Folks in the Lowcountry sure do love their golf and there’s a local club that has been around for decades that’s getting an upgrade. The Sergeant Jasper Golf Club in Ridgeland has been purchased by the Congaree Foundation in partnership with Congaree Golf Club and has announced that the new, revamped club at Sergeant Jasper will support access to the game of golf by providing a new home to area high school teams, as well as a quality public course for Lowcountry golf lovers.
Beginning March 2, 2021, local golfers can tee off at the refreshed nine-hole course. The facility will also support local jobs and provide an opportunity for individuals to learn new skills, serving as a pipeline of talent for other public and private golf courses in the region.
When it opens, Sergeant Jasper will also be home to three local high school teams that will play at no cost. Access to the course also will offer an opportunity for area high schools to establish new boys and girls golf programs. In addition, the club will host events for the local First Tee chapter.
Founded in the late 1960s, Sergeant Jasper Country Club was a top-notch 18-hole private country club that famously hosted Jack Nicklaus. Through the years, golf crowds have decreased, and the course has downsized to nine holes. Congaree Foundation is looking forward to making Sergeant Jasper a full-service course for the entire community to enjoy.
Since its inception, Congaree Foundation has been dedicated to growing youth golf in Jasper County, and in 2018, the Foundation hosted its first ever girls golf instruction. At the time, more than 100 young women at Ridgeland-Hardeeville High School signed up. Due to the program’s overwhelming success, it was expanded to include more students from Ridgeland-Hardeeville, as well as Polaris Tech Charter School. So far, nearly 300 students have been introduced to the sport through this program.
Congaree Foundation’s efforts to improve lives through the game of golf stretch well beyond the Lowcountry. In partnership with the award-winning Congaree Golf Club, the Foundation hosts underserved and well-deserving high school students for the Congaree Global Golf Initiative. Students from across the globe, including many from South Carolina and Georgia, participate in an intensive, weeklong camp that provides golf instruction and college admission prep.
“The acquisition of Sergeant Jasper is a natural continuation of the Congaree Foundation mission – to positively impact the lives of young people locally and around the globe by providing opportunities through the game of golf,” said John McNeely, executive program director for Congaree Foundation. “The re-opening of the course reflects our commitment to serve the local community.”
Last month, the Foundation continued its ongoing support to the Jasper County community by partnering with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry. A grant of $167,000 was donated to create the Congaree Career Launch program. This initiative will provide young adults with career and educational opportunities that will lead to economic and career stability in the future. Participants will receive their first job at a Boys & Girls Club and take courses in financial literacy, job readiness and career development training to prepare them for future career endeavors.
To learn more about Sergeant Jasper Golf Club, please email info@congareefoundation.org. Learn more about Congaree Foundation and its mission at CongareeFoundation.org.
