McConnell Golf, The Magazine - Fall/Winter 2024

McConnell Golf the magazinc

a letter from John McConnell

Was it really just last week that I took down our Christmas tree? This year has gone by so quickly, but here we are in October, enjoying the best golf conditions of the year. I love the fall weather, the great course conditions, and the excitement and pageantry of college football.

This year, we’ve accomplished a number of significant projects across our clubs. Notably, the bunker renovation at Holston Hills Country Club will beautifully restore this gem to its original splendor. After three construction projects, the cart paths at Raleigh Country Club have been permanently fixed, and our members will no longer have as many “dental issues” thanks to the smoother surfaces. The clubhouse at Wilson Country Club has been completely redecorated and looks amazing. Additionally, the bathrooms at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation and Raleigh CC have been updated, giving both properties a fresh look. I could go on and on about the projects happening throughout the year to improve our facilities and add value for our members.

Two things in my career that I have been most wrong about are the internet and pickleball. In 1996, I told my staff not to prepare for the internet, as I did not see it as a big deal for our software. However, within six months, I quickly realized it was going to be a game changer, and we adapted.

My second big miss was thinking that pickleball was just a fad and that tennis would regain its status as the premier racket sport. When I watch how many players are on our pickleball courts now in all age groups, I am thankful that my team was smart enough to convince me to invest in these courts at most of our properties. In fact, I am now considering changing the name of our company to McConnell Golf and Pickleball! One thing for certain though about this new sport is that my orthopedic surgeon colleagues have increased business opportunities.

I am excited to report that McConnell Golf has entered into a long-term partnership (20 years) with Raleigh Golf Association, which was founded in 1929 and has been under our management for the past nine years. Our plan is to renovate the 18 holes on the south side of the facility and add a much-needed driving range for the Raleigh area. The club will sell the acreage across the road for development, but the remaining property will be permanently designated for recreation.

This course was one of my favorites when I moved to Raleigh in the late ’70s. It reminds me a lot of the topography that Raleigh CC sits on as well. While the course is short by today’s standards at 6,100 yards, it seemed much longer back in the day as I was playing with balata balls and golf clubs not like the ones in use today. I am not sure I could hit those irons now. This venue is truly a community asset as it is very playable for all golfers, it is affordable and sits in a great growth market. It is a product that will have a bright future, and we are excited to be the caretaker for this beautiful property. My goal now is to be alive when the long-term lease has reached its end.

2024 will go down with many memories for me. I still feel emotional thinking about Grayson Murray’s passing, but he has created a legacy for all our McConnell Golf scholars to aspire to greatness in golf. Akshay Bhatia had a phenomenal year and is now ranked 27th in the world and indeed has tremendous upside in the sport. One mixed emotion that I have is my oldest granddaughter who recently turned 15 was asked to the homecoming dance by a boy! Yes, life goes on and change happens quickly. Make every day count in your life and enjoy the ride.

John McConnell, CEO & Founder

John McConnell, Alex McConnell, Matt McConnell, Jordan Spieth and Will McConnell at Sedgefield Country Club.

Donald

Chief Executive Officer & Founder

John McConnell

Chief Operating Officer

Christian Anastasiadis

Communications Director

Faith Inman

Creative Director

Paxton Rembis

Serving up Success

William Noblitt has big plans for Providence Country Club

McConnell Golf, The Magazine

Cover

mcconnellgolf.com

JOHN MCCONNELL

CHIEF

MAGAZINE SALES &

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR CASEY GRIFFITH

WILLIAM NOBLITT KNOWS TENNIS. EARNING ALL-ACC HONORS

during his time at N.C. State University, the record-holder is considered one of the greatest tennis players in school history. But beyond his talents as a player, he understands the needs of his members and has ambitious goals for his tennis program.

In his current role at Providence, Noblitt oversees the club’s 14 tennis courts, including 12 clay courts, and the pro shop. His largest duty however is tennis instruction, at which he indeed excels. The thrill of competition was certainly a factor in his success as a collegiate athlete and that same competitive spirit now helps him teach and inspire others.

Noblitt’s favorite part of his job? Doing what he loves every day.

Executive Support/Member Relations Coordinator

Madeline Bonnabeaux

Contributing Writers

Stephanie Trotter

John Jeter

Jerry Salley

J. Morgan McCallum

Brad King

Contributing Photography

Paxton Rembis

Faith Inman

Justin Morris

Chad Flowers

Micciche Photography

Augusta National

Todd Dawson

Raleigh-based McConnell Golf has a magazine as excellent as its 16 club properties that span across four states, from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Atlantic Coast. Established in 2008, McConnell Golf, The Magazine publishes stories throughout our network of clubs that reflect and enhance the membership experience. In a true community effort, this publication is supported by the members, for the members.

“I get to go to work and share my knowledge and passion for a sport that has been a part of my life since I was six years old,” he says. “I love seeing members improve and always hope to instill that same lifelong love of the sport.”

Inquiries

Advertising/Membership: Lauri Stephens membership@mcconnellgolf.com

An average day for Noblitt is a full one. He spends the majority of his time on the courts. In the morning, he’s busy with private lessons, cardio tennis clinics, and ladies’ team clinics. In the afternoon, he’s working with junior players through private lessons and clinics.

Editorial: Faith Inman finman@mcconnellgolf.com

Looking back on his first year at Providence, two events stand out. In 2018, the Make-A-Wish Pro-Am fundraiser and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation’s Ladies Member/Guest were held at PCC. Noblitt was fortunate to work alongside members for these events, enjoying a fun day of tennis while raising funds and awareness for important causes.

Stay Connected

Looking ahead, Noblitt has big plans for the future of PCC’s thriving tennis program.

mcconnellgolf.com

@mcconnellgolf

Aaron Rai, Wyndham Championship

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

MEREDITH DONAHUE

CHAD FLOWERS

BRAD KING

Photo By Ryan Barnett/Wyndham Championship

Published By

JOHN MAGINNES

MATT MCCONNELL

ANNA PLYLER

MIKE PURKEY

LAUREN THEDIECK

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER CHIP HENDERSON

Community Journals Publishing Group 581 Perry Avenue Greenville, SC 29611 864.679.1200 communityjournals.com

President Mark B. Johnston

Editor Claire Billingsley Caption TK

“My goal is to create a fun, enjoyable atmosphere where people want to come out and play, and participate in what we have going on,” he says. “The junior program in particular is something I want to build. I believe that with the facilities we have and the staff in place, we could have one of the best junior programs around.”

@mcconnellgolf

facebook.com/mcconnellgolf

A vision for program enhancements, coupled with the addition of new clinic offerings, social events, and tournaments, is a recipe for the continued success and growth of the tennis program at Providence. Heading into his second year at the club, Noblitt serves up a winning program with no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

youtube.com/mcconnellgolf

Go Digital

John Gillooly/Wyndham Championship

Ryan Barnett/Wyndham Championship

Jamie Squire via Getty Images Sport

PUBLISHED BY DESTINATION

Design Director Kristy Adair

PRESIDENT STEVE MITCHEM steve.mitchem@icloud.com

DESIGN DIRECTOR LYNN GIANINY

COPY EDITOR LANCE ELKO

Access past and present editions of McConnell Golf, The Magazine online: mcconnellgolf.com/the-magazine

McConnell Golf Creed

In everything we do, we believe in thinking differently and challenging the status quo.

We are innovators in the club industry.

We believe in ‘Building Clubs of the Future’ with our members and staff being a club’s true product.

We believe in being environmentally responsible and a pillar in our communities.

We believe in being more inclusive than exclusive.

We believe in pure golf for the true golfer and that every day is an opportunity to make a difference.

Where Tradition MeetsTech

How McConnell Golf instructors strike a balance between technique and technology

by J. Morgan McCallum

From your swing to your mental strategy on the green, members of McConnell Golf have one thing in common: A desire to get better, however long it takes. After all, the better your game, the more fun golf is.

The high-caliber, highly committed instructors hand-picked at clubs all across McConnell Golf’s properties know that technology is just one more tool in their belt to help members achieve that goal — and that well-rounded, athlete-first instruction is still the key to unlocking next-level numbers.

“We’re always trying to find ways to enhance the golf experience when it comes to teaching and club fitting, and technology has really increased in our industry over the past 10 to 15 years, which is a good thing,” says Brian Kittler, Vice President of Golf Operations.

“We’re better able to educate our members [in regard to] questions like, ‘What equipment do you need, and why do you need it? How is it going to make you a better golfer?’ This way, they know that a recommendation for a driver is not just the opinion of the golf professional; it’s based on data — data that allows us to pinpoint the exact best investment for a customer.”

Erica Stoner, Director of Instruction at Raleigh Country Club, grew up playing golf and taught full-time in Oregon before landing in Raleigh. A self-proclaimed “golf nerd,” Stoner loves the mechanics of the swing and has always gravitated toward the technical side of teaching. She uses software called Coach Now, where students can access personalized learning within their own “Training Space.”

“What I love about McConnell Golf is that our members are very open to receiving instruction, and I’ve been able to build a great deal of trust with my clientele, which is the only way they’ll ever improve,” says Stoner. “I’ll always start out filming a student’s swing, from face-on down the line. From there, I can

put their swings side-by-side for comparison and draw lines illustrating their swing plane, measuring angles, and overlaying swing models. Having that visual representation helps clarify my instructions.”

In the Coach Now app, Stoner then uploads lesson clips and commentary. Instead of students having to write down notes, she simplifies the path to improvement by making video recaps of each lesson that

highlight the key takeaways. “In order to make a change, you must have an awareness of what you are, and you can only have an awareness of what you are if you see it visually,” she adds.

Part of Stoner’s approach includes teaching students how to “coach themselves” by sharing what terms mean, what positions look like, and more. “It’s a good way to bridge the gap between lessons and is instrumental in helping clients retain what they’ve learned,” says Stoner. “It’s a sophisticated form of holding yourself accountable, which I love because it makes the lesson so much more valuable. Rather than being a one-time session that you hope you remember, the lesson becomes a resource you can tap into over and over.”

Another prominent piece of technology many members enjoy is the FlightScope Mevo Plus Portable Launch Monitor.

Melson, Director

at

believes in applying its benefits with balance. “I don’t start every lesson with technology. I [will]

figure out what we need to work on first. Bring tech out too early, and you risk being consumed with distances and yardages, and we can’t work on the mechanics properly,”

FULL-SERVICE CPA FIRM

With almost 40 years of combined experience in public accounting, Sharpe Patel can help with all of your attest & tax preparation needs.

Christian

of Instruction

Holston Hills Country Club,

laughs Melson. “But toward the end of the lesson, to capture what progress we made, I’ll typically bring out the FlightScope, and we’ll compare some of the old numbers to the new numbers.”

When it comes to fittings, however, Melson uses technology from the very beginning. “We’ll get data with the old clubs that they currently play, and then we test the new gear on the radar every single shot. The benefit is having more accurate readings on all the data — for instance, the distance you’re hitting the ball. We know that if you can control how far it goes, you can get it closer to the hole in fewer strokes and ultimately play better golf.”

