Pendleton Hills burns down overnight
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Fully engulfed -
Golf carts -
Restaurant -
Front -
Chief Deputy Marty Hart and his team were on site to determine the start of the fire which is normal operating procedure -
Falmouth Fire Chief found a pile of keys to golf cart keys
The tee boxes sat empty on Tuesday morning but the drive up to Pendleton Hills restaurant and clubhouse saw members trickling in, parking alongside the road and staring in disbelief of the smoldering remains of the building they have long called their community.
A passerby from U.S. 27 had called in a fire at Pendleton Hills in the early morning hours and by the time Falmouth Fire Chief David Klaber arrived at a little after 3 a.m., he indicated it was fully engulfed and the roof had collapsed.
Owner David Bay who had purchased the former Pendleton Country Club said "We'll be back" with a steely resolve as he looked out over the burnt building.
Bay had built the failing country club, upgraded and added in creating a place in the middle of the county that many gathered to hear bands, have a great meal and of course, play golf. When covid hit, Bay quickly, and I mean quickly, pivoted his restaurant to provide delivery services for all of Pendleton County and up to Alexandria.
He told this reporter in 2020 that he called Restaurant Manager Priscilla Gravett one morning and said that they were going to start delivering the food on their menu. She asked when and David said this evening as that day he had bought up every insulated food delivery bag in the Greater Cincinnati restaurant supply stores.
The bold and decisive action saved jobs and provided a service greatly needed by the community during the shutdown days of 2020.
Once the restrictions on restaurants were lifted, folks flocked to Pendleton Hills to play golf, take in bands or artists in the restaurant or outside and enjoy each other's company.
As the photos show, the restaurant and clubhouse was a total loss but longtime member and NAPA owner Jeff Carson said, "It all starts with a piece of paper."
Having known David Bay for all of my adult life and watch him build the two BB's locations, a youth baseball program that produce success and turn a failing golf course into a vibrant community within our community, a blank sheet of paper in front of him will be turned into something that will be grander and even more successful than what he has already built.
For now, a sense of community has been ripped from Pendleton County as it slept.