Goodyear’s announcement Wednesday that it would eliminate more about 850 jobs in Danville, Virginia, created some fears about the company-owned course that sits on the edge of the Triad.
But an employee at the Danville Golf Club told TriadGolf.com they didn’t expect the massive job cuts to have any effect on the course, which sits less than a mile from the North Carolina border.
The employee said that though Goodyear owns the golf course property, the operation of the course is financially independent and self-sustaining. Manager Mark Vaughn was unavailable late Wednesday afternoon.
Though the course was built for Goodyear employees and retirees and lists itself as “private,” the employee estimated that guests outnumber employees and retirees by a “10-to-1” ratio. Guests can call the pro shop to obtain tee times. There is are no online times available to the public.
Designed by architect Gene Hamm, the course opened in 1980. The Bermuda fairways and bent grass greens have a reputation for good conditioning.
The weekday rack rate for guests is posted online at $42 for golf and cart and $48 on weekends. The course receives significant play from golfers in nearby parts of Rockingham and Caswell counties.
The lost jobs will bring Goodyear’s workforce down to approximately 1,300 employees in the city.
The picturesque Goodyear course, located on Jenny Lane, only a few minutes off U.S. 220, winds up and down tree-filled hills with water hazards coming into play on several holes.