Longtime area car dealer O.C. Welch is getting into the golf course business.
Welch, who owns a Ford-Lincoln dealership in Hardeeville, is buying Black Creek Golf Course in North Bryan and also hopes to purchase Savannah’s Bacon Park Course, he said Friday.
The Black Creek deal isn’t complete, he said, but it’s not far off.
“(The deal) will be closed sometime next month,” said Welch, who is perhaps best known for his TV and radio commercials that feature everything from Bo the Goat — who has his own Facebook page — to a crow named Krojack and end with Welsh or his son saying “God bless America.”
Earlier this year, Welch made news when he kicked in upwards of $10,000 in reward money to help find the killers of a Savannah woman. He also donated money to help find the killer of a Savannah firefighter, Wesley Franklin.
Welch did not disclose what he is paying for the 18-hole, par 72 course he is purchasing from Eddie Dennis, but said buying it is a way to “get more involved in that community.”
“It’s a big opportunity to connect with the people that live up there,” Welch said. “It’s a way we can give back to that community. There are not many amenities up there in that part of Bryan County.”
One amenity Welch said he plans on adding is a lit driving range so golfers can practice their swing at night.
“As we grow the membership, and I hope to get it to 250 members, I’m also hoping we’ll be able to build a new clubhouse,” he said.
Welch, a native Savannahian, said he grew up playing golf and working at Bacon Park and LaVida.
“Golf is in my blood,” he said. “I’ve always loved the game.”
Welch said Dennis “was a great guy to do business with.”