Oakhurst Headed For July 28 Auction

Martin Kaufman on the charms of Oakhurst Links, home to pre-1900 golf, and also headed to the auction block.

It’s unclear, however, whether Oakhurst Links will exist when the 2013 NHC is played. The 30-acre property and Oakhurst Challenge Medal are being auctioned off, and Keller would desperately love for a new owner to step forward to maintain the historic course. But that’s not a condition of the sale. Keller is 89, and the property has become too great a burden for him. He has decided to take the best offer and finally retire to Lynchburg, Va., near his daughter Vikki.

Recent conversations with prospectivebuyers have left him optimistic that Oakhurst Links “will be maintained and run as a golf course.” He believes Oakhurst Links can be “a moneymaker,” particularly if the next owner sells low-cost memberships to golfers worldwide who want to be associated with America’s first golf club.

Tommy Garten, whose firm, Greenway’s Real Estate & Auction, is handling the sale, has set an auction date of July 28. The price it will fetch is anyone’s guess.