Adds Melson, “We can’t make the numbers that the machine spits out any better just by working with the machine, right? We have to work on our golf swing. Something in your

“We can’t make the numbers that the machine spits out better by working with the machine … We have to work on our golf swing.”

Christian Melson

swing has to change to make the numbers change. So, t he numbers are abstract until we have something to compare them against, such as better contact or more speed. You have to teach the athlete first. That’s why I start my interviews with previous sports and injuries, and if they had an injury, I spend another five minutes asking what the downsides were — if you had surgery — if you still have pain.”

“For some golfers, I think there can be an intimidation factor—I would say just try it once. For instance, some of these tools are less about numbers, and focus instead on physical therapy,” reveals Kittler, whose team works with Par4Success, a golf fitness training and physical therapy group in the Raleigh area. “We try to provide all of our clubs and staff with the necessary tools to be as successful as possible and to use as much technology or as little technology as needed based on what the individual [wants to accomplish] — it’s always driven by what the golfer wants out of the experience.”

Physical therapy also factors into Melson’s instruction. “Another piece of technology I’m certified to use is called TPI, or Titleist Performance Institute,” says the Tennessee native and Mississippi State alumni. “For some students who are having physical trouble swinging the club correctly, I’ll do a TPI assessment on them.” The program then provides certain regiments for the golfer to work on on their own time, from 15 minutes to an hour and a half — workouts that

ERICA STONER Director of Instruction at RCC

INSTAGRAM: @ericastonergolf

CHRISTIAN MELSON,

PGA Director of Instruction at HHCC

INSTAGRAM:

@chrispy_pga

they complete over the next month before returning for another assessment.

“Even as a coach, I need tools like these,” says Stoner. “I can watch someone hitting balls in front of me, but I need those images slowed down so I can compartmentalize my thoughts and share what I’m seeing in the most efficient, effective way that can be understood. There’s something in golf called ‘feel versus real,’ and it happens to me every day in a lesson: What you think you’re doing isn’t reality.” In that way, video apps like Coach Now can reveal how a golfer might actually be repeating their old swing, even when they’re convinced they are overdoing what the instructor asked.

For both coaches, the fundamentals of technique are still the foundation of learning, and technology is intended to

“Even as a coach, I need tools like these. I can watch someone hitting balls in front of me, but I need those images slowed down so I can compartmentalize my thoughts and share what I’m seeing in the most efficient, effective way that can be understood.”

Erica Stoner

complement that, not distract from it. “I am a technical teacher first. I can tell what’s happening [with a student] without a launch monitor,” says Stoner. “Golf is hard enough as it is, and when there’s a lot of data, people can become self-conscious and focused on the numbers. It’s important to have a balance between technology and real understanding, because at the end of the day, golf is an art — and there is something about the golf swing that can’t even really be taught. It’s a rhythm, a tempo, confidence, and trust in your move. And you can’t have trust in your move if you’re weighed down by too much information.”

Melson agrees: “I think people come see me because I can communicate in such a way that gets a point across a dozen different ways to a dozen different people,” reflects Melson. “I’m not set in stone in the way I teach or use technology — I’m sure I might learn something next week that changes my own beliefs. Golf is ever-evolving, so I’m always [trying to] evolve better, too.”

McConnell Golf Honors the Legacy of Former Junior Scholar

In May, the world of golf was deeply affected by the passing of former McConnell Golf Junior Scholar, Grayson Murray. Friends from near and far gathered in the Raleigh community to mourn the loss of this exceptional golfer and person. During his short life, Grayson touched many people and left a lasting impression on the McConnell Golf family.

Grayson — a member of McConnell Golf’s inaugural class of junior scholars — was instrumental in shaping the program’s success. A native of Raleigh and a graduate of Leesville Road High School, his journey in golf was nothing short of remarkable. Just two years after receiving the McConnell Golf scholarship, Grayson made history as the second youngest player to make the cut in a Web.com Tour event at the REX Hospital Open, held at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation. His talent and determination earned him a PGA TOUR card in 2016, marking the beginning of an impressive professional career.

Throughout his journey, Grayson built deep relationships with members and staff at Raleigh Country Club and The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation. These bonds provided him with unwavering support, both on and off the course, for over 15 years.

Grayson’s professional achievements are a testament to his dedication to the sport. He recorded seven top-25 PGA TOUR finishes in 2017 and 2018, including a victory at the 2017 Barbasol Championship. In May 2023, he captured the Korn Ferry Tour’s AdventHealth Championship and secured two top-10 PGA TOUR finishes. His triumphs in three consecutive Callaway Junior World Championships (2006-08) are further testament to his exceptional talent. Most recently, in January 2024, Grayson achieved his second PGA TOUR win with a thrilling playoff victory at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Grayson’s legacy extends beyond his achievements on the golf course. He inspired countless junior golfers to pursue their dreams, and his contributions to the McConnell Golf program will forever be cherished. Grayson’s impact on the McConnell Golf family and the broader golf community will never be forgotten, and his memory will continue to inspire all who knew him.

In Loving Memory Of Grayson Murray

October 1, 1993 - May 25, 2024

McConnell Golf in the Majors

Golfers experience the highs and lows on golf’s biggest stages

Akshay Bhatia’s journey to the PGA TOUR has been one of early ambition and steady progression. At just 10 years old, he competed in a U.S. Open local qualifier, and by age 12, he was a national finalist in the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt Championship at Augusta National.

As a teenager, Bhatia declared his goal to be the first player in Masters history to break 60.

In 2019, the 18-year-old son of Indian immigrants turned professional straight out of high school. Bhatia won on the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour and gained PGA TOUR Special Temporary Membership with a runnerup finish at the 2023 Puerto Rico Open. His breakthrough came last July when he won the Barracuda Championship in a playoff against Patrick Rodgers. Though this victory did not earn him a spot in the Masters

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMIE SQUIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES SPORT

due to its scheduling conflict with the Open Championship, it granted him full PGA TOUR membership through 2025.

In his second full PGA TOUR season, Bhatia took an unprecedented step: he wrote down his goals for the year. While he kept the list private, the Raleigh native and former McConnell Golf Junior Scholarship recipient achieved several of his goals during a memorable 2024 campaign.

The season started slowly with four missed cuts in five tournaments. However, by early April — after a couple of top-20 finishes — Bhatia was faced with a 6-foot putt for victory at the Valero Open in San Antonio, Texas. Making that putt allowed him to top Denny McCarthy in a playoff and secure the final 2024 Masters invitation. “One of my goals was to play all four majors,” he said. “Going into Valero, we knew it was a long shot, but it worked out.”

At Augusta National, Bhatia relished the opportunity to play with Phil Mickelson early in the week, eagerly absorbing all the advice the three-time Masters champion shared. “I’ve tried to apply some shots that he’s kind of recommended,” said Bhatia. “There’s still a lot for me to learn.”

Bhatia made the cut at Augusta and remained steady through the weekend, finishing top 35 with a final score of 294 (72-75-74-73). In May, he competed in the PGA Championship, where he missed the cut at 1 over. During the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, Bhatia was a strong contender, finishing tied for 16th at 3 over. In July, he narrowly missed the cut at the British Open with rounds of 76 and 73.

“Every week was a different story,” Bhatia said of his 2024 major championship experience. “Obviously, the Masters was such a high. I mean, getting there on property, [the] standing ovations, all the players on both sides of the spectrum were so supportive of me. It was just a really cool experience.”

Of the PGA Championship, he said, “Going back to Valhalla for the PGA Championship, where I won the Junior PGA, was really cool. Obviously, I didn’t play great there.”

Heading from the PGA Championship to the U.S. Open in Pinehurst was particularly meaningful for him. “I played a handful of tournaments there [North Carolina] and having all the family and friends, just the fans, it was really, really cool,” he said. “To kind of be in contention there [for the U.S. Open] for a good period of time was something that I [loved].”

“A goal next year is definitely going to be in contention more and more in those major championships. It’s something that I dreamed about for such a long time,” said Bhatia. “For it to happen so fast was pretty cool.”

Bhatia was one of five PGA TOUR players with a McConnell Golf connection who competed in a major tournament this year. Alongside Bhatia, former McConnell Golf Junior Scholarship recipients Grayson Murray (Masters, PGA Championship,

U.S. Open qualifier) and Carter Jenkins (U.S. Open) made major appearances. Additionally, McConnell Golf members Lucas Glover (Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, The Open) and Chesson Hadley (U.S. Open) joined them in the lineup.

Bhatia has already experienced the unpredictable nature of professional golf. At the Rocket Mortgage Classic in late June, he arrived at the 18th hole with the lead and had a 32-foot putt with a chance to win, but he left it 4 feet short and then missed the putt that would have forced a playoff. It was his first three-putt of the week and only his second bogey of the entire tournament.

Had Bhatia won — six months before his 23rd birthday — he would have joined Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and Tom Kim as the only golfers in the last 40 years to win three times before age 23.

“Golf is a tough sport, probably one of the toughest in the world,” Bhatia said. “You can always go through ebbs and flows. I think that’s shown in my career, for sure. But it’s always gotten a little better every year.”

Another goal he recorded at the start of the year — competing in the season-ending TOUR Championship at Atlanta’s East Lake Club — is well within Bhatia’s reach as of publication. He also added a goal midway through the season to represent the United States at the Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club.

“Obviously, winning out here is very hard, and the way I did it, being the last person to go to the Masters, it was all just such a fairy tale,” Bhatia said. “I’ve had a lot of missed cuts, and I’ve had a lot of made cuts, top-15s and a couple chances to win here and there. All in all, it’s been a pretty good first full season.”

“Golf is a tough sport, probably one of the toughest in the world.”

Akshay Bhatia

Lucas Glover

For Musgrove Mill Golf Club member and 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover, replicating his 2023 proved nearly impossible. Last year, Glover captured the regular-season-ending Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs at No. 49. Then, he won the following week to start the postseason and moved all the way up to No. 4, becoming a lock for the TOUR Championship, with a reasonable shot at the $18 million purse and FedEx Cup title.

But the 44-year-old had nothing left in the tank. After playing six out of seven weeks to get into the postseason and coming off back-to-back wins in the summer heat, it was all he could do to cross the finish line at East Lake. Nevertheless, the back-to-back victories reignited Glover’s career, earning him a TOUR exemption for three more years.

Despite missing seven cuts in 21 starts in ’24, Glover managed a top 20 at the Masters and a top 43 at the PGA Championship before a pair of missed cuts at the two Open Championships. The former Clemson University AllAmerican called 2024 a season in which he got nothing out of his rounds. “I just haven’t put much together this year,” he said. “I hit it good for a week, not making anything, and then the next week it would seem to be the opposite.”

Carter Jenkins

For Musgrove Mill Golf Club member and 2009 U.S. Open champion

Former McConnell Golf Junior Scholarship recipient Carter Jenkins and Wakefield member Chesson Hadley both qualified for the 2024 U.S. Open at Duke University Golf Club during “golf’s longest day.” Jenkins was 67th on the Korn Ferry Tour points list, fighting for his PGA TOUR card, when he teed it up at Pinehurst No. 2. The 28-year-old former All-ACC performer from the University of North Carolina qualified by emerging from a seven-person playoff after two holes.

