FORT BRAGG, N.C. — If you’re a golfer, chances are you’ve played a game or two at Ryder Golf Course on Fort Bragg.
“You can walk into an airport in California and bump into somebody that is a golfer. You would be amazed they say I started playing golf at Ryder Stryker Golf Course,” Jeff Johnson, Director of Golf at Fort Bragg said.
It’s one of two courses on the U.S. Army post that both veterans and civilians use to work on their game.
“The golf course here you use every club in the bag when you play. I think it’s a unique layout. People like to play it,” Johnson said.
He said during the next 10 months there will be more digging than swinging on the green. For the first time in 20 years, the Army is investing $1.2 million into renovating the more than 70-acre playing surface.
“The greens have kind of shrunk over time, just to maintenance practices and training. It’s all about making the playing surfaces better for the patrons out here,” Johnson said.
On Friday afternoon, new Fort Bragg Garrison Commander Col. John Wilcox toured the course, getting a firsthand look at the conditions.
“Obviously, we want to have a good partnership with the golf courses that are around us. But we want people to come play. So, we want to make sure it’s a great course that our servicemembers, our family members, and our veterans are willing to come spend some time on,” Wilcox said.
The Garrison Commander said the goal of this renovation is so the course can compete with surrounding facilities in the area.
“This is an investment from the Army to make sure our community has a place to come congregate, come together, and enjoy time, playing sports in this case,” he said.
“We just want to make those playing surfaces better,” Johnson said.
Renovation will include new playing surface and drainage. Work is expected to be completed by October of 2023. The course will be temporarily closed until then. Meanwhile, Stryker Golf Course on post is open.