// 2 min Read

Local Character: Chris Apple Director of Golf Club Operations

Written by Palmetto Bluff

Where are you from and how did you get here?
I saw the job posting through a golf recruiting service at 6am one morning. [laughs] I applied for it and here we are. My wife and I always said if we ever left Nashville, we’d move to the Lowcountry. We love living here. The scenery is amazing and seeing the water every day is pretty special.

Tell me about your first trip to Palmetto Bluff.
My wife and I came on a whim! It was New Year’s Day of 2021. We booked the night before. We showed up and fell in love—I just felt immediate stress relief. We didn’t want to leave! Then we came back that same year for our anniversary in November. It made us fall in love with the Lowcountry. Experiencing the community as a guest was extraordinary.

What goes through your mind as you drive into Palmetto Bluff?
Driving in is the best part. It allows me to relax, prepare for the day, and get my mind right. It’s a special drive. You don’t see a lot of homes, and the sun comes through the trees…it’s very peaceful. It’s a magical drive in. It takes you back in time.

What’s your most marked characteristic?
I’ve got a big personality, and I’m super extroverted. [laughs] I’ve never met a stranger and like to have fun, and that’s the club business! We want people to have fun. I want my team to have fun. I want our members and guests to have fun.

What is something that people don’t know about you?
I’m the life of the party at weddings—I never met a microphone I didn’t like. I don’t eat red meat. Also, before I wanted to be a golf pro, I wanted to be a news anchor. I was a radio DJ in a small town in eastern Kentucky. I joke that I was the number one live radio DJ in the market, but I was the only live radio DJ in the market!

What is your favorite spot at Palmetto Bluff?
Obviously, the May River Golf Course. But I’m still exploring the property! I’ve been fortunate enough to visit the sites of the future golf courses. I can’t wait to see those come to fruition.

What kind of changes do you hope to bring to the experience at the May River Golf Course?
We’re blessed with a great golf course. Of course we’re always looking at ways to improve the course, but the big thing we’re trying to do is create a great member and guest experience. We want this to be a high-touch environment, and we don’t want our staff members to be robots. It is so important to build relationships with the members, to know their families, so we really let our employee’s personalities shine. This should be an authentic experience. You can play a great golf course anywhere, but you can’t have a great experience anywhere.

 

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