PINEHURST M AGAZI N E
march/april 2015
Here’s to the Future
U.S. Kids Golf World Championships Celebrates 10th Anniversary in Sandhills
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Stay-And-Play Business Booms In the Sandhills
Concours d’Elegance Pinehurst Resort Plays Host For Third Straight Year P I N E H U R S T
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From the Publisher March/April 2015 Sandhills Media Group, Inc.
No matter your age, familiar rituals are said to make us humans happy; we each have individualized regular and comforting ways to amuse ourselves when we have free time. But it is easy to get in a rut and just do the same things over and over again, without infusing new adventures and new places and mixing with new people. For many, finding pastimes that do not include our beloved electronic gadgets while sitting on the sofa can be elusive. As we wend our way out of the winter months and into the spring ones, it is time to stretch our imagination and find new things to do and places to explore. Pinehurst Magazine can help you get started with a whole issue full of ideas to get you out of the house and into the great outdoors. Start out by discovering some gems in Pinehurst – who hasn’t passed the 200-year-old Sandhills Woman’s Exchange log cabin a thousand times, but have you ever been inside or eaten at the luncheonette? The Sunrise Theater is a standalone treasure that has served the area for generations, and continues to operate by the sheer will of locals who commandeered it for continued use by the community and saved it from demolition in the 80s. The theater’s
evolution is unique, and these days it offers a mixture of movies and live theater. For those of you who have never been, may we suggest the Stoneybrook Steeplechase? Take a picnic and be sure to pack the sunscreen! We’ve also got a behind-the-scenes view of the Concours d’Elegance antique car show, from both a seasoned judge and car owner’s perspective. In the golfing department we’ve got lots to read about this issue, including the tenth anniversary of The US Kids Golf World Championships, which brings along the next generation of golfers, and with it a huge boost in the local economy. “Opening Some Eyes” lays out the many options for stay-and-play golfing in the area, and what the economic impact of golf means to Moore County. We’ve also got a closeup look at three local professionals: conductor and artist director David Michael Wolff of the Carolina Philharmonic, Forest Creek’s director of golf Billy Cleveland and UK transplant and restaurateur Mark Elliot. Let’s go to the BEACH! We’ve got a plan for each of you for a beach getaway to the Crystal Coast — a short couple of hours from the Sandhills, and nice to visit any time of year. So no more excuses, it’s nearly spring and time to get out of the house!
sioux
Sioux watson Publisher/Editor
Your opinions matter to us. Let us know what you think of this issue of Pinehurst Magazine. Please email sioux@pinehurstmagazine.com with your comments.
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publisher/Editor Sioux Watson Advertising Sales Sioux Watson Julie Shaw Charis Painter Michelle Palladino creative director Travis Aptt graphic design Lori Lay | Jennifer Heinser contributing writers Christa Gala • David Droschak • Robyn James Dolores Muller • Dan Bain • Robert Gable Kurt Dusterberg • Jenni Hart • Adam Sobsey Heather Mallory • Corbie Hill Adam Whamsley photography McKenzie Photography For advertising or subscription inquiries call 919.782.4710. Pinehurst Magazine is published six times annually by Sandhills Media Group, Inc. Any reproduction in part or in whole of any part of this publication is prohibited without the express written consent of the publisher. Mailing address 4818-204 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27609 Phone 919.782.4710 Fax 919.782.4763 www.pinehurstmagazine.com Unsolicited material is welcome and is considered intended for publication. Such material will become the property of the magazine and will be subject to editing. Material will be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Pinehurst Magazine will not knowingly accept any real estate advertising in violation of U.S. equal opportunity law. “Pinehurst” is a trademark of Pinehurst, Inc.
In This Issue 30
March/april 2015
departments
50
Southern Chatter 12 Professional Spotlight 14 Tech Review 16 Ask the Pro 18 Wine Review 20 Book Review 22 Sunday Supper 26 On Trend 42 Calendar of Events 64 Shopping Local 67 Healthy Living 71 Sandhills Sightings
A special thanks to Michael Dipleco for our great cover.
FEATURES 30 The Crystal Coast
50 Concours d’Elegance
North Carolina’s southern Outer Banks
Pinehurst’s love of classic cars is an excitement worth sharing
36 Hidden Gems Explore some of Pinehurst’s secret spots
44 Sunrise Theater A Southern Pines cultural treasure
48 Stoneybrook Steeplechase An evolving tradition at Carolina Horse Park
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56 Junior Achievement
PINEHURST march/april
2015
MAG AZIN E
Here’s to the Future
U.S. Kids Golf World Championships Celebrates 10th Anniversary in Sandhills Page 56
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Stay-And-P lay
Business Booms In the Sandhills
Concours d’El
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Pinehurst Reso rt Plays Host For Third Straight Year P I N E H U R S T
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P I N E S
We’re digital!
