When Vince Lima saw Salem Glen Golf & Country Club for the first time, he knew it was going to be his ultimate destination.
On Aug. 20, he became the new owner of the 18-hole complex located in Clemmons, purchasing the property from a receivership.
Lima had retired two summers ago from a 30-year career as an executive with UPS and Grainger and was looking for a new adventure.
“A good friend of mine had just purchased a country club,” Lima said. “He knew that I was retired and still had a passion to build and run something and that I should look at golf courses.”
And Lima, an avid golfer, began his quest shortly after that.
“I started this process probably a year an half ago and I looked at over 25 golf courses. There are lot of good ones out there and a lot of bad ones. On Jan. 17 I set foot on Salem Glen and fell head over heels in love. The neighborhood, the course, the members – everything about it screamed that this is the one.”
Lima, who moved to the area after 10 years in Chicago, plans to keep most of the staff and will take an active role in running the course, taking over for a management group that been in charge during the receivership period.
“I’ve been a passionate golfer my entire life but I never ran a golf course,” he said. “Sometimes I felt like I could tell the people that owned it how to run it. Now I get a chance to roll up my sleeves and do it myself.”
He said he’s thrilled with the condition of the course under the guidance of superintendent Matt Robinson.
“Daniel Berg is our pro and his relationship with our members is like family. And we want to look at this course as being family owned and operated.”
While he hopes to build the membership, Lima says the course will still welcome and encourage daily fee play.
“We’re looking at enhancing our guest experience,” he said. “We’re offering a great product for golf and we also want to give them a great product for after-golf, whether it’s a burger or fine dining.”