“I told a couple of guys I didn’t really care whether I made it or not, to be honest with you,” Jenkins said. “I was just out there playing. It’s one of those things. It just happened to work out. I never really gave it any thought about, ‘Ooh, I’d like to make this one because it’s in Pinehurst.’ I just honestly didn’t think about it.”

Lucas Glover

Carter Jenkins

Chesson Hadley

Chesson Hadley qualified for the U.S. Open at Duke without a playoff. With his wife, Amanda, caddying for him, Hadley fired a 4-under-par and was one of seven players to advance to Pinehurst No. 2. He (rounds of 75 and 73) and Jenkins (73, 78) both missed the U.S. Open cut.

It was Hadley’s third U.S. Open appearance. His best finish was a tie for ninth in 2019 at Pebble Beach Golf Links. A natural left-hander who plays golf right-handed, Hadley was named the 2014 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year after he won the Puerto Rico Open. A winner of four Korn Ferry Tour events, Hadley was a three-time All-America selection at Georgia Tech.

It’s a day-to-day physical and mental grind facing all golfers as they overcome hurdles and pressures while attempting to make their mark in the game. Nevertheless, five McConnell Golf members and junior scholars managed to make their mark at the highest level of the game in 2024.

Masters: April 10-13

Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Ga.

PGA Championship: May 15-18

Quail Hollow Club - Charlotte, N.C.

U.S. Open: June 12-15

Oakmont Country Club - Oakmont, Pa. Open Championship: July 17-20

Royal Portrush - Portrush, Northen Ireland

Akshay Bhatia

Chesson Hadley

Simon Myers’ Drive, Chip and Putt Triumph

In April, 12-year-old Simon Myers became just the second McConnell Golf member to compete in the Drive, Chip and Putt national finals at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, the annual site of the Masters Tournament.

Simon — whose father played golf at Mississippi State — is the middle of three boys and has been playing golf since he could walk. He regularly competes in Tarheel Junior Golf Tour events, PGA Junior League, and the U.S. Kids North Carolina State Championship. He’s participated in the U.S. Kids World Championships since he was 6 years old.

Drive, Chip and Putt is a free, nationwide youth golf development program conducted in partnership with the USGA, the Masters, and the PGA of America. It is open to boys and girls ages 7-15, divided into four age categories. The competition tests essential golf skills — driving, chipping, and putting — with local qualifying rounds beginning in May at hundreds of sites across the country throughout the summer. The top three scorers at each venue, in both boys’ and girls’ divisions across the four age categories, advanced to subregional qualifiers in July and August.

The top two juniors in each age/gender division then competed at the regional level in September and October. Regional qualifiers were held at 10 courses nationwide, including multiple U.S. Open and PGA Championship venues. The 10th annual Drive, Chip and Putt finals were broadcast live before the start of the 88th Masters.

Simon, the son of Linda and Tim Myers, members of Treyburn Country Club in Durham, North Carolina, won the state’s pre-qualifier events at Mill Creek Golf Course and Duke University Golf Course before traveling to Nashville, Tennessee, for the regional qualifier.

At The Golf Club of Tennessee, located just outside Nashville, Simon clinched the Boys 10-11 title with 152 points, securing a 23-point victory over the next-closest competitor. Simon sported an Augusta National polo shirt during his regional win, a gift from his friend and fellow golfer, Simon Hall. At this year’s subregional qualifier, Hall placed third and gifted the shirt to Simon as a good luck charm.

Simon, a sixth-grader this year, was one of 80 junior golfers representing 31 U.S. states, one Canadian province, and Australia to earn an invitation to compete at Augusta National.

The Myers Family

Simon Myers reflects on his Augusta experience

MCCONNELL GOLF: Now that you’ve had a few months to reflect, how special was it to compete in the Drive, Chip and Putt event at Augusta National just days before the Masters?

MYERS: It was really awesome to win my qualifiers and make it all the way to Augusta. It seemed like such a long shot when it all started. It was an experience I will never forget.

MCCONNELL GOLF: What were some of your favorite memories of that day?

MYERS: My favorite part of it all was to walk around and see both Augusta National and get close up with the pros. I loved the Drive, Chip and Putt competition as well and I felt really proud to be there.

MCCONNELL GOLF: What were some of the highlights of the qualifying process?

MYERS: To get to Augusta, I won my local, subregional, and regional qualifiers, and that was all very exciting. My favorite memory was during the final regional qualifier in Tennessee. I hit three amazing chips, including holing one of them and getting the other two really close. That put me way ahead in the competition.

MCCONNELL GOLF: How has your year been? Have you played a lot of tournament golf or had any standout moments?

MYERS: My summer was good, and I have been playing a lot of tournament golf. Some highlights include two tournament wins on the Tarheel Junior Golf Tour and a personal best two-day tournament score of -6 (70/68). I am also doing Drive, Chip and Putt again and I have made it past my local and subregional qualifiers. We are going back to the regional in Tennessee again, which is the last step before the finals in Augusta.

MCCONNELL GOLF: What’s your ultimate dream as you develop your golf skills?

MYERS: My goal is to become a PGA TOUR player!

by Stephanie Trotter

Going forGold

Katrina Lardi reflects on her Olympic experience and how sports shaped her life

No one is more excited coming off the Summer Olympics in Paris than The Reserve Golf Club’s Katrina Lardi. The Games always bring fond memories for the Swiss-born golfer, who has been a member at The Reserve since 1999. You see, before she picked up a club, she ran and jumped for gold in Munich, Germany, in 1972. “Oh, I just loved it,” Lardi says. “I was 29 and had gotten into the sport by accident.”

Her sport was the Women’s Pentathlon. Unlike today’s pentathlon, with fencing, equestrian, and shooting elements, in

’72, it was solely track and field, with hurdles, high and long jumps, shot put, and a foot race. “I finished [in the] middle of the pack,” Lardi recalls. “Most of us didn’t have a chance at the time, as we were competing against pros. The Eastern countries, with the Soviet Union, had superb coaches and facilities, sponsored by the military. To them, athletic competition was propaganda.”

The fact that Lardi was competing for Switzerland was a story of success in itself. As a child of World War II, growing up

five miles from the German border, life was filled with outdoor exploration, not organized athletics.

“We didn’t have a lot of money to travel, so we walked as a family,” the 81-year-old shares. “We walked to the river to watch the swans. We walked to the pool in [the] summer. We had to walk two hours to get to the pool and two hours to get back home. We played outside with our friends. We walked to and from school. Thanks to our lifestyle, we stayed fit all the time.”

As a young adult, while teaching P.E. to high school girls, she got a call that would change her life. “Someone had noticed I could jump, and they asked me to compete on weekends for the local team,” she explains. “So, I started doing that. It was really accidental. I could jump a little bit higher than I was tall. And then, when I went to Zurich to get a second degree, the Zurich team contacted me and said, ‘We want you.’” Her talent for the high and long jump grew to include the other pentathlon disciplines, and she was soon competing under the five Olympic rings.

The 1972 Games are perhaps best remembered for three things: swimmer Mark Spitz, gymnast Olga Korbut, and a terrorist attack inside the Olympic Village. “I got up at seven in the morning in the

Olympic Village and saw sharp shooters on the roof,” Lardi remembers. “The Olympics immediately stopped; nothing was staged for the whole day. Nobody understood what was happening.”

Although the sport didn’t deliver Olympic gold, it did bring a gold band — it’s how Lardi met her husband Marco, a Swiss triple jumper. Together, they moved with their children to South Carolina in 1985 for his engineering job. When the family relocated to the Grand Strand from Sumter, they joined The Reserve Golf Club. “When my husband saw the Greg Norman design, he just had to have that membership,” she shares with a chuckle. “That was pretty much when it opened in ’99. The design had crazy bunkers with sod walls, like the Scottish have. It was different.”

Lardi’s handicap sits in the 16-22 range, and her husband’s fluctuates between four and eight. She plays several times a week with other ladies and has helped The Reserve promote the game with the Women’s South Carolina Golf Association. The bunkers may have changed since they first joined, but not the couple’s commitment to The Reserve, or America. “We never considered moving back to Switzerland,” she shares. “We love this country and these people. We felt like we had found a home.”

“We never considered moving back to Switzerland. We love this country and these people. We felt like we had found a home.”

Katrina Lardi

by Jerry Salley

Committed to Service

A salute to some of the veterans in the McConnell Golf family

In honor of Veteran’s Day, we asked a few McConnell Golf employees what their time in the military meant to them. If you see them at your club on Nov. 11, take a moment to thank them for their dedication and service.

CECIL SUMMERS

Locker Room Attendant at Sedgefield Country Club Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps

“We had a job to do,” says Vietnam veteran Cecil Summers. But when that job was over and the Gibsonville, North Carolina, native came home, he, like many of his fellow vets, found a less-than-warm reception.

“They didn’t recognize us,” Summers says. But he says of his time in Vietnam: “it made me a better person.”

After his six years of duty in the Marine Corps, he soon set to work cleaning up the streets around Greensboro himself, in a way, by keeping the shoes walking on them shined to a military polish. Learning the craft from other veterans in the family, Summers shined shoes for more than 30 years in the city, holding down a regular spot at the Style and Cut barber shop in addition to a full-time supervisor job at Precision Fabrics. He started practicing his craft at Sedgefield Country Club when the Wyndham Championship returned there in 2008, and soon Summers met McConnell Golf CEO and founder John McConnell.

“Mr. McConnell asked me if I’d like to be the locker room attendant,” says Summers. “I said, ‘Well, I’m about to retire soon, and this would be right down my line.’”

He plans to spend this Nov. 11 among his fellow veterans.

“I like to get together with some of the guys,” he says. “I’m a lifetime member of the VFW.”

ERIC FOURNIER

Golf Operations at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation

Lieutenant Junior Grade, U.S. Naval Reserve

During his junior year, Eric Fournier went on what his school called a “summer cruise,” but it was not the typical collegiate vacation. Circa 1974, Fournier was a student at the Maine Maritime Academy, his “summer cruise” took him and his shipmates on a cargo vessel to Da Nang Port in Vietnam.

“We hauled building material, supplies, and some vehicles, stayed there long enough to get unloaded and then came back to the States,” Fournier says of the training exercise. “I only had maybe two weeks in Vietnam, so I was pretty safe.”

After graduating, Fournier served as an engineer in the U.S. Merchant Marine while also remaining in the U.S. Naval Reserve before retiring. During his subsequent engineering career, he had kept up his golf hobby — making The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation a natural destination after his retirement in 2016.

Fournier strives to bring the lessons of his service to bear at his current job.

“One of the things you learn is teamwork,” he says. “Everybody on that ship is going to be pulling in the same direction. And you carry that esprit de corps throughout your whole career. I want my job here to make members have the best experience they can have that day — whatever we have to do to make them feel like they belong to a first-class operation.”

“I want my job here to make members have the best experience they can have that day — whatever we have to do to make them feel like they belong to a first-class operation.”

