FALSE RIVER — False River Golf and Country Club is wrapping up a renovation that expanded its course from nine holes to 18 holes.

The project covers about 160 acres a mile from the Mississippi. It includes a driving range, practice greens, zoysia fairways, Bermuda rough, bunkers and several lakes.

"We're fixing to be top five in the state, and I promised our owner that I would get us number one in the state," said Angel Bain.

Jim Moore provided funding for general upkeep for years and bought the country club and a couple of adjacent properties in 2023.

"At the time, he bought it there was 138 paying members. We had no kids. Probably five female golfers and that was it. His goal was to bring the families back to where it used to be in the late 60s and early 70s," said Angel Bain.

During the peak of the pandemic, club membership dropped to about 100 people.

A year ago, Dante Caldera and Tommy Shook started moving about 300,000 yards of dirt. Crews cleared 35 acres of trees, dug lakes, placed 17 miles of irrigation pipe and laid millions of dollars of zoysia sod.

"I'm pretty happy that every hole has a unique character to it, and it's not repetitive," said Dante Caldera.

"Mr. Jim didn't hold anything back. He spent the money on whatever we needed to get it done and get it open on time," said Tommy Shook.

Moore put the price tag at $45 million.

"I want it to be a course where someone doesn't just remember one hole. I think it has brought New Roads and St. Francisville together a little bit more. I don't want it to be about me. I want it to be about the community," said Jim Moore.

The club now has about 500 members. It also has a new pool, a pool house, covered pickle ball courts and a pavilion for weddings.

The grand opening of the golf course for members is in a couple weeks. The club plans to build a new clubhouse a year from now.

The club opened in 1963 with an elaborate clubhouse, a pool, a practice green and a nine hole course.

"The families, the kids grew up out here. The wives loved coming out and hanging out with the kids," said Bain.