of Tri County Country Club effective April 18, 2011.  Bill comes to Tri County from his most recent position as Director of Golf at Crooked Creek Golf Community.

Bill has vast experience in the world of golf, coaching, teaching and organizing hundreds of events.  Bill is a two-time Kentucky Golf Association State Amateur Champion, past President of the Kentucky Golf Association, past member of the KGA-PGA Board of Directors and numerous other accolades.

Bill will be a tremendous asset in helping recruit new members and working toward our financial and service goals.  We again would like to ask for your patience and understanding for the next few days as we go through this management transition.”

“They want to make some changes that sounds very good,” said Sergent. “The board wants to get the course back to the way it used to be.”

“Being landlocked there is so much that you can do,” he added. “But, it has always been a nice golf course with one of the best invitational in the state back when Pepsi was really the main sponsor and put a lot of money in to it. Before times changed.”

“The board is wanting to get back to a great family atmosphere,” said Sergent. “I understand that the couple’s league is really good and in fact it starts Monday night.”

“We want to get the pool ready and we are hoping to have a night to grill out by the time the pool opens for the entire family,” he said. “Hopefully during the summer, people will come out and have lunch everyday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.”

“They came to my house and recruited me,” said Sergent. “It was like Coach Cal or Bruce Pearl coming into your house trying to recruit you. They had some good plans and great leadership. They just wanted to make a change. It really felt great to feel wanted again after what happened.”

“We will try to do the best that we can,” said Sergent. “I have a long tradition here. This is the first place I ever joined with my own money after I got out of Cumberland in 1978. I have a long history with Tri County. I won the tournament five times,” he said with a smile.

Sergent is also a former winner of the club championship as well.

“The board has some very progressive ideals,” he added. “They felt like they just had to make a change in management to get going in that direction and we are hoping it will.”

“One of our goals is to make it more family orienated, and get new members enrolled,” Sergent said. “It’s very affordable compared to a lot of places in the area. Being only nine holes, it’s got to be competitive.”

Tri County does have something for everyone. They offer a couple’s league, Thursday Night Scramble, competitive tournaments, a large swimming pool, new golf carts, banquet room rentals, locker rentals and a large practice putting green.

Family membership with no cart is $975 while family membership with a single cart is $1250 and unlimited $1500.

Junior membership for those 25 years and under is $900 (no cart), $1100 (single cart) and $1400 (unlimited). Pool memberships are $200 (family) and $100 for an individual.

For more information, you can contact the staff at 606-528-2166 or check online at www.tricountycountryclub.net.