A closer look at U.S. Kids Golf
59 Stay-and-Play Opening your eyes to a great golf experience
See this issue online at: www.pinehurstmagazine.com
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Southern Chatter professional spotlight
The Man Behind the Music David Michael Wolff, Principal Conductor & Artistic Director of the Carolina Philharmonic
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by Dolores Muller
The immensely talented David Michael Wolff makes his home in Pinehurst and gives us the gift of music, the quality of which rivals that found in large cities. Additionally, he and the Carolina Philharmonic are exposing our children to a world of music they would not otherwise experience. Wolff was born in Seattle, one of four boys, and the piano was the center of their home. David says, “Each night my mother played, and at age six I knew I wanted to play too. I loved playing, and mom would threaten me with not letting me play if I didn’t eat my vegetables.” He made his piano debut at age 12. Three years later he entered the University of Washington on a full scholarship, majoring in piano and romance languages. He speaks five languages and is now studying German. David, who is 39, left Seattle on his twentieth birthday and went to study in New York on a full sponsorship at the Manhattan School of Music, obtaining his masters degree at age 23. “Piano was who I was, but I also wanted
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Maestro Wolff conducts the Carolina Philharmonic
to conduct, so I took undergraduate conducting classes,” David said. He was the music director for the Mark Morris Modern Dance Company in New York. Through this affiliation he did a collaborative piece with celebrated dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov. His next stop was Rome. He won third place (and $3,000) in his first European piano competition in Sicily. It was in Rome he met his wife Young Mee, a talented soprano studying voice. After she graduated, they married in her home country of Korea. Young Mee only spoke Korean and Italian, but having those two languages in common worked out fine. David next took a job in Paris, where Young Mee became pregnant with their daughter Rachel, who is now nine. Back in New York he became an opera conductor. “I was traveling too much and was away from my family, so I decided to pursue symphonic
conducting instead,” David said. “We visited Pinehurst when I conducted the Fayetteville Symphony. It was just the kind of place we wanted to raise a family.” By chance, the music director of Pinehurst’s Sacred Heart Church was retiring. David sent his resume and was immediately hired. At the time the Pinehurst area had no orchestra, so David formed a small ensemble called the West Side Chamber Philharmonic, which grew into the Carolina Philharmonic. David explained,“The Carolina Philharmonic is a ‘pick up’ orchestra. Each concert contains talented musicians from North Carolina and surrounding states.” David is passionate about bringing music to children. School budget cuts leave minimal contact with the arts. When Carnegie Hall reached out and ask him to implement the third and fourth grade “Link Up” music program with area schools he immediately said yes, and got a matching grant to make it happen. It was the first of its kind in North Carolina. Thrilled with the results, schools asked him for a program for younger children. None were available, so he created one himself. With patron support he developed a curriculum for K-12 grades, creating a template and presentation, and composing songs and the orchestral arrangement for ‘Kid’s Encore’, an interactive concert in which 1,000 children participated. David says, “The challenge now is how to grow and make music available to more children. I realize my goals are lofty, but with community and school support we can bring music into more children’s lives.” David with daugher, Rachel
Maestro Wolff is also the author of the book, Zen and the Art of Piano.
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Southern Chatter tech radar
ThinOptics make technology readable again by Dan bain
l
Low-tech meets high-tech this month, with an update on a technology that’s at least 750 years old – eyeglasses. As we demand more portability from our smart devices, we have to sacrifice readability. The smaller the screen, the tougher the reading. Now, after two and a half years, hundreds of prototypes, thousands of test subjects, and millions of investment dollars, comes a long-needed smartphone accessory called ThinOptics. These glasses are thin and light, eschewing normal eyeglasses’ earpieces for special nose pads that allow the user to clamp them directly onto his/her nose. Their bridge is made of a strong, flexible titanium alloy that keeps them in place and stays comfortable while doing so. Thinner than a nickel, they slip into a non-obtrusive storage pod on the back of the phone case when not in use. The lenses are made of shatterproof glass, so they hold up despite their thin stature. ThinOptics come in black and clear, with a choice of +1.5, +2.0, or +2.5 reading strength. The glasses plus a custom phone case and attached storage pod are $38.95, the glasses with a universal storage pod are $24.95, and the glasses alone are $19.95. Please visit www.thinoptics.com for more information or to order.
