alabama golf central
Story and Photos by Greg and Beverly Wise
The Art of Golf We have all marveled at the talent that it takes to draw or paint. The likes of Rembrandt, Van Gogh… or even the detail that goes in to capturing the essence of a nature scene like feathers on a bird or the detail of grasses growing next to a pond on a golf course. All those details draw us all into their masterpiece. And as golfers we all marvel and the talent that it takes to capture our attention when playing golf. The placement of bunkers, water features, and the undulation in the greens. Where every detail that makes our experience an adventure, and many times, an adventure of staying out of trouble (but that truly all part of the detail). This all wraps back in the pride of ownership of the golf resort and the need for golfers to experience their masterpiece in a positive way. Rarely do you ever find these two elements together. But at Pursell Farms in Sylacauga, Alabama, you most certainly find all the element of the Art of Golf. Meet David Pursell, CEO of Pursell Farms, the man behind the vision. In the early days, David’s father, Jimmy Pursell, owned and operated a fertilizer company providing the necessities for turf grass operations for those superintendents across the country. With a 3,200-acre canvas, David convinced his father to invest in and develop the first and only test and research demonstration facility for advancements in turf grass and agronomics, with guest housing on the family farm. That test facility was an 18-hole golf course, aptly named “FarmLinks.” Every type of grass at the time was utilized for the 34
David Pursell
Farmlinks purpose of testing the companies own fertilizer products along with testing equipment for the industry. “More than 10,000 golf course superintendents and team members came to FarmLinks to train and learn. Fulfilling my vision of FarmLinks as the ‘Epcot of Golf,’ informing and celebrating the superintendents and
crews who make golf courses playable works of art,” Pursell explained As the fertilizer company was sold and the manufacturing was moved to another location, David returned to the canvas, to let’s say… modify his masterpiece. FarmLinks at Pursell Farms was created and has been nurtured into a finely tuned masterpiece resort, not just for golfers, but for outdoor fun-loving individuals. Walking trails, Bicycling, Orvis Shooting adventures and the ever popular 4-wheel farm adventure tours, Pursell Farms has become a “Must Go” location to create your own Masterpiece Adventure. The one piece that you can’t miss on your adventure to Pursell Farms is the sunset at the “Special Place.” In a recent move to better the golf course and experience for the golfers, which is now complete, Pursell Farms commissioned Tripp Davis to revitalize the bunkers on the golf course. “Spending these days with Tripp, walking the golf course and looking at every bunker on the course, I realized that Tripp truly had the eye of an artist. Moving a bunker to the left or right, even a few feet, framed the golf hole for the golfer’s eye that much better,” David stated. “We are very pleased with how this has created a major impact on our golf course, enlarging some bunkers, taking away as much as 50% of some bunkers, or eliminating them all together on some holes, has made Farm Links, that much more of a masterpiece,” Pursell commented. It is time to plan you adventure to Pursell Farms to create your own “Masterpiece Vacation.” PursellFarms.com Golf Central • Volume 23, Issue 3
