"This is the hardest I've

ever worked in my life... and I've never been happier."

The words of John Boykin, chairman

and CEO of Wyant Golf Enterprises, Inc., ambassador of golf, and a new

face in the Fayette business community.

Boykin closed a unique deal

Sept. 8 to purchase the former WhiteWater Country Club, immediately changing

the name to The Palmer Course at Starr's Mill, and undertaking a $1 million

renovation of the facility.

Add in a daily commute from

his home in Roswell, and it's easy to see how he is busier than he's ever

been. And if that's what makes him happy, his delight meter should have

been pegged for at least 34 years.

A PGA Class A member since

1979, now Boykin is one of only a few pros who actually own courses.

Golf pros, he acknowledged

in a recent interview, generally are not in the financial position to

do this.

Nor would it have been possible

for Boykin had he not discovered a federal program which allowed him to

make the purchase through the United States Department of Agriculture's

Community Facilities Development Department.

The USDA guaranteed a commercial

loan after Boykin found a facility which met their "rural in nature"

requirements, completed a 762-page application process, and agreed to

operate as a non-profit organization, return surplus revenues to charities

within the community, and offer golf programs for schools and senior citizens.

It was an arduous application

progress which took many months but when completed, made his golf course

the first in the country to be approved by this USDA program and open

for business.

The bottom line is that The

Palmer Course at Starr's Mill is a Georgia 501-3C. Its purpose is to make

money and distribute those monies to the community. The Joseph Sams School,

Friday Johnson Home, and Fayette Sr. Citizens Services, as well as the

Arnold Palmer Hospital for Women and Children in Orlando, Fla,, are the

organizations Boykin has designated to share proceeds from the facility,

though profits are not limited to these charities.

Boykin's objectives at this

point are simple: to return the course to profitability and to make sure

it is "the world class golf facility this county deserves."

Accordingly, he is upgrading

the facility's 35,000 sq. ft. club house which includes opening a new

restaurant, Arnie's, by Dec. 1. The Southern-style mansion clubhouse continues

to offer private dining options, a 200-seat second floor ballroom, men's

and ladies' changing and locker rooms and a full service golf professional

shop. It is a popular venue for weddings, receptions, holiday parties

and corporate functions and is annually host to many civic, corporate

and charitable golf events.

Boykin is also completely rebuilding

the irrigation and watering system, a move which he says will elevate

the course to a very high standard.

"I describe this as a

Mercedes neighborhood with a Chevrolet golf operation," Boykin said.

"We're going to bring it up to at least Cadillac level."

The Palmer Course is not for

the blue jeans and tennis shoe crowd, he admits. The club will have patrons,

not members, but there are three kinds of play: patron, guest and the

public. Novices will find themselves welcome at the facility, which is

owned now by someone whose life has been spent teaching people how to

navigate a golf course.

Boykin's 33 year career has

included being a PGA TOUR instructor, author, broadcaster, editor/publisher

of Gold Industry Magazine, and creator of The Scoring Academy golf teaching

system, a program which helps business people reach their goals through

golf. He serves as an International Teaching Professional at The Duke's

Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, and his tips and instruction have been

presented in Golf Digest, Golf Magazine and Senior Golfer. He has also

been a featured instructor on the Golf Channel and is currently honorary

president of the Atlanta/North Georgia Chapter of the PGA. He is also

author of the Executive Women's Beginning Golf Retreat, a two-day program

designed to be a benefit to beginning and intermediate women golfers.

Boykin has already restored

the original 18-hole layout that Arnold Palmer designed in the mid-80s.

Immediately after purchasing the course in September, Boykin permanently

closed the third 9-holes which the previous owner had added in 2000 and

began the restoration.

"During the construction

of the original 18-holes Arnold Palmer was here often," Boykin said.

" The great man's touches are clearly evident throughout his design.

We wanted to restore the splendor of this spectacular golf course."

Now that the design is restored,

Boykin is offering a "Return to 1999" program which invites

those who have never played the course and those who haven't been there

in some years, on a one-time basis, to come, bring friends and play an

examination round for $19.99.

"This offer will not last

long, so we invite golfers to take advantage of it."

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