Green Valley Country Club

Running a golf course is a tough business. In the wake of the 2008 recession. Green Valley Country Club in Greenville, SC, needed saving. Mike Kaplan was the man for the job. In 2011, Kaplan bought the club, and in the dozen years since, he has reinforced it as an oasis for local families and retirees alike. Besides ordering a renovation of the 60-year-old golf course shortly after he bought the club, Kaplan has added a modern fitness center, spiffed up the tennis courts and added more options to the club's already impressive list of dining options.

As a prior member of the club, Kaplan was impressed with its history. Designed by George Cobb, one of the most respected designers in the Southern U.S., the club's original membership roster included members of the famed Augusta National golf club. The year 1958 was a busy one for Cobb; he not only designed the par 3 golf course at Augusta National that year, but also Green Valley's classic layout.

The community that surrounds the Green Valley golf course is mature and stable and just 10 minutes from the vibrant city of Greenville, one of the Southeast Region's most popular. When homes are available for sale, they start just below $500,000 and top out above $1 million.