Eric Fournier

DAVID WILSON

General Manager, Old North State Club Colonel, U.S. Army

After enlisting as a private in the Minnesota National Guard in 1985, David Wilson decided to enter ROTC at St. Cloud State University and ultimately earned a commission in the Iowa National Guard. That’s where he was when the first Gulf War broke out.

“We got alerted and mobilized for Desert Storm,” he says. “But before we could even pack our trucks, they said, ‘We’re done. Don’t waste your time.’”

Wilson may have not gotten to Iraq, but during a 32-year career that included leadership roles at the Army Reserve’s 88th Readiness Division, the United States Joint Forces Command, and the United States Strategic Command, he oversaw the mobilization of countless troops.

“I was one of the guys responsible for deploying everybody,” he says. “I have jokingly said that I was the most hated guy in the Army for about seven years.”

While serving, Wilson began his non-military career by managing bars and nightclubs before moving into hotel operations, eventually leading him to Old North State Club in 2023. His military service informed his approach to the hospitality industry, and vice-versa, he says.

“I had one of my NCOs say, ‘You’re not like other officers,’” says Wilson. “As far as I was concerned, these soldiers were our internal customers. They were deploying, so I wanted to help them out and give them the respect to be heard, instead of just barking orders.”

esprit de corps (e-spree duh kawr): the common spirit existing in the members of a group and inspiring enthusiasm, devotion, and strong regard for the honor of the group.

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW): A nonprofit veterans service organization comprising eligible veterans and military service members from the active, guard, and reserve forces.

The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC): A college-based program that trains students to become commissioned officers in the United States Armed Forces.

Noncommissioned officer (NCO): military officer appointed by a commissioned officer, generally to supervise enlisted soldiers and aid the commissioned officer corps.

by Brad King

by Brad King

Tests Championship

Donald

Ross courses

lead to challenges and triumph on the Korn Ferry Tour

A first-time champion and a back-to-back winner regaining his PGA TOUR card highlighted McConnell Golf’s consecutive Korn Ferry Tour events in 2024.

It took Harry Higgs five years between earning his first Korn Ferry Tour victory and his second one. Higgs won the Price Cutter Charity Championship in 2019 and then the AdventHealth Championship and Visit Knoxville Open in back-to-back weeks in 2024.

At Raleigh Country Club, Kaito Onishi overcame a fourshot deficit with 10 holes to play to claim his first Korn Ferry Tour title.

“All the players out here are all great,” Onishi said. “They all can win each week, so it was a battle, for sure. To be the last man standing feels awesome.”

Visit Knoxville Open

For Higgs, flashback to mid-May 2024 at the AdventHealth Championship in Kansas City, where he chipped in for eagle on the 18th hole to get into a playoff, and won with a birdie on the first extra hole.

A week later, at the Visit Knoxville Open at Holston Hills CC, the New Jersey native, who says he has a “flair for the dramatic,” fired a 5-under 65 on Sunday to finish at 19 under. Soon thereafter, Frankie Capan III birdied the 18th to shoot a 66, getting to 19 under and forcing a playoff.

The duo each birdied Holston’s par-5 18th to open the playoff, before Higgs rolled in a 36-footer for eagle to clinch his victory in the weather-challenged event, becoming the first golfer to win back-to-back Korn Ferry tournaments in a playoff.

“It does eons for confidence, but there’s a reason why I won. Taking care of my body, my mind,” Higgs said. “Obviously, I stuck to the exact same routine as last week, and it worked again this week, so that’s probably not going to change much. I didn’t really feel like doing anything Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, but I just made sure that I did the same things. I prepared in the same way.”

The Holston Hills CC agronomy team was the unsung hero of the Visit Knoxville Open, arriving before the crack of dawn and tirelessly working long hours to help overcome the challenging weather conditions. Tee times were moved up both days over the weekend to avoid what the tour called “dangerous weather.”

Capan shot 62 on Saturday and held the solo 54-hole lead. Quade Cummins went low Sunday with a 9-under 61, thanks in part to an ace on the fourth hole, but missed out on the playoff by a shot.

Neither could match the unwavering consistency of the 32-year-old fan favorite,

known as “Big Rig,” who also embraces having a flair for the dramatic.

Four years ago, Higgs was on track to stardom, buoyed by a tie for fourth place at the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah. But a gradual slip in form over the next couple of years led to a Korn Ferry Tour return.

He arrived at Holston Hills CC with conditional status on the PGA TOUR in 2024 and ranked No. 7 on the Korn Ferry Tour points list. But he catapulted up to No. 2 after his second straight win, all but assuring himself a full-time PGA TOUR return in 2025.

Harry Higgs celebrates after sinking a dramatic eagle putt, securing his win in Knoxville.

KORN FERRY TOUR

UNC Health Championship

At Raleigh CC, Onishi managed to earn his first Korn Ferry Tour title at the UNC Health Championship despite a 72nd-hole bogey. Onishi fired a final round 4-under 66 to earn victory in his 30th start on the Korn Ferry Tour.

The 25-year-old from Tokyo, Japan, overcame a four-shot deficit to 54-hole leader Nelson Ledesma, who made a triple bogey at the par-4 11th hole to squander his lead and ended up closing in a 3-over 38 to finish third.

Onishi successfully navigated an extremely challenging Raleigh CC — the field combined for 54-over par in the third round — shooting 68-69-69-66 to emerge, along with Max McGreevy (68-69-68-68), the only two players to post a sub-70 score in each round.

McGreevy, who finished top-3 at the Visit Knoxville Open, finished one shot behind Onishi to claim his best finish of the season

and move to fifth in the Korn Ferry Tour points list. R aleigh native Carter Jenkins finished tied for fourth.

With the win, Onishi climbed from No. 79 to No. 12 on the Korn Ferry Tour points list.

Prior to his victory, he had logged just two top-25 finishes in seven starts this season. His previous best finish this season was a top-8 at the Astara Golf Championship. He began the season with conditional status after finishing the 2023 season ranked 100th on the points list.

In 22 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour last year, Onishi recorded four top-25 finishes, including one top-10 (top7/2023 Astara Chile Classic). Originally, he joined the Tour by placing top-12 at the final stage of the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament.

Onishi turned professional in 2021 and played primarily on the Japan Golf Tour for two seasons. In his 2022 season on the

Japan Golf Tour, he totaled nine top-10 finishes in 21 starts, highlighted by his first professional victory at the Fujisankei Classic.

Prior to that, Onishi played four seasons at the University of Southern California, where he was a two-time All-Pac-12 Conference First Team selection (2019, 2021), named the 201718 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, and helped the Trojans win the 2018 Pac-12 Championships. He prepped at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and earned an AJGA Rolex Junior All-America Second Team selection in 2015.

Higgs and Onishi both took home the winner’s share — $180,000 — of the Korn Ferry tournament purses.

The Holston Hills CC and Raleigh CC tournaments had more than 1,000 volunteers combined, and thousands of fans came out to watch the action and enjoy the familyfriendly atmospheres.

The UNC Health Championship began with a Pro-Am on Wednesday that included former UNC basketball coach

Roy Williams. The Hall of Farmer also served as this year’s honorary tournament chairman.

FROM LEFT: Tournament director Brian Krusoe, UNC Health CEO Dr. Wesley Burks, Korn Ferry Tour president Alex Baldwin and honorary tournament chairman Roy Williams

Remembering One of Our Own

Sadly, both of the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour events were played under a pall following the death of PGA TOUR standout and former McConnell Golf Scholar Grayson Murray on May 25.

Following his win at Holston Hills CC, Higgs took a moment to reflect on mental health in the wake of Murray’s death. “I challenge everybody here, and I am going to do this myself as well. Each day, say something nice to someone you love, and also make it a point to say something nice to somebody you do not even know,” he said.

On Sunday at the UNC Health Championship, an “honorary tee time” was held to recognize and remember Murray. Players, staff, and volunteers also wore green ribbons all week for Mental Health Awareness Month in Murray’s honor.

“Grayson’s passing was a big loss for the golf and Raleigh communities,” said UNC Health Championship tournament director Brian Krusoe. “Our goal was to hold a successful tournament while remembering him.”

VIDEO:

Scan the QR code to watch a video recap of the 2024 Visit Knoxville Open and UNC Health Championship events.

Grayson Murray competes during the 2023 UNC Health Championship.

Bo Bromhal (RCC) and Brian Krusoe don green ribbons in Murray’s honor.

Smith Mountain Lake: the “Lake Tahoe of the East”

As part of the Smith Mountain Lake community for 35 years, our agents’ mastery of the local market will ensure that you successfully navigate the process of selling your home or finding the property of your dreams.

Let us show you why Travel & Leisure calls Smith Mountain Lake the “Lake Tahoe of the East” and Southern Living calls us a “dreamy” spot for a vacation home. With a Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Smith Mountain Lake Real Estate agent as your guide, you can rest easy in the knowledge that your needs are cared for by consistent leaders in sales and service, backed by a company that’s trusted worldwide.

SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE REAL ESTATE

by Brad King

Aaron Rai secures his maiden PGA TOUR title

In the end, the 85th edition of the Wyndham Championship at Greensboro’s Sedgefield Country Club may be remembered less for eventual champion Aaron Rai’s birdie on the 72nd hole to secure his first PGA TOUR victory, and more for Max Greyserman’s brutal collapse down the stretch.

During a memorable final round on a marathon Sunday, Greyserman fired a front-nine 31 to get to 19-under par for the tournament, appearing to be cruising toward his inaugural PGA TOUR win. After his approach shot from the fairway on the par-4 13th spun back perfectly into the hole for an eagle 2, Greyserman took a commanding fourshot lead to the 14th tee.

But then Greyserman sliced his tee shot right of the 14th fairway, where it struck a cart path and bounced high into the air, landing out of bounds. Playing his third shot from there, he hit into the rough again, challenged a cross bunker he couldn’t carry, and eventually carded a quadruple-bogey 8.

In the blink of an eye, his sizable lead vanished. Undeterred, the stoic Greyserman rallied with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 15th to regain a share of the lead. The spectators’ excitement was echoed by the CBS TV broadcast crew.

“How much fun is this?” asked commentator Trevor Immelman.

“Fantastic!” replied his on-air mate, Jim Nantz.

“36 holes and the final regular season event. We’ve got all sorts of stuff going on,” Immelman continued. “We’ve got the sun setting at a Donald Ross course. The shadows forming over these awesome, undulating green complexes…”

“And we’ve got two players tied,” Nantz added.

“Both of ’em looking for their first win out here,” Immelman replied.

“Amazing,” said Nantz.

FEATURE

And that was before things really got wild. At the par-3 16th, Greyserman’s tee shot landed 45 feet from the cup, followed by a nicely weighted lag putt. Then, shockingly, his 3-footer for par lipped out. His come-backer from 3 feet lipped out, too.

By the time Greyserman mercifully sank his fourth putt for a double bogey, he found himself in an unfamiliar position — staring up at Rai, who was playing in the penultimate threesome of the final round, just ahead of Greyserman, and was now in front of him on the leaderboard.

