Southern Oaks Golf and Tennis Club to reopen

The 20-year old Southern Oaks Golf and Tennis Club, which closed abruptly and without advance notice, Nov. 19, will soon reopen, its news owners said in a news release.

But now, new property owners are reopening the golf course on February 1, 2019.

Shipman Companies, a local, family-owned real estate investment firm in conjunction with the Niles family, says the golf course and events center will be open Feb. 1.

The new owners say they have hired a professional management company to oversee the course and facility and have rehired some of the former employees.

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The course, at 13765 Southern Oaks Drive in Burleson, was ranked No. 5 in the Best of Public Golf Courses 2016 in Dallas-Fort Worth list by AvidGolfer. Fort Worth PGA Champ Mark Brooks designed the 7,302-yard par-71 course.

David Shipman Jr., a partner with Shipman Companies, said in the news release that the course was opening with a professional management company for the first time in its history, Elite Golf, which manages courses in multiple states.

Shipman Companies said the Gardens Hospitality Group, the owners and operators of the Gardens Restaurant from the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens, is the new owner and operator of the Oaks Event Center.

Rebecca Madan, director of sales and marketing for the Event Center and the restaurant, has 25 years of wedding receptions and catering experience behind her.

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“I’ve already booked 10 new weddings for the Event Center, and we haven’t even officially opened,” she said in the announcement.

Southern Oaks employee Glen Cumbie, formerly assistant manager of guest services and now manager under the new owners, said the closing was a surprise and caused some tough times.

“But what’s really neat is the Southern Oaks members were as upset as much as we were. They all got together and organized a fund and raised money for us right before Christmas. This is my second home and second family,” Cumbie said in the release.

The club has been owned by the Mansfield-based AngMar Companies and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram quoted lawyer Wes Maness, speaking on behalf of AngMar, as saying the company did not want to run a golf club anymore.

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The AngMar website says the company owns Fat Daddy’s Sports and Spirits and Smokey Mae’s Pit BBQ in Mansfield as well as Marksmen Firearms, with locations in Granbury, Killeen, Wichita Falls and Mansfield.

“Our goal is to preserve a local treasure here in Burleson and South Fort Worth,” Shipman said in the release. “Southern Oaks Golf and Tennis Club and the Oaks Event Center offer the best golf experience and tennis facility in the area and the most luxurious Event Center and wedding venue around. We want to make sure the community will continue to have these great assets and hope to improve them through the years.”

¬– FWBP Staff