Golf course still open at Callier Springs
♦ The cause of the fire at the clubhouse is still undetermined.
Members of Callier Springs Country Club are still able to enjoy rounds of golf on the historic old course, but all other activity that has traditionally been associated with the club remains on hold pending the investigation into a fire early in the morning hours of May 5.
Two generations of the founding Miller family, Rick Miller and his son Grant Miller, said it is their desire to rebuild the clubhouse that was heavily damaged by the fire, and they’re reaching out for help from their members and the entire Rome community.
“It’s been a tragedy for us, and in the aftermath we’re running the course itself the best we can out of a temporary camper,” Grant Miller said. “We don’t even know yet if we can salvage part of our building yet.
“We’re waiting on the fire department to get back to us.”
Rome-Floyd Fire Department Investigator Mary Catherine Chewning said that there is no reason to suspect that the fire was intentionally set, but that she still has to analyze interviews with numerous people, including those associated with the roofing work that had just begun at the building, before submitting a final report to Fire Marshal Johnie Evans.
“I just can’t make a ruling at this time,” Chewning said.
Grant Miller said the family didn’t have structural insurance on the clubhouse because they were in the process of changing insurance carriers and doing repair work to the roof relative to getting insurance coverage again.
Local historian Selena Tilly said the building goes all the way back to the Belgian colony that settled in the area a century ago.
“It’s sad, not only for the family, but it’s also sad for the members and history of Rome to lose this iconic place,” Tilly said.
Marian Baird has started a Let’s Restore Collier Springs GoFundMe account on Facebook and has taken a lead role in the effort to rebuild the clubhouse. Baird is an avid golfer and said her 12-year old granddaughter loves to come down from Knoxville to play at Callier.
“It’s got a strong history of Juniors Golf and the Ladies Golf Association,” Baird said.
Grant Miller said some tournament activity has had to be pushed back, particularly the multi-day events. One-day events are still being scheduled as possible. Phil Amico, one of the owners of Golf Fore Less, said he was really shocked at how much play takes place at the club.
“It would be a tremendous loss to the community not to be able to rebuild Callier,” Amico said. “We can’t lose a golf course because of this.”
Miller said that people who have membership at the pool have also been “devastated” by the loss of access to the pool this summer.