Ryan Eissens is a real hands-on owner.
The Thomson man grew up playing golf at Buck's Barn. After the landmark business closed nearly three years ago, he bought the place with another investor.
"You didn't realize how much you missed it until it actually was gone," he said, while cutting wood for a door frame.
After sitting vacant, there's plenty of work. Supplies were arriving on Friday. They unloaded a new front door that will welcome guests to the renamed Sandburr Run Hotel and Golf Course.
The project is costing more than $330,000. It will create up to 15 new and returning jobs from the start.
The deal does not include the restaurant, but developers hope their work will attract attention to it.
"Just bring back another destination for everyone, for business and the residents," said Zack Swanson, who will serve as a live-in manager.
A new bar is replacing the outdated swimming pool. Their pro shop will be welcoming and inviting.
They're renovating 42 rooms and seven suites. The refreshed hotel is set to open in mid-May.
The former Buck's Barn meant a lot to the local economy. That makes this revival even more meaningful.
A nine-hole golf course needs lots of work. They must replace and re-seed greens. Players could be back out on the course in August.
"You treat people the way you want to be treated," Swanson said. "I want everyone to have a great experience here."
Activity at the long dormant Thomson Correctional Center is helping to spark the project in some ways. The Buck's Barn renovation is like taking an eyesore and making it entertaining again.
"We need something here in Thomson to keep people here," Eissens concluded.
It will be a new life for an old friend at Sandburr Run.
For more information, check out the Sandburr Run Facebook page.