Rai — a 29-year-old Englishman known for his quiet, methodical approach, as well as the two black, weatherproof gloves he’s sported on either hand for the past two decades — sealed the deal. On the 72nd hole, with darkness falling, he stuffed his 7-iron approach from 200 yards to less than 7 feet and calmly made the winning birdie putt.

“Being a PGA TOUR winner is truly a dream come true,” said Rai, who entered the Wyndham ranked No. 4 on tour in strokes gained total this year, trailing only Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schaufele, and Rory McIlroy. “To win on any professional golf tour is an incredible accomplishment. The PGA TOUR is the pinnacle of golf, and it’s amazing to be competing here week in, week out, but to have won a tournament is extremely special and something I’ll always remember.”

Wednesday’s Pro-Am began under cloudy skies with light rain but brightened up as blue skies and sunshine emerged in the afternoon. Notable McConnell Golf participants included Alex Smalley from Sedgefield Country Club, Lucas Glover of Musgrove Mill Golf Club,

and Akshay Bhatia and Chesson Hadley from The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation. McConnell brothers Will and Matt teamed up with Jordan Spieth and Joel Dahmen, while John McConnell caddied for his youngest son, Alex.

However, Tropical Storm Debby arrived overnight, leading to significant flooding and the cancellation of Thursday’s play. While Rai, whose Wyndham victory solidified his rising-star status in professional golf, ultimately claimed the championship, the tournament’s unsung hero was Sedgefield’s Superintendent Chad Cromer. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the agronomy team, which worked around the clock for 18-hour-plus days, the integrity of the Donald Ross-designed course was preserved, allowing play to resume with minimal delays and enabling spectators to return on Friday.

The team’s dedication garnered widespread praise from both players and officials. To manage the wet conditions, preferred lies were introduced, allowing players to lift, clean, and place their golf balls for the final three rounds. The tournament schedule was also condensed, with the last 36 holes completed on Sunday, demonstrating the team’s unwavering commitment to keeping the event on track with minimal disruption.

Rai took advantage of the unexpected day off on Thursday to unwind, visiting the local movie theater to watch “Deadpool & Wolverine.” “It was actually really nice to just take a day off,” he said. “I spent a while speaking to family, to my sister, to my mum, got some food, and went to the cinema, which is really rare on a Thursday.”

From left: SCC Superintendent Chad Cromer, Assistant Superintendent Sam Harris, Aaron Rai and Assistant Superintendent Tim Stroud.

Beau Hossler, a 29-year-old pro from California by way of the University of Texas, said he felt antsy during the day off Thursday, parked in front of the television at his rental house watching “Game of Thrones.”

When the first round finally started on Friday, it became the “Beau Show,” as Hossler began his round with four consecutive birdies, followed by a tap-in eagle putt on the par-5 5th hole. He completed the outward nine with a 7-under par 28.

Hossler stepped to the 18th tee needing a birdie to tie Brandt Snedeker’s course-record 59. But his drive drifted left into the rough, and his approach shot found a greenside bunker. He scrambled for par to close out the round with a 60.

“When I birdied No. 15, I was 10 under. I knew it was a par 70, and I had a chance [at 59],” he said. “But No. 16 is not a great birdie opportunity. On No. 17, if you get it in the fairway, it’s a great opportunity. I hit a pretty

good wedge shot there, but it just spun a little more than I thought.”

Hossler’s 60 was a career-best round for the eighth-year pro, who is still chasing his first PGA TOUR victory.

“I played really nicely,” Hossler said. “I drove it well, and probably the highlight of the round was my mid-irons. A few 6-irons I hit really close. I almost made a hole-in-one with a 5-iron. It was one of those days where it felt like everything went right.”

Billy Horschel shot an 8-under 62 in the first round and was alone in second place, while Nick Taylor was third after a 63. Five players were tied for fourth at 64.

Then, on Saturday, for the second consecutive round, a player flirted with matching Snedeker’s 59. A day after Hossler shot 60, Greyserman put together a 10-under round of his own. He needed to birdie the 18th hole for 59 but scrambled to make par and preserve his 60.

Beau Hossler

FEATURE

“I don’t think it’s a surprise,” Greyserman said. “I’ve had some good finishes early in the year, and I played well last year on the Korn Ferry. It’s just putting the pieces together and getting comfortable out here versus early in the season.”

Defending champion Lucas Glover made a hole-in-one on the par-3 12th hole, his sixth ace on the PGA TOUR. Glover shot rounds of 70 and 71, missing the cut. Joel Highsmith also made a hole-in-one at 12, his third of the season and a first on the PGA TOUR. Highsmith also missed the cut with rounds of 70 and 68.

Glover wasn’t alone on the wrong side of the line drawn at 4-under par. Former Wyndham Championship winners Snedeker, Webb Simpson, J.T. Poston, Camilo Villegas, Si-Woo Kim, and Kevin Kisner all missed the cut. Fan favorites Jordan Spieth, Will Zalatoris, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Stewart Cink, Bill Haas, and Chesson Hadley also missed the cut.

By the time the second round of the Wyndham Championship was completed Sunday morning, PGA TOUR veteran Matt Kuchar had taken a one-stroke lead over playing partners Greyserman, Chad Ramey, and Cameron Young into the final round.

Rai said his experience playing “golf’s longest day” — the U.S. Open qualifier in early June — helped his approach to Sunday’s marathon day.

“[I] knew it was going to be an extremely long day. It’s rare that we play two rounds in one day, but having that [U.S. Open qualifier] experience and just kind of managing energy and also managing my time on a Saturday night with recovery and just trying to physically feel rested and energized going into today definitely helped there towards the end. I’m sure I’ll feel it when I go back to the hotel this evening, but I felt good energy-wise which was really nice.”

Rai’s victory lifted him to No. 22 in the Official World Golf Ranking and No. 25 in the FedEx Cup points, virtually guaranteeing his exemption into all of next season’s $20

million signature events and ensuring his first Masters appearance in April.

Born in Wolverhampton, England, to nongolfing Indian parents, Rai got into golf “by accident.” Playing in the house with his older brother’s hockey stick as a toddler, he gave himself a bruise on the forehead, prompting his mother to buy him some plastic golf sticks in an attempt to make things safer.

When his tennis-playing father gave him a

racquet at age 2, his forehand looked more like a golf swing, so his father suggested he learn how to play golf. Eventually, a putting green was installed in the family’s backyard.

Rai became so proficient that at 15, he received a Lee Westwood putting aid, which was affiliated with an ad campaign challenging users to set a world record for holing consecutive 10-foot putts. “I think the previous record was 136,” said Rai, who proceeded to drain 207 consecutive 10-footers to break the mark.

Max Greyserman

Matt Kuchar

He turned professional in 2014 and gradually made his mark on the European Tour (now known as the DP World Tour), securing his first win in 2018 at the Honma Hong Kong Open. Rai followed this up with a victory at the 2020 Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, where he famously defeated Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff.

“Over the last couple of months, I recently started working with John Graham, and he’s helped me massively [with putting],” Rai said, attributing the key factors behind his bogey-free 64 on Sunday. “My dad’s helped me a lot as well with visualizing the putts better and seeing them in a slightly different way … I think my short game has also improved; my bunker play has gotten better. It just feels like a steady progression this year, with another layer of consistency added from last year and the previous year.”

On Sunday, in the fading light at Sedgefield Country Club, Rai had only six feet, seven inches left on the 18th green for birdie after a textbook drive straight down the middle and a pristine approach from 200 yards. The man who once made 207 straight 10-footers took his two gloves off for the last time on a marathon 36-hole day and didn’t miss.

“Being a PGA TOUR winner is truly a dream come true.”

Aaron Rai

Billy Horschel and Aaron Rai share a fist bump during the final round.

The 2024 Wyndham Championship was truly unforgettable. Our members came from near and far to be a part of the action, capturing the spirit and camaraderie of McConnell Golf. Thank you to everyone who shared your photos with us during the tournament!

Fletcher Kirby (RCC) & Alex Smalley (SCC)

Luke Heavner, Trey Swaim & Kevin Herron, SCC

Jason & Landon Harris, TCC

Krysta, Logan & Will Friedrich, PCC

Tammy Romano & Melanie Shaffer, SCC

Lynne & Marty Kennedy, SCC

Photo by Freeze-Frame Photography

Chas McFarland, Karen Pollard, Ashby Cook III, Doug Pollet & Beverly Marler

Glenn Lyle, RCC

Susan Shumaker & Colleen McKenna, SCC

Dennis Howard with grandsons Bo & Henry, SCC

Thompson Kirby (RCC) & Joel Dahmen

Landon Harris, TCC

Tessa Ellis, SCC

Chesson Hadley (WP) & Brian Kittler

Jerry Jordan with son Parker & friend Flynn Kearns, SCC

Alex Smalley (SCC) with parents Terry & Maria

Mike Culler, George Bost, Jordan Spieth, Kim Bost & John McConnell

Toler Shore (RCC) & Jordan Spieth

Redefining Luxury

at McConnell Golf

by Stephanie Trotter

From smiles to interiors—How Dr. Rebekah McConnell is elevating member experiences

INTERIORS

Since acquiring its flagship property in 2003, McConnell Golf has remained steadfast in prioritizing its members and strengthening its brand. For many years, McConnell Golf has been praised for strategically improving its topranked courses. Now, this dedication goes beyond the greens to encompass its properties’ interiors — creating timeless spaces that elevate and enrich the membership experience.

McConnell Golf is investing millions in its clubhouses, from intensive ballroom upgrades and furniture overhauls to restroom renovations. All who enter one of its 16 properties will find an exquisite and modern aesthetic, designed to optimize comfort and convenience.

Each visit to a McConnell Golf property promises a unique, world-class encounter, thanks in large part to the carefully curated ambiance of each clubhouse — a vision brought to life by Dr. Rebekah McConnell.

A Dentist's New Canvas

Rebekah understands the power of first impressions. With over two decades of experience as a general dentist, she has developed a keen eye for aesthetics. Her expertise in hues, chroma, and values, developed through crafting flawless porcelain restorations, now plays a central role in creating cohesive and inspired clubhouse designs.

Her husband, John McConnell — the President and CEO of McConnell Golf — witnessed her skill with tones and textures first-hand at home.

In 2018, he presented her with the opportunity to take on a small project at Raleigh Country Club. This initial venture into clubhouse design led her to transform spaces at Sedgefield Country Club and beyond, eventually overseeing design projects across the McConnell Golf network.

Club Room at Wilson Country Club

Rebekah McConnell

By 2022, Rebekah had sold her practice and traded in her dental drill for a construction drill to lead McConnell Golf’s design initiatives. “As the primary designer, I always want to include the club manager when starting a new project,” she says of her methodology. “We want to tailor the project to fit each club’s specific needs, to bring glamour combined with functionality. Every club has a unique membership base. What are their needs? What do members want?”

