Briarwood Golf Club

Briarwood Golf Club was built by Bill and Eleanor and Ken and Jane Leatherman. Years earlier Bill owned 80 acres in which he farmed and raised turkeys. Later he decided to quit farming and worked for General Motors for 28 years. Ken owned and operated a service station for 20 years and then operated an oil business for 8 years.

Bill had an idea that some day he would like to build a golf course. Together with his brother Ken, they formed a partnership and bought an additional 40 acres adjacent to the 80 acre Turkey Farm. Construction of the course started in 1960, and was completed and open for business in July, 1963. The course was named Briarwood because of the numerous briar trees found on the land. During the latter part of construction, when all the grass seed was sown, very heavy rains washed the seed off the hills, causing much of the course to be re-seeded. Almost all of the trees that line the fairways today were hand planted.

In 1978 Bill and Eleanor’s son’s, Bill Jr., Mike and Jeff, took ownership of the course. An additional 75 acres was purchased and a new West Nine was opened in 1990. The new clubhouse was opened a year earlier in the spring of 1989. Recently, Bill Leatherman Jr. retired from the golf course operations in 2000.