Dragon Ranch golf course is now operated by Fairways Golf

Dragon Ranch Golf Course came under the management of Fairway Golf Membership in August and its president is looking forward to its first full golf season with the course.

“I started Fairways Golf in 2009,” said president Jonathan Palmer. “I currently operate Mallard Creek, Pine Brook and now Dragon Ranch in Elyria.”

Palmer said Fairways Golf features an appealing membership for its customers.

“We retail low memberships along with low cart fees for golfers,” he said. “The fee is a two-year fee that is paid up front. It’s more of a comprehensive membership for golfers and ultimately more affordable.”

Palmer said the climate of the golf business is why he started Fairways Golf.

“I did all of this when golf got tough,” he said. “Golf was kind of stale at the time and I felt the business of golf needed to find a new way to appeal to the consumer. I feel people have responded positively because of the accessibility of the product.”

Palmer said Fairways Golf is kind of a mixture of owning and operation the course.

“The responsibilities are those the owner would have to oversee and implement,” he said. “In the case of Dragon Ranch, I lease the course and take care of the operations.”

Palmer said he initially spent time getting Dragon Ranch into spring-immaculate shape.

“Dragon Ranch is a pretty nice track,” he said. “That is what drew me to the course. There were a few touch ups we made, working on the greens and squaring up the bunkers, but it’s really a nice course.”

Palmer said he reached out to Dragon Ranch in order to operate the business.

“I wanted to see if the owner would allow me to lease the place and that is what brought all this on,” he said. “I’ve received compliments for the work done at the other courses we ran and we’ve seen steady growth in the number of golfers. I look forward to doing the same at Dragon Ranch.”

Palmer feels the bad days of the industry are in the past.

“Golf is a great form of recreation,” he said. “It’s an affordable time to spend with your buddies and I would encourage golfers to give Dragon Ranch a shot and see what the course has to offer.”