Moore's Mill Golf Club has grand designs on future

Birmingham News:  Ian Thompson

   In the past 10 years the Auburn/Opelika area has seen a massive growth in its number of golf courses.  Add to that list, Moore's Mill Golf Club, which opened in late January. 

   The area also features 54 holes at Grand National, the Auburn University Club, Auburn Links, Indian Pines, Pin Oaks, Saugahatchee Country Club and 36 holes at Stillwaters Resort in Dadeville.

   Saugahatchee and Auburn University Club are private clubs, but the rest are daily fee courses.  Moore's Mill has designs on becoming a private club, according to co-owner Billy Cleveland, but it is daily fee for the forseeable future.

   Cleveland and his brother Jimmy are the co-owners of this picturesque course, which features Moore's Mill Creek meandering throughout the property.  It comes into play on 13 holes.

   The Cleveland brothers have assorted business in the Auburn area.  Originally from Wadley in Randolph County, they moved to Auburn in the early 1980's.  They operate a local restaurant, Billy is a partner in a legal firm, and they have developed various residential subdivisions, primarily in and around the Moore's Mill part of town.

   Over a period of 10 years they pieced various parcels of property together and came up with enough land to develop Moore's Mill.  They then struck upon the idea of a golf course, which was not in the original plans.  Neither brother is a golfer, but Billy's brother-in-law is Alan Blalock, who together with PGA Tour Player Glen Day is in the golf course design business and is based in Birmingham. 

   The clubhouse should be on board by the end of the year and it will look down on the 18th green.  At 6,818 yards from the back tees, the course is just about the right length, as some of the greens are severe in undulations and are best approached with mid to short irons.  The greens are tift-eagle bermuda and rolled plenty fast enough.

   Buddy Williams has moved over from Grand National to be the superintendent and has formed his own company - Total Golf Management - with a view to branching out to other courses.