Drew Bledsoe is just one of the numerous Boone County school students who will feel the direct impact if Riverview Golf Course is sold.

Bledsoe and his fellow golfers take instruction and have miniature tournaments at Riverview Golf Course. Currently there are four area middle schools that boast a golf club – Sherman, Chapmanville, Madison, and Logan Middle Schools have all used the facilities at Riverview Country Club and Golf Course.

Yet, these are not the only students who have benefited from Riverview County Club being an 18-hole public golf course. From Scott High School cheerleaders and basketball teams earning money for their sports trips and scholarships, local residents exchanging vows in a wedding ceremony, to local businesses hosting special events -to name all of the organizations and schools that have in some way benefited from the Riverview Country Club would transform this short article into a novella.

That may all change, however, as current owners Diana and Rick Boggs contemplate selling the Country Club and Golf Course.  

According to Rick Boggs, his father-in-law, Linden Meade, used to run the club and still helps Diana and himself. Boggs refers to his father-in-law as the resident golf pro. Meade is inducted into the Marshall University Hall of Fame.

For the past eight years, Rick and Diana have dedicated their time in maintaining the facilities and grounds, a huge undertaking considering all that is offered at Riverview Country Club.

According to Rick Boggs, for the past 2 ½ to 3 years, he has been trying to work a full-time out of state, in North Carolina with the Health and Safety Administration, during the week and coming back to W.Va. and working all weekend long at the Country Club.

Time has taken its toll on the owners and they are looking to sell the Country Club and Golf Course.

According to Diana Boggs, they came up with the idea of developing part of the golf course with residential houses.

“We thought about closing the backside down and developing houses there,” Rick Boggs said.

However, with some input from some of their club members, they opened themselves up to more creative suggestions on how to sell their property while ensuring that it remains a public, 18-hole golf course.

At the end of March, the Boggs hosted a meeting with concerned citizens and club members who are interested in keeping the facility a public 18-hole golf course. One of the persons in attendance was Senator Ron Stollings.

According to Stollings, the Monday following the meeting he re-approached the Senate Finance Chairman about the possibility of buying the golf course with the intent of transforming the Country Club and Golf Course into a multi-functional facility.

Stollings said some of the ideas were to fix up areas that need fixed on the golf course, keep the 18-hole golf course, make the bridge and entrance to the country club more accessible and safe, and develop the grounds to include things such as a possible swimming pool, fitness center, shooting range, etc.

“There is a real possibility that the state could purchase it and fix it up and then give it to the county commission,” he said.

According to Stollings, Boone County pays the state $56 Million in coal severance tax. The state keeps 92% of that money and Boone County is given the remaining 8%, or $4 Million, according to Stollings.

“I spoke with the Senate Finance Chairman who believes purchasing the golf course would be one way the State can help us out by giving back to our county. Really, it is a quality of life issue. Boone County needs this type of facility,” he said.

For many, that sounds like a great option – the Boggs can make their transition, Boone County residents will have more recreation options, a “new, exciting” location can be added to the Boone County list of tourism attractions, and it would create between 5 to 7 summer jobs for the county. Sounds great, right?

According to Stollings, the Boone County Commission has been approached with offer, but voted against the idea.

“Up until now they’ve been reluctant to take this as a gift. I can’t make them take a gift of a multipurpose facility,” he said.

When asked why the state doesn’t purchase and maintain the facility, Stollings said the idea to convert it into a state park had been mentioned. Unfortunately, he said, it is not big enough for a state park.

The Boone County Commission was unavailable for comment at the time of this article’s publication. Another community meeting is scheduled for April 10 at the Country Club, located on Route 17 in Madison.

Contact Joanie Newman at  HYPERLINK "mailto:jnewman@coalvalleynews.com" jnewman@coalvalleynews.com or call 369-1165.