re: Anybody remember Emerald Hills,Toro Hills,Hodges Gardens Golf Club?

Hell yea I do. It was just plain Hodges Gardens at first with the Motel across the street. It was just one wing, two story motel with a pool. The check in was next to the coffee shop and a buffet area with a bar in the back. Used to have a private club in the bar area because Sabine parish was dry. My father was good friends with Mr. Hodges. Used to let my brother and his friends fish the lake in the gardens before they started renting boats. Then they built another two story wing with another pool. And along in the late 60's built the first 9 holes, and later on the second. The motel and golf course was bought out by a local Dr. here and shortly after the check in and food area burnt to the ground. It went into bankruptcy shortly after that and whoever held the note (bank) let another motel/hotel property owner run it until it was bought out by a local car dealerships owner. He held on to it for several years and sold it to some Chinese interests and they were gonna send Chinese kids over here to go to school and play golf. When the recession hit in the late 2000's, it was closed forever. When you drive by it now, its hard to tell the fairways from the rough. It was a wonderful place. The state came in and turned it into a state park (the gardens)and ran it into the ground.