Rebekah also takes pride in her partnerships with vendors, which allow her to incorporate the highest-quality materials into each location. “We try to primarily use all North Carolina-based vendors for projects,” she shares. “We have fantastic relationships with Wildwood/ Chelsea House in Rocky Mount, Thibaut Design out of Charlotte, Vanguard Furniture in High Point, and so many others.” She also collaborates closely with Bess Rosefield Ehmcke, from The Best of Bess, who represents numerous residential and hospitality companies, as well as with Humberto Cervantes of H&C Painting and Drywall LLC.

“We

want to tailor the project to fit each club’s specific needs, to bring glamour combined with functionality. Every club has a unique membership base. What are their needs? What do members want?”

Rebekah McConnell

THE CASTLE

at Smith Mountain Lake

• 7 bedrooms (sleeps up to 16)

• 6.5 bathrooms • Waterfront dock

• Walking distance from WECC

To Book: Contact Omar Zinn (WECC Member) at 919.422.6475 or eCastleSML@icloud.com

✳ 10% discount on nightly rates for McConnell Golf members

Plan your next gol ng trip to e Water’s Edge and stay at the nest vacation rental home on Smith Mountain Lake. We also o er another luxury rental property, e Sanctuary, located 5 minutes away in a neighboring community.

Ladies' Restroom at Wilson Country Club

Ballroom at The Water’s Edge Country Club

Dining Room at The Water’s Edge Country Club

Bar Area at The Water’s Edge Country Club

Bess Rosefield Ehmcke highlights Rebekah’s exceptional talent, saying, “She has the rare ability to see beyond what exists and to what a space can become.”

Michael Thomas, General Manager at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation, echoes Bess’ remarks. “Her vision and ability to pull things together is off the charts. Her familiarity with our club is extremely helpful in making sure our projects run smoothly.”

There’s no doubt that McConnell Golf employees enjoy working with Rebekah.

“Anybody who knows Rebekah knows she has an unbelievable sense of style and taste,” says Thomas.

Main Lobby at Wilson Country Club

Preston's Restaurant at Providence Country Club

Transforming Spaces

Rebekah’s recent design projects span dining rooms, common areas, lodging spaces, and outdoor venues across 14 of the 16 McConnell Golf properties.

Some of her favorite projects include:

THE WATER’S EDGE COUNTRY CLUB:

Over a year ago, a significant renovation of the 36,000-square-foot clubhouse transformed its interior. “This allowed us to accentuate the colors coming off Smith Mountain Lake,” says Rebekah. “We designed a carpet from scratch with Mohawk Flooring, and I curated every piece of fabric, wallpaper and lighting.”

The goal was to brighten up the rustic clubhouse while capturing the blues of the lake. Heavy drapes were removed to open up the view of the mountainscape and water through large picture windows.

WILSON COUNTRY CLUB:

The original canvas was wiped clean to create a top-to-bottom renovation. “We reshaped everything,” explains Rebekah. “The bathrooms, the ballroom. Everything we used was custom. Custom wallpaper, custom fabric. We strive to make each club individual to that membership and location, and embody the vibe of that area.” She selected purple as the dominant color, recognizing members’ ties to nearby East Carolina University.

PROVIDENCE COUNTRY CLUB:

As one of Charlotte’s premier event venues, the dining areas and ballroom were modified and enhanced to create an elegant, upscale environment. “We wanted to move away from the reds and greens that were traditional colors in the ’80s,” says Rebekah. “An elegant palette of silvers and blues were chosen, complemented by custom artwork and curtains. We also created a distinctive bar area with custom mirrored panels.”

Ladies' Locker Room at Wilson Country Club

Ladies' Lounge at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation

Men's Locker Room at Raleigh Country Club

THE COUNTRY CLUB AT WAKEFIELD PLANTATION:

On the heels of an upgrade two years ago, the downstairs was gutted and renovated after a sprinkler system incident. This mishap provided an opportunity to refresh the space further with new drapes, wallpaper, and carpeting. The latest upgrades include modernized men’s and women’s restrooms in the main clubhouse. Michael Thomas adds, “We are so fortunate that McConnell Golf continues to reinvest and update our clubhouses. The amount of money that is poured back into the clubs is significant and very much appreciated.”

RALEIGH COUNTRY CLUB:

Rebekah’s design journey at McConnell Golf began here. Over the years, the clubhouse has undergone several facelifts, from the main ballroom to the bar area and ladies’ locker room. The latest endeavor was a renovation of the men’s locker room, which recently saw completion.

COUNTRY CLUB OF ASHEVILLE:

By spring 2025, CCA will have received updates throughout its clubhouse, including

restroom renovations and common area improvements with new chairs and fresh paint. Rebekah notes, “This is part of our goal to keep all facilities up to McConnell Golf’s standards.”

“She has the rare ability to see beyond what exists and to what a space can become.”

Bess Rosefield Ehmcke

Main Lobby at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation

Ladies’ Restroom at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation

Ladies’ Restroom at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation

AUTUMN embrace

SIP AND SAVOR: COZY FALL RECIPES

Enjoy a taste of autumn with these irresistible dessert and drink recipes. Autumn shortbread cookies feature a delightful blend of tart cranberries, sweet apricots, and crunchy almonds, accented with zesty orange. The cookies are beautifully complemented by the sangria hot toddy, a soothing mix of red wine, brandy, and honey, spiced with cloves and garnished with orange and star anise. Together, these treats offer a cozy, flavorful experience that’s perfect for autumn’s crisp days.

AUTUMN SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Courtesy of Lynn Hart, Pastry Chef at Raleigh Country Club

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup small diced apricots ¼ cup chopped almonds

½ cup chopped dried cranberries Zest and juice of 1 orange

2 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon almond flavoring

INSTRUCTIONS:

1 cup chilled butter, diced into small cubes

1. Prepare the mix-ins: In a small bowl, combine the diced apricots, chopped almonds, and chopped dried cranberries. Set aside.

2. Make the dough: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt until well combined. Add the chilled, diced butter and pulse until the mixture becomes crumbly.

3. Flavor the dough: Add the almond flavoring, orange juice, and orange zest to the food processor. Pulse briefly to combine.

4. Incorporate mix-ins: Fold the apricot, almond, and dried cranberries mixture into the dough. Use your hands to knead the dough until everything is well blended.

5. Shape and chill: Roll the dough into a log approximately 1¼ inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

6. Bake the cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for convection). Slice the chilled dough into ¼-inch-thick rounds and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.

7. Cool and enjoy: Allow cookies to cool on a wire rack before serving.

SANGRIA HOT TODDY

Courtesy of Virginia Hitchcock, Food & Beverage Director at Country Club of Asheville

INGREDIENTS:

1½ ounce red wine (grenache variety) 1 tablespoon honey

1 ounce brandy (Torres) 3 ounce hot water

½ ounce lemon simple syrup

2 cloves

Garnish: Orange wheel and three star anise pods

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a glass mug, combine red wine, brandy, lemon simple syrup, and honey.

2. Add hot water and stir until the honey is dissolved.

3. Drop in cloves.

4. Garnish with an orange wheel and star anise.

Carveth The Iceman

by John Jeter

Sculptor’s frozen creations add flair to McConnell Golf events

Give Todd Dawson a day or two and he’ll carve you a life-sized surfboard, a flock of geese, a sofa, a horse facing off with a unicorn, a human-sized mermaid, and a cocktail bar as large as one at, say, a McConnell Golf club.

He shapes them all from 200- to 300-pound blocks of frozen water. “You don’t see an ice sculpture every day. You see flowers every day. You see steak every day and wine every day, but an ice sculpture is something that really sticks in the back of your head,” says Dawson, who opened his Ice Occasions of North Carolina business in Raleigh in 1997.

He began showcasing his icy artistry at Raleigh Country Club around 2000, before the club became McConnell Golf’s flagship property three years later.

James “J.P.” Patterson first saw Dawson’s handiwork in 2017. “He was doing much more elaborate work than the guy that I was using at the time,” says Patterson, Director of Food and Beverage at Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Corporate Executive Chef for all 16 McConnell Golf properties.

Now, Patterson says, Dawson provides 80% of the ice sculptures McConnell Golf’s chefs use regularly throughout the year.

Perusing Dawson’s website will stop you cold. Patterson has a favorite piece: an aquarium designed for a Margaritavillethemed corporate event. (No real fish were involved). The sculpture, which included

a replica of the company’s logo, held three different drinks that poured through the ice. Guests simply held their glasses at the base to catch their beverage of choice.

For another event, Dawson carved a picture frame the size of a photo backdrop like those at weddings and proms. Guests posed in the frame, creating a memory frozen in time.

Patterson will share an idea for a piece, then Dawson will deliver — or club staff picks up from his shop — a sculpture weighing as much as 3,000 pounds. Dawson, who works in a walk-in freezer and makes his own blocks, creates smaller components, then fuses them using a syringe of cold water.

“Watching him, it’s like watching an artist,” Patterson says. “I mean, he’s that good.”

And of Patterson, Dawson says: “Dude’s awesome. He’s as good a guy as you’re ever

going to find anywhere. He just asks you for something, you create it, you deliver it, he’s happy, you’re happy, the guests are happy. Everybody’s happy.”

Dawson began carving out his career 25 years ago, after — get this — working at golf courses throughout high school and college then earning a horticulture and landscape degree from NC State University.

Nowadays, he says, memories of his sculptures don’t melt. The pieces last six to eight hours, longer than many parties, he says — except for that Eiffel Tower for an outdoor event in September when the temperature reached the high 90s.

“I hear stories all the time, and they’re like, ‘I was at a party 15 years ago, and I don’t remember whose party it was, and I don’t remember where I was, but they had this beautiful ice sculpture,’” Dawson says. “And they will describe that ice sculpture in detail.”

He says of his work for Patterson and the seven properties he serves: “McConnell Golf wants to give their members the best experience possible when it comes to events. They will go above and beyond to give them the best product that they really, truly deserve.”

PROPERTIES WHO ORDER FROM

Ice Occasions

Porters Neck Country Club

Brook Valley Country Club

Raleigh Country Club

Treyburn Country Club

The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation

Sedgefield Country Club

Old North State Club

“You don’t see an ice sculpture every day. You see flowers every day. You see steak every day and wine every day, but an ice sculpture is something that really sticks in the back of your head.”

Todd Dawson

EXPERIENCE my club

RACKET SPORTS AT MCCONNELL GOLF

At McConnell Golf, our mission is to deliver an exceptional experience, whether our members are hitting the links, the courts, or enjoying a meal. We take pride in building personal connections with our members, ensuring they feel at home at every one of our properties. In this edition of McConnell Golf, The Magazine, we’ve asked our tennis and pickleball players to share their stories and experiences on the courts.