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photography © thinoptics.com
Think Thin, See Smart
Southern Chatter ask the pro
photograph © david droschak
Billy Cleveland Forest Creek’s “Go-To Guy”
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Built on a 1,265-acre piece of unencumbered property two miles outside the Village of Pinehurst, Forest Creek features a diverse mix of world-class golf in its two stunning designs by Tom Fazio, the most highly-ranked living golf course architect.
by David Droschak
The second installment of Pinehurst Magazine’s “Ask the Pro” highlights Forest Creek Golf Club director of golf Billy Cleveland, who has been recruited across the country for his ability to assist in assembling private clubs from scratch. At 49, Cleveland is well traveled in the business, having held prestigious positions at clubs in Alabama, Florida, Ohio, Tennessee and Wyoming. Cleveland also worked at Elk River Club, a prestigious Jack Nicklaus design in the North Carolina mountains, and enters his fifth year at Forest Creek, which features a private membership of around 500. Q: You have been so many places in golf. What makes the Sandhills special in your eyes? A: It’s the golf Mecca. Golf professionals are treated with respect in this area. I can sum it up by the first night I got here. I went to eat dinner at the Pine Crest Inn; I asked the gentleman for a
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steak and a glass of wine, and asked him what the process was. He said he would get it for me, and asked me my name. I told him Billy Cleveland. He said, ‘New Director of Golf at Forest Creek.’ He already knew. This area is challenging for my profession because golfers know the game. You have to be ON your game or they know it.” Q: How is your job different than others at private clubs, since 60 percent of your membership is nationally based? A: When they come into town, they want things a little different. We may run a tournament just for their grouping or they may bring two to three groups in and stay in the cottages, where we’ll cook them dinner. Most will play 36 holes a day, so we have to make sure the course is blocked out so they can do that. We serve as kind of the concierge for the national member. If they want dinner outside of the complex, we make it happen
Forest Creek Golf Club director of golf Billy Cleveland
no matter what. Tournaments — we try to blow it out for the tournaments because that may be the only time that they are coming in for the entire year. Members like [North Carolina basketball coach] Roy Williams or [basketball great] Michael Jordan come to Forest Creek because nobody is going to come up and ask them for an autograph. We let them be themselves when they are inside the gates. Q: What is the role of a so-called modern-day director of golf at a high-end private club? A: On Friday, Saturday and Sunday you try to be highly visible. That’s one of the tough things these days; we have to wear so many different hats. We’re working on things like websites, running three to four tournaments on the weekend-in addition to so many other items, like giving an impromptu lesson on a Friday or Saturday morning. You are just trying to make sure the guests are happy when they come in here. My role is to be more of the service guy, the go-to guy. I could give as many lessons as I wanted here, but more important than a lesson it’s eating dinner with a member or going off-site to another course to play with them. Q: What is your highlight in golf up to this point? A: I have been very fortunate. I have given lessons to people such as Shoal Creek Golf Club founder Hall Thompson, and I’ve had a chance to play golf with every professional athlete you can imagine. To hear the stories you hear when you are out there with those guys is remarkable. I guess you could say my highlight is just the accumulation of relationships, that’s the best thing I’ve gotten out of golf. Pinehurstmagazine.com 17
Southern Chatter wine review
The
Meaning of Malbec
A forgotten part of France’s wine country reclaims its heritage grape. by Adam sobsey
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What happened to Malbec is strange. One of five grapes permitted in Bordeaux blends, it traveled from France to Argentina in the 19th century, and we now associate the grape with its adoptive country, where Malbec is rather anonymously disguised. It generally makes a pleasant yet generic and indistinct, red wine - often a marketer’s idea of wine rather than actual wine. But Malbec makes actual wine, and its true home is in Cahors, the region southeast of Bordeaux from which the grape’s cuttings were originally sent to Argentina long ago. Long a wine backwater, the appellation is enjoying a renaissance thanks to Argentina’s popularization of Cahors’ essential grape. The young winemaker Emmanuel Rybinski - with his father, who founded their winery, Clos Troteligotte, in 1987 - is a leader of this renaissance. Their family business marries farmhouse naturalness with professional rectitude, and like most wines of integrity, it starts in the vineyard: Manu, as Emmanuel is known, is committed above all to the quality of his property’s iron-rich soil, which he treats mostly organically, and to the health of his vines. In the winery, he practices long gentle fermentations, from which
