NORTH SHELBY – About 20 months since its re-opening, Heatherwood Hills Country Club continues to draw in people for its golf course and other services—and to make improvements.

Heatherwood Superintendent Chad Burke and General Manager Ben Osteen said the latest project to be tackled is renovating the pool, which should be open later in the summer.

The club was closed for more than seven years until re-opening in October 2016.

During this time, the clubhouse fell into disrepair and was vandalized, and the course became overgrown despite nearby residents voluntarily mowing the grass.

“That was a big thing for them to do that,” Osteen said about neighbors pitching in but added the work that still needed to be done was almost overwhelming. “Each bunker was its own ecosystem with trees, roots.”

“It was a mess,” Burke agreed. “The layout was there, but we had to put everything back.”

The problems were tackled one at a time, with more work still to be done.

But the improvements have already produced a course that Osteen and Burke said people who played previous versions of the course can hardly believe.

Traditionally known as a narrow course, some of the holes have been opened up, but not to a degree that would no longer offset the course’s length.

“It’s a short golf course but a tight golf course,” Burke said. “The course continues to improve and get better.”

The front nine and back nine were flipped so that players now finish closer to the clubhouse, which is more common, and they can benefit from a back nine that is considered less difficult than the front nine.

There are no plans to change the course’s current semi-private format, and the public is encouraged to play by rates lower than most other courses in the area.

“It’s a unique golf course—you’re not playing the same hole twice,” Osteen said.

Prior to the re-opening, the clubhouse had to be completely renovated, including correcting plumbing issues, but now it is a hub of activity and services that include food and drink, catering and hosting events ranging from wedding receptions to business meetings.

The club will partner with the Birmingham Swim League for operation of the pool, and details for memberships are not finalized, Osteen said.

Heatherwood Hills also offers dinners, with some evenings featuring themes, trivia games, bingo and more.

For more information, visit HeatherwoodHills.com, connect with the club on Facebook (@HeatherwoodHillsCC) or call 502-4441.

The club is located at 400 St. Anne’s Drive, Birmingham.