Trenton Golf Club Welcomes Williamson, New Golf Pro

By REBECCA HAZEN
News Editor

Trenton Golf Club is welcoming its new head pro, JD Williamson. Williamson will help out with the daily operations of the Club and will be available to give golf lessons.

Williamson has a background in both the golf and real estate industries. He is originally from southern California, and his family recently moved to Sand Mountain two years ago. He has a 12-year-old daughter who plays for the Chattanooga Fury Platinum travel softball team, and his wife works for Unum Insurance.

“I sold real estate and came from the golf industry. I spent 15 years in the golf industry, coaching varsity golf and also giving lessons at Simi Valley High School. I worked at a ClubCorp organization for 10 years and gave lessons there. I have done just about everything in the golf industry, including giving lessons, running the pro shop, running the carts, and helping with tournaments,” Williamson said.

Williamson has also worked at Mission Hills Country Club in Palm Springs.

“They had a ladies’ major there; it was almost like the ladies’ Masters. They jump in the water on the 18th hole, it’s a tradition. I worked at that tournament for about five years,” Williamson said.

When Williamson moved to Sand Mountain, he started to play at the Trenton Golf Club.

“I used to play on Wednesdays and Saturdays and saw some room for improvement. Some of the members were talking to me and they told me to apply for the new job. The new owners took over earlier this winter, and I applied. The new owners said they really needed a golf pro to manage things,” Williamson said.

Part of Williamson’s job is that he will give lessons, which are $30 for a half hour and $50 for one hour.

“The lesson depends on skill level; I can do all levels from beginners to seasoned pros. I’ve got an extensive background with giving lessons,” Williamson said.

Williamson will also be heavily involved in launching the new restaurant, The 1945, which is scheduled to open in a few weeks. He will also help run the shop and the course.

“I will be running daily operations around here and trying to get the place to run like a well-oiled machine,” Williamson said.

L&J Golf, LLC, a golf course management company based in Snellville that was formed in 2019, purchased Trenton Golf Club back in January of this year, with the intention of making improvements.

A membership is $70 a month and a senior membership is $60. A couple’s membership is $100. A membership allows the golfer to play for free at any time, seven days a week. Tee times can be booked 10 days in advance. The only cost is the cart fee.

“We are trying to create a larger membership. We will start doing tournaments more often for the members. Membership is also inexpensive compared to other local courses,” Williamson said.

Williamson continued, “Golf in the mid 90s was slower, but Tiger Woods brought golf to the forefront. He was a polarizing figure. In the past few years Top Golf has helped the average Joe. As far as the club, we are just doing a lot of changes, from the course, the restaurant, and the staff. We are making the course look great. The driving range will hopefully bring some new people out. Trenton’s course is known, but there hasn’t been a lot of marketing for it before. With all the expenses we are putting in, hopefully we will bring some new people out here.”

If anyone has questions, or wants to inquire about lessons, please call (706) 657-3616 or email Williamson at JDW@L-JGolf.com.

Trenton Golf Club, a semi-private golf course, is located at 2060 Back Valley Road, and is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 18-hole golf course, playing 6,405 yards, features a par 72, with Bermuda fairways and bent grass greens.

For more information, visit trentongolfclub.com.