Grand Island Club’s new general manager is not new to the service industry. Though this is his first go at managing a golf club, Camilla native Uel Kemp has more than 20 years experience in restaurant management, namely with Domino’s Pizza, for whom he supervised 107 franchise stores in North Carolina prior to purchasing the Albany Domino’s in 1990.

“Worked everything you could do – started as driver and worked my way up the system,” said Kemp, who sold his stores and is not affiliated with the new Albany Domino’s.

Prior to this gig, Kemp’s interaction with golf was mainly on the links. He has a handicap of one and has been a member of Grand Island, Lee County’s public course, since it opened.

“Management is management; it’s handling people, it’s dealing with people,” said Kemp, who came on staff at Grand Island recently following the departure of long-time Grand Island GM Vic McKinley.  “It doesn’t matter if you’re selling pizzas or golf balls. It’s in how you treat people. You don’t have to reinvent the (management) wheel.”

Being one himself, Kemp said, “I know what golfers need.”

The transition from member to manager has been fairly smooth, he said.

“I’ve been received well by the membership,” he said. “I have known a lot of these guys for a long time. … They are glad to have someone in the position.”

As he settles into his new role, Kemp’s priorities are to “learn the system. … See what we’re doing well, what we need to improve,” and to remain profitable.

Kemp said there are two things in particular that set Grand Island apart from the handful of other courses in town: its Scottish-style design and its cost.

“It’s a links-style course. It’s not tree lined; it’s real open. There’s a lot more effect from the wind. It has undulating greens,” he said. “It’s different. You just don’t see it around here. Usually the [courses are] tree lined, with trees on both sides of the fairway.

“You don’t have to play the wind (elsewhere) as much as you will here,” he said. “The wind can howl. That affects the shot, the shot value.”

As for cost, he said, “Right now we are the most inexpensive course in the area (and have) some of the best greens in the area. You are just not going to get that anywhere else. You could pay double or triple (elsewhere). And that’s our biggest draw – what we’re able to do in terms of the quality of the course.”

It’s affordability – membership rates are $90 per month for families; $85 per month for individuals; and $75 per month for senior citizens – that has about 500 members on the club’s rolls, which he said is close to full.

As he looks into the securing the club’s future, staying profitable and keeping costs in line are Kemp’s objectives. He also needs to find a golf pro.

“The club is profitable at a time when a lot of golf courses at the time really aren’t,” he said, “We’ll continue doing what we do well, which is provide low-cost golf to the community, and simply to look for ways to improve our revenue stream, whether that be events, tournaments – things of that kind.”

Kemp said tournaments, of which they have a lot, are important for the club.

“Those types of tournaments provide extra play. They get people out here that may not normally come out and play,” he said. “Mainly, we like to have them during the week when it’s a slower time.”