January 18, 2024
Aiken, South Carolina – Austin and Pethick Law Firm, a leading real estate and business firm, is pleased to announce the successful sale and ownership transfer of Midland Valley Golf Club, a distinguished haven of leisure and community engagement, located in the heart of Aiken County. Navigating this complex legal transaction over the last few months gave our team a unique insight into the personalities, passions, character, and plans of the new ownership team. We are pleased to have the opportunity to introduce this remarkable team to our community.
A High Bar: The Midland Valley Golf Club has a rich legacy and storied past, including 20 years under the tutelage of Mr. J. Russell Flanders, Sr., who was a professional golf instructor, a 50-year PGA member, and a friend and mentor to many. In addition to being one of the original owners at North Augusta Country Club and the PGA pro there for 25 years, Russ was a former owner and golf director at MVGC for twenty years until his passing in 2014, when the ownership and operations were assumed by his son Rusty Flanders, daughter Melonia Cameron and Danny Williams. Rusty, Melonia, and Danny recently decided to retire from the day-to-day operations of the Club and place it for sale. When they began to entertain offers for the club, many offers were received, but not many were considered. Rusty and Melonia had higher offers for the Club from developers who had other intentions for the land, but their sole focus was finding a new ownership group who would continue the operations of MVGC as a golf club. They sought new owners who would help build upon the legacy that their family was so instrumental in creating.
New Ownership Team: When assessing the field of offerors, the new ownership group stood out amongst its competition. MVGC is now poised for a new era under the ownership of Midland Valley Partners, LLC, which owns the real estate, and Midland Valley Golf Club, LLC, which will manage the golf operations. Both entities have the same three principal owners, who include John Lovin, Steven Petersen, and Jeffrey Petersen. These three gentlemen are the epitome of character and class, and they balance each other very well in terms of the professional experience they bring to the table. John and Steven are avid golfers, who together own one of the CSRA’s leading Mechanical Engineering Firms called, ING Consulting, Inc., where they have built an amazing culture and earned a reputation for surpassing client expectations in every aspect of service. The creation of a customer-focused culture for their existing business was the topic of many discussions as we led them through the due diligence process, and they expressed a clear intent to bring that same customer-focused culture to the Midland Valley Golf Club.
While John and Steven know about building a customer-focused culture within a business, Jeffrey Petersen is their perfect complement as a partner, given his 35 plus years’ experience in the Landscape Maintenance and Golf Industry. Jeffrey’s impressive background includes not only owning a successful Landscape Maintenance business, but also working for Augusta University managing a Division One practice facility that produced the likes of Patrick Reed and Henrik Norlander. Jeffrey will take over the role of its Director of Golf Operations and MVGC is clearly in great hands under his leadership.
Local Flavor. The Midland Valley Golf Club Community and its surrounding neighbors have “won the lottery” with this new ownership group, but perhaps the biggest reason is the “local flavor” they bring. This is not a group of outsiders with no perspective on the Club’s history and no knowledge of the local membership. On the contrary, Steven and Jeffrey have been long-time members of the Club, with both having lived on the golf course for over twenty years. Steven is the outgoing President of the Midland Valley Estates Homeowners Association. Steven is familiar with the history of the Club, he knows the local members and neighbors, and he realizes how important a healthy, active golf community and a well-maintained golf course are to the surrounding homeowners and community.
Future Plans. Immediate plans are to improve course playing conditions and make necessary repairs to cart paths, bunker drainage, sand, and practice range upgrades. Inside the clubhouse, there will be some interior finishes and layout renovations beginning in the Pro Shop. New membership plans are also a priority as the existing annual memberships are set to expire at the end of March. Long term goals are to get restaurant operations running, hosting tournaments and events again and creating golf leagues. As noted above, the new owners have their own ideas for changes and improvements to be made, but they are also excited to receive input from friends and neighbors as well.
Austin and Pethick Law Firm was honored to help ensure a seamless transition of ownership for the Midland Valley Golf Club. The sale presented a unique set of challenges, and our dedicated team navigated these legal complexities to help ensure a smooth transaction between ownership groups that aligned with their goals and safeguarded their interests throughout the entire process. We are proud of this accomplishment and even more proud to introduce this excellent new ownership team to our community. Kevin Pethick, our supervising partner who led the transaction, had this to say, “It was an honor and privilege that our firm was selected to lead this sale and acquisition. Our clients entrusted us to handle a diverse and complex transaction that included entity formation, financial analysis, asset protection, tax strategies, title resolutions and much more. Engaging so intensely with John, Steven and Jeffrey over the last few months gave us a unique insight into their personalities and business acumen. These are high-character and community-minded individuals with big plans for the Midland Valley Golf Club. I cannot wait to see their future visions become a reality, and I know the Midland Valley Community will be blessed by their commitment to excellence.”
Stay connected and follow the club progress at PlayMidlandValley.com.
About Austin and Pethick Law Firm
Welcome to Austin and Pethick Law Firm, a distinguished legal institution dedicated to prioritizing our clients’ needs above all else. Our practice areas are concentrated in Real Estate, Business, Legacy & Estate Planning, Tax, and Government Contracts, our firm brings unparalleled proficiency to each practice area. What sets us apart is our unwavering commitment to a client-centric approach by building relationships based on trust, transparency, and outstanding results. At Austin and Pethick Law Firm, your success is our priority, and our passionate team of legal professionals are dedicated to delivering exceptional solutions that exceed expectations. Choose us as your legal partner and experience the difference that our knowledgeable and client-focused approach can make in achieving your legal goals.
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