THE COUNTRY CLUB AT WAKEFIELD PLANTATION

“When you have the great fortune of participating in a membership like McConnell Golf, you are investing in a series of experiences — with the reward coming in the form of lasting memories and friendships. Leslie and I began our entry-level tennis journey a dozen years ago. We have enjoyed being coached by Butch, Tammy, Steve, Corey, Pierce, Evan, John, Andrew, Kaitlyn, Davis, Paul, Rod, and Kyle. All have contributed to the legacy, but Kyle has given the program an identity by creating opportunities to improve individually in the sport and as a team. He has offered the balance of growing you as a player while providing the environment to enjoy the social aspect. Whether you subscribe to work hard or play hard, the YMCA principles of building a healthy spirit, mind, and body, or some other inspiration, you are bound to find your juice on the courts of McConnell Golf, just as Leslie and I have over the years.” — GRAHAM WRIGHT

BROOK VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB

“The court renovation at Brook Valley, including one tennis and four pickleball courts, has created more opportunities for member participation. For me, pickleball has allowed me to play with members I’ve known and to meet new members. We’ve instituted a Tuesday evening “open court” for members to play and socialize and participants have ranged from beginners to advanced players. Smaller groups have branched off of Tuesday evenings for games. It’s been really fun to watch the different age groups playing on the courts. Families, teens, young professionals, and “the older crowd” are all actively involved on the courts. As a former tennis player, it’s also great to see the refurbished tennis court being used, particularly by some of our high school tennis team players. Looking ahead, I think we’d like to see some type of competitive event for our pickleball players. In the meantime, we are thoroughly enjoying the court renovation!” — MARY BETH CORBIN

COUNTRY CLUB OF ASHEVILLE

“We have been very impressed with the tennis program at Country Club of Asheville. In the three years that we’ve been members, we’ve seen the program grow exponentially — with more and more people out on the courts. The clinics are fun and educational, and our whole family enjoys private lessons with each of the three pros. Our son loves the sports camps and has gotten really into tennis this past year. Extra special kudos to Leon for fostering his interest and passion for the game.” — STACEY DANSKY

“My love for tennis has done nothing but grow since getting involved with the tennis program at Holston Hills. Jacob is a great coach and has really helped me build confidence in the game. His clinics are always fun and challenging while helping you build a better skill set. I am so thankful for my Holston Hills tennis family!” — ASHLEY TIPTON

HOLSTON HILLS COUNTRY CLUB

OLD NORTH STATE CLUB

“At Old North State Club, we are blessed to have outstanding facilities for our racket sports that provide members with terrific exercise and great camaraderie. Chris Callicutt, our Director of Sports and Wellness, is exceptional at meeting our every need by providing lessons and clinics to all ages and skill levels, keeping the courts beautifully groomed, and planning pickleball and tennis socials. Pickleball has exploded here, and McConnell Golf recently partnered with generous pickleball-playing members to fund and install four new hardsurface courts that opened in early July. They are getting a lot of use! Our clay tennis courts have a dedicated group of players, including a men’s group that plays three times each week throughout the year. We are always open to having other players join us. My favorite events over the years have been mixed doubles with the Pfeiffer University tennis team and “backhand and beers” evening doubles for the men with an adult beverage to follow. I have loved playing tennis steadily here for 19 years, and I don’t plan to quit, but I do expect there may well be a paddle in my near future.” —

RICH SCHAEFER

“Since moving to Raleigh in 2020, I have been fortunate to meet many new friends through tennis. We often gather weekly to practice hitting, play tennis, and catch up. It’s a great way to socialize and exercise in a beautiful setting. The tennis staff are exceptional teachers and have significantly improved my game. Each pro has a unique teaching style and they have made learning the sport so much fun. My 11-year-old son loves the game because of their encouraging instruction, and he now competes in Junior USTA. In addition to the excellent tennis instruction, I have also enjoyed the many fun social events organized by the club. One particular event was a weekend at Old North State Club. With my tennis team, we spent the weekend not only playing tennis but hanging out lakeside in the beautiful lodge on-site. The weekend was filled with many laughs and the club was absolutely beautiful. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a member of Wakefield and look forward to continuing to enjoy the tennis and social activities in the years to come.” —

KATELYN STEADMAN

“Since McConnell Golf acquired Wilson Country Club, me and my 7-year-old daughter, Mary Neal, have found a renewed love for tennis and a new appreciation for pickleball. The new pro staff and pickleball complex have been an exciting addition to the club. The many clinics and social events have further elevated the member experience. I have enjoyed weekly tennis lessons and the improvement I’ve seen in my game over the last several months. My daughter has taken advantage of the many offerings for kids and loves the weekly tennis clinics. With such nice facilities and skilled instruction, she is sure to develop a solid foundation of footwork and technique to continue to build on as she grows up! My favorite memory at the club was Mary Neal’s 7th birthday, which was held on the tennis courts in March. The WCC staff served up some fun for her and her friends!”

— TARAN TURNER

PORTERS NECK COUNTRY CLUB

“Our entire family is so appreciative of Rafa and our tennis community at Porters Neck. Both my daughters started playing at a young age with Rafa. My oldest played the No. 1 position in high school and now plays ACC club tennis at NC State. It’s great that she is so good at tennis and has made us so proud, but what really means the most to me is that through her tennis, she has found her community of friends in college. My youngest plays in high school and was in the top six her freshman year. She worked with Rafa this summer to be even better next year! She absolutely loves to be on the tennis and pickleball courts. She would rather do that than anything!” — CAMDEN BREEDEN

PROVIDENCE COUNTRY CLUB

“Our family loves being part of the tennis community at Providence! Beck’s coaching staff and his team are fantastic, and they have greatly improved my game. My husband and I enjoy the mixed doubles events held periodically throughout the year, and our family enjoys coming to support our tennis pros at the annual Wimbledon event and the Pro League matches. We have a strong group of ladies who compete in Interclub, Queen City, and USTA leagues throughout the year, but more importantly, they are a welcoming group that I have enjoyed getting to know and befriend.” — LAURA RICHARDS

THE COUNTRY CLUB AT WAKEFIELD PLANTATION

WILSON COUNTRY CLUB

16 Days of

by John Jeter

Fairways

Brett Honeycutt’s journey across the McConnell Golf trail

A huge perk of a McConnell Golf membership is access to all of the 16 renowned golf courses in its network. However, instead of visiting the courses over time, Holston Hills Country Club member Brett Honeycutt decided to undertake a challenge: play all 16 courses in just 16 days.

Brett and Jan Conley, his wife of 32 years, started on April 22, at Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech, and wound up back at their home course, Holston Hills, for his final round on May 7.

“I started looking at all those clubs,” Brett says, “and realized I haven’t ever really looked at where they are, so I said, ‘Yeah, those aren’t that far apart,’ and I guess the adventure side of me said, ‘Well, if I could play all those, how long would that take?’”

Why not do it all in one shot? So he approached Joey Batuello, Assistant Golf Professional at Holston Hills.

“I was, like, ‘Cool, let’s do it,’” Batuello recalls. “Really, the hardest part was just getting the logistics of it all, just trying to make sure that he wasn’t traveling too far.”

The farthest drive, it turns out, was the first leg, a 235-mile haul from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Radford, Virginia. The original plan, Brett and Batuello say, had him walking … every … single … course. That’s how he typically plays at Holston Hills, anyway.

“I know he’s in good shape,” Batuello says. “Most of these guys that play out here, they’re out there every day, except for maybe Monday. So you’re just adding some travel to it, which is cool. It definitely would be a grind.”

• next to hayashi in

Brett Honeycutt and Jan Conley, his wife of 32 years, decided to undertake a challenge: play all 16 McConnell Golf courses in just 16 days.

So would camping, which was also an initial part of the plan. Jan, whose 32 years at UPS taught her a thing or two about routing, eighty-sixed that idea.

“My wife is saying, ‘Especially with the longer trips between courses, by the time we get set up and we break down, get the camper loaded up, play a round of golf, find another campsite, it would be too much,’” Brett says.

Anyway, after about round 10 at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation, Jan says she noticed his endurance slipping: “Definitely. He wouldn’t admit it for anything, but, yeah, absolutely, he was getting tired.”

Then on Day 14, their spirits soared like a perfectly hit drive at Musgrove Mill Golf Club in Clinton, South Carolina. Here’s how Jeff Tallman, the club’s Director of Golf, tells that part of their story: “So they had been

Brett Honeycutt and Jan Conley started the challenge at Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech.

Brett Honeycutt playing at The Water’s Edge Country Club in Penhook, Virginia.

on the road for the past 13 days, and his wife got out of the car, and she was kind of looking down and like she’d gone through a little bit of a — I don’t know whether she had the bug or she wasn’t feeling great. She didn’t have the greatest smile on her face when she got out of the car, and so we tried to talk to her and pick her up a little bit about the previous places that they had played, and I’m like, ‘Well, you guys have never been here before. Let’s go into the clubhouse,’” Tallman recalls.

The club had waiting for them a cart festooned with balloons and some gift golf balls. Then Tallman tells them about the clubhouse’s magnificent view of the 18th hole, “one of the top five decks in South Carolina golf courses,” he says.

Brett Honeycutt playing with a group at Providence Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.

16-IN-16 ITINERARY:

April 22 Start Monday: Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech, Radford, Va.

April 23 The Water’s Edge Country Club, Penhook, Va.

April 24 Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C.

April 25 The Cardinal by Pete Dye, Greensboro, N.C.

April 26 Providence Country Club, Charlotte, N.C.

April 27 Old North State Club, New London, N.C.

April 28 Wilson Country Club, Wilson, N.C.

April 29 Treyburn Country Club, Durham, N.C.

April 30 Raleigh Country Club, N.C.

May 1 The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation, Raleigh, N.C.

May 2 Brook Valley Country Club, Greenville, N.C.

May 3 Porters Neck Country Club, Wilmington, N.C.

May 4 The Reserve Golf Club, Pawleys Island, S.C.

May 5 Musgrove Mill Golf Club, Clinton, S.C.

May 6 Country Club of Asheville, N.C.

May 7 End Tuesday: Holston Hills Country Club, Knoxville, Tenn.

Source: Brett Honeycutt

“I started looking at all those clubs and realized I haven’t ever really looked at where they are, so I said, ‘Yeah, those aren’t that far apart,’ and I guess the adventure side of me said, ‘Well, if I could play all those, how long would that take?’”

Brett Honeycutt

Old North State Club

The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation

Porters Neck Country Club

Robert Honeycutt and son Brett Honeycutt at Musgrove Mill Golf Club in Clinton, South Carolina.

Clearly, Jan knew what was coming. When they walked through the club’s back door, Tallman said: “It was cool. They saw Brett’s dad and stepmom over there, and Brett’s wife just cheered up, totally different look.”

Jan says Brett joined Holston Hills four years ago because his father, Mark, lives on the course.

“He still plays; he’s played all his life,” Jan says of her father-in-law, who just turned 86. “And so Brett wanted to spend the last few years of his dad’s life playing golf with him.”

“It was a nice lift,” Brett says. “That was just a really nice experience towards the end of the trip.”

As far as McConnell’s golf directors know, Brett and Jan are the only members who accomplished what’s now dubbed “16-in-16.”

“That’s kind of a feat to do that these days with how many clubs we have now,” says Dalton Rich, Director of Golf at Brook Valley Country Club in Greenville, North Carolina. If and when McConnell Golf acquires, say, 20 properties, he and the other golf directors agree the challenge could be forbidding.

As for members who might follow the 16-in-16 path, though, Rich says that when he shared the accomplishment on the club’s Instagram and Facebook pages, “A lot of our people saw that, and they all came through and said, ‘Man, that’s amazing.’ They were really impressed by someone doing that.”

