By Rylee Kirk

RINCON — The Lost Plantation Golf Cource Clubhouse will soon be filled with new cuisine to entice its neighbors and other Effingham County residents.

Recent changes in other areas at Lost Plantation Golf Course started with the help of the City Manager John Klimm. Equipment was updated and Lynn Childress was hired to tackle turf problems.

Considerable progress has been made.

Then Lost Plantations residents started talking about the clubhouse and Julie Dickey and Bruce Battista got involved.

“This really is a community effort. All three of these folks just happen to live here,” Klimm said.

Battista is retired from the restaurant industry but agreed to help start a new bistro in the clubhouse. He joked that his wife told him to run the restaurant.

“My wife said she wants good food. ‘So, you’re going to do it.’ You know when the wife speaks you do that,” Battista said.

Battista isn’t just interested in pleasing his wife, however. He looks forward to offering good food to the community.

“Rincon needs a good dining restaurant,” Battista said. “We put a menu together that I believe everyone is going to enjoy.”

Battista wants to give Rincon “five-star quality food and a three-star price.”

The new menu will include steaks, seafood, upscale sandwiches and burgers, Battista said. He is also looking into hosting theme nights at the bistro.

Klimm aims to turn the clubhouse restaurant into a place everyone will enjoy.

“It is our belief that there is a demand for a clean, convenient, affordable restaurant,” he said.

The clubhouse already has a noticeable difference. The bathrooms and gift shop have been renovated.

Klimm said the work has been done with volunteers and prison labor.

Battista praised the prisoners.

“They’re taking pride in the work that they do,” he said.

Klimm is also proud.

“It’s been very satisfying and gratifying to me so far because of the people who have come in to volunteer and help,” he said.

The bistro will be opening very soon.