Centennial Golf Course names new general manager

 

The City of Oak Ridge has completed its management transition at Centennial Golf Course and has announced the new general manager: Mike Callender.

Callender has 18 years of experience in the golf industry, a City of Oak Ridge press release said. He is a certified Class A PGA Professional with 10 years as a head professional and is certified in golf operations, the release said.

“I am very excited to make Centennial Golf Course the place to go in East Tennessee, not just for golf, but also for business meetings, casual outings, and eventually dining,” Callender said.

“Our goal is to establish Centennial as one of the premier public golf courses in the region, and the addition of Mike Callender to the team as general manager will help us get there,” Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said. “With his leadership and the ongoing reinvestment by the city, we are now poised to provide a quality experience for all golfers in the greater Knoxville region.”

As of Sunday, January 21, 2018, all golf course operations fall under the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department. In October 2017, the city announced its decision to begin managing Centennial Golf Course internally, releasing private firm Billy Casper Golf from its contract. The city made this move in order to initiate repairs to the facility on an aggressive timeline, the press release said.

Cart path repairs and drainage improvements as well as the installation of guard rails and other safety measures are included in the plans, which are already well under way, the press release said. Players should be aware that the course could periodically be reduced to nine available holes while crews are working on projects through the month of April, the release said.

Winter operating hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The city will be honoring passes and memberships purchased prior to the change, the press release said. The Recreation and Parks Department expects all repairs to be complete in time for spring golf tournaments.

Opened in 1997, Centennial Golf Course features 18 holes, a large clubhouse, and a driving range situated on roughly 200 acres just off Edgemoor Road in Oak Ridge. Golf lessons are available and will continue to be offered through the Des Mahoney Golf Academy.

To book tee times, visit the course’s new website at centennial.golf. Anyone with questions should call (865) 483-2291 or send an email to centennial@oakridgetn.gov.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

 

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