Business Notes

Bright&squo;s Creek Golf Community has welcomed Buddy Manson as the new director of golf and Tom Rogers as a new golf professional.

For the past 19 years, Manson has held the position of director of golf and head golf professional at Highlands Country Club in Highlands, N.C. He has been awarded the Merchandiser of the Year award for the PGA Mountain Chapter and brings those skills to the Bright&squo;s Creek pro shop.

Rogers turned professional in 1973 and has had a distinguished teaching career including students who have gone on to play at the collegiate level at Wake Forest, UNC, Duke and Southern Methodist. He most recently worked as the director of golf and golf instruction at Mountain Air.

For more information call 828-694-4500.

Ocean Lakes Campground in Myrtle Beach, S.C., owned by Nelson and Mary Emily Jackson, was recently awarded the title of 2008-2009 National &dquo;RV Park of the Year&dquo; in the Mega Park category by the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds. Nelson Jackson is a Tryon native and brother of Tryon resident Jim Jackson. The Jacksons opened the park in 1971 and now features 3,447 sites on 310 oceanfront acres. It is the largest campground on the east coast and one of the largest in the United States. www.oceanlakes.com

Tryon Estates has been accredited for another five year term by CARF-CCAC, an independent accrediting organization serving the senior services field. According to Tryon Estates officials, accreditation is widely considered the retirement industry&squo;s seal of excellence for how well a community meets or exceeds rigorous standards in administration, financial accountability, health care, and resident services.

Two new stores, The Book Nook and Unique Boutique, recently featured in the Marketplace column, are located at 93 Adawehi Lane, off Fox Mountain Road in Columbus. The phone number is 894-5260.

Tryon Federal Bank has announced the appointment of William (Bill) D. Smith to the bank&squo;s board of directors. Smith currently serves as a consulting partner for ADS Corp in Greer, S.C. and resides in Tryon with his wife Patricia. For additional information, visit www.hometrustbanking.com.

Business closings

The Red Clover Gallery on Rutherford Street in Landrum will close its doors on Dec. 24, 2008. Owners Celia Kudro and Rhonda Parish cite both personal reasons as well as the current economy for the closing. The gallery will do business as usual until the closing date. The location will continue to serve as the studio for Kudro and there are no plans to sell the building or rent the space once the gallery closes.