A company out of South Carolina, Scratch Golf, recently purchased two courses in Gulf Shores previously owned by Honours Golf in Craft Farms and Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club. The sale was handled by Leisure Investment Properties Group’s Managing Director and Partner Steven Ekovich.

“We marketed for about three weeks and we went under contract with them,” Ekovich said. “They were very interested because of the quality of the two assets. They had just completed renovations on both clubhouses, it’s in great shape. Scratch Golf was looking to expand their golf footprint and when we showed them these things were available they thought this would be a perfect fit for what they are trying to do with their portfolio.”

Scratch Golf is located in Bluffton, South Carolina where it operates Hilton Head National Golf Club and Jacaranda Golf Club. Scratch Golf is owned by The United Company located in Bristol, Virginia, which also owns and operates a private golf club, The Olde Farm, in Bristol.

Ekovich said the sale was completed so quickly because his company, Leisure Investment Properties Group, manages lots of sales of large properties including marinas, resorts and planned communities.

“We only took it out to the top 15 buyers in the market,” Ekovich said. “We knew it was going to be one of those guys and we did a very rifled approach. A portfolio with golf assets of this size is not going to be something that normal people are going to be able to acquire. An acquisition of this size and this location you need a major player.”

The former owners were also particular about who might be buying the courses.

“The seller was very concerned that this be sold to the right buyer, someone who was going to take their existing vision and enhance the asset and not put less money into them and do the opposite,” Ekovich said. “We had multiple offers on the property. They consistently told us we want to do the right thing for the community with the right buyer and we believe Scratch Golf is that buyer. They’ve got a great reputation, they run really high-quality assets and I think the community is going to be really excited about what they are going to do with the properties.”

There are 27 holes of golf at the Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club and 36 at Craft Farms.

“Peninsula is more of a private club,” Ekovich said. “They have an indoor-outdoor pool, but they allow resort play and Craft is really semi-private, they have a lot of resort play and they have members. And, also, the public can play there.”

Leisure Investment Properties Group is based in Tampa and currently has dozens of properties listed for sale on its website.

The United Company is based out of Bristol, Virginia, and according to the company website, it “has evolved from its origin of coal production to a base of carefully selected, yet diversified, operations, including coal, oil and gas exploration services, investment management services and real estate development services.”