How a romance, a brewery and former co-workers are planning to save a 27-hole Ohio golf resort

Nestled in the sloping hills of Carroll County, on the outskirts of Minerva, Ohio — which sits about 90 minutes west of Pittsburgh and 90 minutes south of Cleveland — lies Great Trail Golf Course.

The 27-hole resort has been a Minerva-area staple for nearly 55 years, providing opportunities for golfers and others since 1969.

And, until recently, it had always been in the Fry family. The last three decades Steve and Cathy Fry owned the 330-acre property and guided its operations. Steve Fry’s father and brother started Great Trail and it evolved over time.

“It was our way of life,” Steve Fry said.

Now in their 60s, Steve and Cathy Fry decided to retire from the business full-time and sold the property.

The buyers are five Minerva natives — Amanda and Andy Conrad, Steve Ogden, Nate Shriver and Nehemiah Shriver — who saved the property from a potential auction. They took the keys in late October. The Conrads and Ogden used to work there for the Frys.

“We couldn’t be happier,” Steve Fry said. “It was like a godsend for those people to come together.”

Andy Conrad: ‘In our minds, auction meant no golf course.’

The Conrads, owners of Sandy Springs Brewing Company, first met at Great Trail. They were off-and-on co-workers for several years. Amanda Conrad helped in the pro shop and with catered events. Andy Conrad learned mechanical skills as a course maintenance worker.

They later married.

With those memories, the Conrads weren’t going to let Great Trail hit the auction block — an option for the Frys — believing the course would close permanently and the property might become just another housing development if it did.

“In our minds, auction meant no golf course,” Andy Conrad said.

Determined, the Conrads brought friends Ogden and the Shrivers into the project. Ogden, who now lives in Nashville, also used to work at Great Trail. The Shrivers, owners of R&S Cement, had been looking to partner with the Conrads for some time.

Together, they bought the property for about $1.7 million.

Like the others, Nehemiah Shriver said he sees the resort as an opportunity to grow into a destination spot, that draws more people to the Minerva area, and provides jobs for the community. He also hopes the property continues to offer that family atmosphere.

“It’s an opportunity really to pull not just those golf enthusiasts but the entire family, possibly just to enjoy the community and the outdoors. Families can come here and have dinner … relax,” Nehemiah Shriver said.

Steve Fry is staying on with the new owners in an advisory role. His stepson, Mitch Shick, remains in charge of course maintenance. The place employs 22 workers, many of them high school or college-aged.

“They already have a good team here in place,” Amanda Conrad said.

Great Trail Golf Course, just outside Minerva, Ohio, in Carroll County has new owners, including Amanda and Andy Conrad. The resort has a 27-hole course, motel rooms and other amenities, including a pro shop and banquet hall. The new owners are planning to renovate the spaces inside the resort center.

Andy Conrad credited his wife for spearheading this venture.

“She’s been the driving force for all of this,” he said. “She pushed it through the finish line.”

Sitting at a table, Amanda Conrad said their return to Great Trail, now as owners, has been an emotional one. Pictures of past employees still lined the windows, like a family tree, and most of the decor remains the same as when she worked there.

“I still feel the emotions of Cathy and Steve because this was their baby for so many years,” she said.

Amanda Conrad said the partners want to keep many of the traditions that made Great Trail special. They also have ambitious plans to enhance the 29,000-square-foot resort on the property, including adding a sister brewery.

The brewery will be called Great Trail Brewing Co.

“Sandy Springs does not own it,” Andy Conrad stressed. “The reason we’re calling it a sister brewery is because I make beer down there (at Sandy Springs) and I’m going to make the beer here, too. That’s it.”

The group also plans to renovate eight motel rooms, a banquet room and pro shop. They plan to put in a wood-fired pizza oven, an arcade and three conference rooms available for rent or community events.

“We’re really just trying to capitalize on getting people from out of town into Minerva so that they can see what our little town has to offer,” Amanda Conrad said.

The golf course will stay open year-round

Meanwhile, the new owners said the golf course remains open year-round for tee times, weather permitting. They don’t expect renovations of the facilities to interfere with the business.

They also have a Facebook page to update conditions and events.

“We’re just taking a torch that (the Frys) kept burning for so long, and we’re going to just carry it farther, and build upon what they’ve started,” Andy Conrad said.

Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com. On X (formerly Twitter): @bduerREP