Still, the circumspect, selfdescribed “bogey golfer” says, “It wasn’t a hero thing, but it was recognized: ‘Hey, this is kind of

Brook Valley Country Club

exciting that you’re doing this.’ I didn’t start out to do this for any kind of notoriety; I was just going out for an adventure, but it had a little fun to it.”

BY THE

Numbers

16 courses in 16 days

288 holes played

60 miles walked

1,730 miles driven

Holston Hills Country Club

Travel Time Across Properties

2:21 3:29 0:44 TCC 2:30 5:17 3:49 3:52 2:31 1:58 1:13 1:08 X 0:48 0:43 4:05 2:03 1:50 3:11 1:23 SCC 3:07 4:15 2:49 3:04 1:34 1:00 0:15 X 1:08 1:24 1:26 3:49 2:42 1:42 2:12 2:02

PREMIER ACCOMMODATIONS AT MCCONNELL GOLF PROPERTIES

Enjoy the convenience of on-site lodging at three premier McConnell Golf properties. Additionally, members receive competitive rates through our exclusive hotel partnerships when they’re visiting sister properties. For more details, visit the Travel page on your club’s private website.

MUSGROVE MILL GOLF CLUB

Musgrove Mill Golf Club provides flexible accommodations, from cozy suites to spacious cottages. The Francis Marion and Preston suites are ideal for couples, while the Morgan and Lee cottages can host larger groups with up to eight guests.

OLD NORTH STATE CLUB

Stay in one of eight luxurious suites at the lakefront lodge, offering easy access to Old North State Club’s amenities like the aquatics center, fitness center, and golf shop. Enjoy activities such as boating, hiking, and biking for the perfect getaway.

SEDGEFIELD COUNTRY CLUB

Sedgefield Country Club offers convenient on-site lodging just steps from the first tee. The Stanley Apartment and Sam Snead Cottage are perfect for hosting guests, featuring comfortable bedrooms, living spaces, and kitchens for a relaxing stay.

Making

MEMORIES THROUGHOUT MCCONNELL GOLF

Akshay Bhatia, Tyler Hilldale & Grayson Murray, RCC

Grayson Sutherland, CG

Ken Gerrard, RCC

Austin, Lauren, Rhonda & Cecil Davis, RCC

Bryce & Loughlin Rech, PCC

Reese Hamilton, Annika Lane, Haydn Golob & Gabby Lane, SCC

Anna Claire Gibson, HHCC

Brooks & Chelsea East, WECC

PNCC golfers take on PDRC

Kathleen Riordan, WECC

TCC’s Mike Newell on the famous Swilcan Bridge at St Andrews Links in Scotland

Braedyn Jayatilaka, Charlotte DeGoede, Jonah Deitz, Levi Jones & Violet DeGoede, TCC

Adam Ecker, Ryan Carpenter & Zack Daniel, BVCC

Taran Turner & Mary Neal, WCC Andrew & Emily Kirchmeyer, CCA

Ken Sherlock & Keith Anderson, PDRC

Teresa Rigsbee, JT Thomas, Sigrid & Rob Hernandez, WP

Jackson Lee, Fiona MacLeod & Mackenzie Hermer, WP

Lisa Albertson (SCC member) visits WECC

Connor, Bill, Abigail & Nykky Harper, HHCC

Geer Smith, Mark Woody, Matt McDaniel, & Gene Robertson, MM

Carter & Coral Gillespie, PNCC

Brian Campbell, Joccelyn Campbell, Kyleigh Henderson & Nolan Swain, TCC

Jenny & Rodney Johnson with granddaughter Staley Hill, BVCC Sunset over ONSC, by Betty Lee Toby Leasure, SCC Bronx Frisby, ONSC

Chuck Barth, WCC

John & Kristen Carroll, SCC

Mike, Hector, Marcos & Alex Romero, CCA

MM’s Hampton Owings visiting The Reserve Golf Club

FROM THE VINES TO THE PINES

EXPERIENCE EXCELLENCE

BY CRISTIE KERR & KERR CELLARS

Pinot Noir from Silver Eagle Vineyard arriving this Fall,

Award-Winning Cabernet Sauvignon from Beckstoffer Bourn Vineyard coming Summer 2025

n GOLF COURSE ARCHITECT: William Byrd

n LOCATION:

46 miles east of Raleigh, 29 miles east of Wendell and 41.1 miles northwest of Greenville

n COLLEGIATE TIES: Barton College

n OUR COURSE:

“At Wilson Country Club, the course experience is always a fun challenge. The agronomy team does an incredible job to provide some of the best playing conditions east of I-95. I believe I’ve become a better player since becoming a member at WCC. I attribute that to the friendly competition on the weekends and the course being a true test.” — Mark Whitley, member at Wilson CC

n SCENIC SHOTS:

No. 12 | Played as a par-4 during the 2010 North Carolina Amateur, the 12th is a legitimate scoring opportunity — but only if you manage a tee shot in the fairway. Those avoiding a water hazard on the left and outof-bounds on the right will have a clear look at the putting surface, which is surrounded by two bunkers.

No. 18 | Last but not least, at the 18th, players must deliver two quality golf shots — it’s just that simple. The layout plays downhill to an ample peninsula, then back over the water to a green surrounded by bunkers on its left side. Anyone planning to finish a round in style must commit to a plan off the tee, or pay the price for being out of position.

n DID YOU KNOW?

WCC underwent a renovation in 2005 to modernize the course and improve the putting surfaces. Architect John LaFoy was chosen to do the renovation and work began in May 2005. LaFoy has redesigned more than 100 golf courses throughout the country including many classic layouts such as those of architects A.W. Tillinghast, Alistair Mackenzie, Seth Raynor, Charles Blair MacDonald and numerous Donald Ross designs.

n HISTORICAL TIES

WCC was founded in 1915 at what’s currently known as the Willow Springs Country Club. Following World War II, membership grew rapidly. Unable to expand the facilities, the club moved across town to its current location in 1973.

MARBURGER AUTOMOTIVE GROUP

Chadd Marburger

704.699.9769 marburgerchevy.net

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

GRAYSON MURRAY FOUNDATION

Jeff Maness jeff@graysonmurrayfoundation.com

CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING

ARTISAN ROOFING COMPANY

Brendan Bresnan

336.444.6022 artisanroofingcompany.com

MOSS CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN LLC

James Moss

910.622.3431 mcdraleigh.com

Member Business Directory

NC CONSTRUCTION & HOME IMPROVEMENTS LLC

336.740.9509 myncconstruction.com

NC WATER & FIRE RESTORATION

336.740.9509 ncwaterfirerestoration.com

PELLA WINDOWS & DOORS OF N ORTH CAROLINA

Chad Chimiak 336.842.0438 pella.com/locations/north-carolina

THE PLYLER GROUP 540.721.8362 thesanctuarysml.com

MAIN STREET FINANCIAL SOLUTI ONS LLC

Kerrie Debbs 910.585.1848 msfsolutions.com

SHARPE PATEL CPA

Jay Sharpe 919.424.1976 sharpepatel.cpa

TRINITY WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Jim Wilkie, CFP®, ChFC® 336.814.3328 trinitywealthmgt.com

FITNESS & COSMETICS

BUSY DAD GOLF

45-minute golf performance workouts. Turning dad bods into golf bods. Jeff Caudill 919.724.0898 busydadgolf.com

RALEIGH ORTHODONTICS

Dr. Daniel Grossman 919.847.6364 raleighorthodontics.com

FOOD & BEVERAGE

COCA COLA CONSOLIDATED

Jennifer DeAngelo 800.260.2653 cokeconsolidated.com

ICE OCCASIONS OF NORTH CAROLINA

Todd Dawson

919.662.1374 iceoccasionsofnc.com

US FOODS

Darrell Hall

919.417.8301 usfoods.com

WAKEFIELD TAVERN

Anthony Scalese 919.554.0673 wakefieldtavernraleigh.com

INSURANCE

CAREADIGM, INC.

Jeff Hinton 865.360.2414 careadigm.com

ONEDIGITAL

Rand Williams 919.719.5375 onedigital.com INTERIORS & APPAREL

GOOD’S HOME FURNISHINGS

704.910.4045 828.322.3471 goodshomefurnishings.com

FURNITURELAND SOUTH

Blair Ingle 336.822.3000 furniturelandsouth.com

PETER MILLAR

888.926.0255 petermillar.com

INTERIORS & APPAREL

VANGUARD

Bess Ehmcke

704.968.6733 vanguardfurniture.com

PGA TOURNAMENTS

UNC HEALTH CHAMPIONSHIP

Kevin Bender –Business Development/Sponsorships kevin.bender@unchealth.unc.edu unchealthchampionship.com

VISIT KNOXVILLE OPEN

Charlie Clarkson –Tournament Director 615.574.9082 visitknoxopen.com

WYNDHAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Mark Brazil wyndhamchampionship.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

EXTRA ATTIC STORAGE

Roger Honbarrier 919.610.5569 morrisville@extraattic.com

JOHN’S MOVING & STORAGE

Greg Federico 919.255.1330 johnsmoving.com

Member Business Directory

LUMOS

Karen Hoch

336.886.3600 lumosfiber.com

RICHARD MURRAY & CO.

804.761.1294 richard-murray.com

REESE MANAGEMENT RESOURCES, LLC

Comprehensive strategic planning, management, and fractional CEO solutions for non-profits and start-ups in the Raleigh-Durham area.

Kyle Reese 973.615.1810 rmrllcnc.com

TELEPATHIC GRAPHICS

Mark Gauley 919.342.4603 telepathicgraphics.com

REAL ESTATE & RENTAL SERVICES

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES SMITH

MOUNTAIN LAKE REAL ESTATE

Jane Sullivan Horne 540.493.1690 janeatthelake.com

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES SMITH

MOUNTAIN LAKE REAL ESTATE

Ronald L. Willard II 540.721.8659 smithmtnlake.com

LEE & ASSOCIATES COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE SERVICES

Karah McConnell 919.576.2500 leeraleigh.com

MARITIME REALTY CORPORATION

Michael Braton 910.200.6783 maritimehomesnc.com

OLD NORTH STATE REALTY

Rob Brady 919.349.3013 oldnorthstaterealty.com

SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE LUXURY RENTALS

Omar Zinn 919.422.6475 luxurysmlhomes.com

TRAVEL

& LEISURE

LODGING AT MUSGROVE MILL GOLF CLUB

Jeff Tallman 864.833.6921 jeff@musgrovemill.com

LODGING AT OLD NORTH STATE CLUB

Roxann Phillipy 336.461.2477 lodging@oldnorthstateclub.com

LODGING AT SEDGEFIELD COUNTRY CLUB

Angela Ayers 336.299.5324 aayers@sedgefieldcc.com

OLD NORTH STATE CLUB MARINA

Michael Gutterson Dock Master marina@oldnorthstateclub.com

THE WATER’S EDGE EQUESTRIAN CENTER

Kristina Wray Equestrian Center Manager barn@watersedgecountryclub.com