{"id":203893,"date":"2026-03-17T20:54:55","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T01:54:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=203893"},"modified":"2026-03-18T08:00:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T13:00:29","slug":"willow-bend-sale-official-changes-renovations-underway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2026\/03\/17\/willow-bend-sale-official-changes-renovations-underway\/","title":{"rendered":"Willow Bend County Club sale official"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

VW independent staff\/submitted information<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Willow Bend Country Club in Van Wert has officially been purchased by KCC Investment Properties LLC of Defiance, which according to a press release, marks the beginning of an exciting new era for the historic course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally built in 1924 and most recently owned by Central Mutual Insurance Company since 1995, Willow Bend is entering 2026 and beyond with renewed vision.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Willow Bend County Club has officially been purchased by Defiance-based KCC Investment Properties LLC. Scott Truxell\/Van Wert independent<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The news release said following the announcement earlier this year, significant progress has already been made. A craft brewery has been established on site, state inspections are complete, and officials are currently awaiting final license approval to finalize the sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are thrilled to introduce a new chef, Eric Smith, who brings a wealth of experience from Michelin Star restaurants in Chicago,\u201d said the news release, which was signed by Gary Cooper and The Compound Team. \u201cEric is working alongside Executive Chef Aaron Weible of The Compound to elevate the dining experience through kitchen upgrades, inspired new menu offerings, and a refreshed restaurant atmosphere. Select menu items are already being revamped, and guests will now be able to enjoy 4KD Crick Brewery on tap – with even more to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also said the restaurant will undergo a full renovation and expansion, with completion anticipated in early 2027. At that time, it will debut under its new name, Town Creek Chophouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe excitement doesn’t stop there,\u201d Cooper said in the news release. \u201cPlans are in place to transform the lower level into a family-friendly entertainment center featuring golf simulators, arcade games, duckpin bowling, the craft brewery, live music stage, and more – creating a gathering space unlike anything else in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

On the golf side, preparations are already underway for the 2026 season. After listening to member feedback over the years, the Pro Shop staff and new ownership team are implementing meaningful changes to the golf program. More details will be shared soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Course operations will be led by Nate Watkins, who serves as the General Manager of Golf Courses: Auglaize Golf Course, Harvest Moon Golf Course, and Eagle Rock Golf Course. As part of this growing family of four courses, members will enjoy reciprocal playing privileges and the flexibility of a new golf-only membership option with no food minimum. More information regarding both private golf and social memberships will be shared in the coming months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are proud to officially welcome Willow Bend into The Compound family of businesses,\u201d Cooper said. \u201cOver the next 12 months, the club will see exciting improvements, experiences, and opportunities for members and guests alike.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

VW independent staff\/submitted information Willow Bend Country Club in Van Wert has officially been purchased by KCC Investment Properties LLC of Defiance, which according to a press release, marks the beginning of an exciting new era for the historic course. Originally built in 1924 and most recently owned by Central Mutual Insurance Company since 1995, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-203893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-22 16:46:45","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203893","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203893"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203893\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":203933,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203893\/revisions\/203933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}