Troteligotte makes multiple expressions of Cahors Malbec. All are easily recognized by the visually catchy and apt “K” on the label, each tagged with bilingual wordplay. These include the budget K-Or (that’s “Cahors,” if you’re pronouncing at home) and K-Price (“Caprice”) - the latter with some oak polish, the former more frank - and range all the way up to the heady heights of K2 (think Himalayans), a more intellectual (and costlier) wine aged in clay amphorae. There’s even a deliciously tart rosé of Malbec, K-melot. But seek out the bright-blue lettered K-pot, which means “condom” in French because this wine is made “sans protection,” as the bottle proudly declaims. It’s Manu’s most natural wine, aged in neutral concrete, bottled unpreserved without sulfites. Funky, tangy, lively, it’s a long way from Argentina. Take a sip and you think, “So this is what Malbec tastes like.” We are lucky drinkers here in North Carolina: Manu’s wines, and sometimes Manu himself (a frequent visitor to the state), are easy to find in these parts because they’re brought into the U.S. by Vin Authentique, whose passionate, astute impresario, Thomas Meunier, is based in Carrboro. Pinehurstmagazine.com 19
Southern Chatter book review
Into the Ice
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by robert gable
In our present day, when people are incessantly on their smart phones, it’s difficult to imagine being without these devices. Not so long ago, though, you could be completely out of contact with others, in a place completely off the map, for years at a time. Explorers used to do that, going to the ends of the earth. Some made it back, some died trying. One dangerous, end-of-the-earth destination was the North Pole, which lured many explorers. In The Kingdom of Ice is a page-turning account of what happened while George De Long attempted to find the North Pole in 1879. Author Hampton Sides (originally from Tennessee) did his homework, backing up his account with a lion’s share of research. He also had special access to a trunk full of old letters between Emma De Long and her husband George, courtesy of a De Long relative. Sides writes frequently for Outside and National Geographic magazines, so when he learned of De Long’s expedition aboard the USS Jeannette, he knew he had a rip-roaring story to write about. Sides begins by listing the crew of the Jeannette,
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IN THE KINGDOM OF ICE: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette By hampton Sides 454 pages doubleday $28.95
then the prologue, followed by 42 chapters, divided into six main parts. The first two parts lead up to the voyage; the last four chronicle the journey. He ends with the epilogue, acknowledgments, notes, bibliography and photo credits. An eight-page black-and-white photo insert in the middle of the book portrays the main characters behind the heart-breaking, harrowing mission. George De Long was an intelligent, resourceful and headstrong US Navy lieutenant who was obsessed with the North Pole. After a stint in Greenland, he caught the “Arctic bug” and wanted to go back for more. Since the source of the Nile had already been discovered, the next big feat would be standing foot at the North Pole - and De Long wanted to be that person. His ambition meshed with the eccentric owner
of the New York Herald, James Gordon Bennett, Jr., who was bent on creating the news, not just reporting it. (He dreamed up the idea of sending Stanley to Africa to find Dr. Livingstone, and getting the scoop, sending his New York Herald sales soaring.) Bennett was all for bankrolling an American expedition to the North Pole - with his newspaper correspondent being on hand to write all about it. The story is full of interesting bits of history, where truth is stranger than fiction. In 1878 some scientists were convinced that “The Open Polar Sea” surely existed, though no one had ever seen it. Just sail north of the 80th parallel in the Artic and a warm water sea would be waiting there. Some even thought there might be a big hole at the North Pole that allowed warm gases to escape from the earth’s core. (Stranger than fiction, indeed.) In 1845 the Franklin expedition disappeared as they tried to find the Northwest Passage to the Pole, going across the top of Canada and up. De Long would instead attack the Pole via the Bering Sea near Alaska, which no one had tried before. Armed with these latest theories, De Long set sail from San Francisco on July 8th, 1879, waved-off to the cheers of 10,000 well-wishers. (Only after he set sail did mariners come back with new evidence that there certainly was not a warm sea waiting up there.) Sides depicts how De Long thought out this expedition and was thoroughly prepared. As the subtitle suggests, it was no pleasure cruise. That particular winter, the team just locked into the ice sooner than expected. He wrote in his captain’s log, “Man proposes but God disposes.” He also noted, while stuck on the ice, “This is a glorious country to learn patience in.” Just like a plane crash, where it’s no single mistake but a cascading series of errors that does you in, the ill-timed factors combined in just the right way to thwart De Long. No matter what he thought of, nature threw an unforeseeable twist at the crew. They brought dogs, but the dogs acted up. They brought tomatoes to fight scurvy, but the lead solder in the cans leached into the tomatoes, giving them lead poisoning. The maps were so far off from reality that they hindered, rather than helped, the navigation. Again, there was no satellite radio, no cell phone with GPS to consult, no connection to the “outside” world at all.
After two years at sea, no one had any idea, within a thousand miles, of where the crew might be. The author excels at showing what the human spirit can accomplish in the direst of circumstances. The men endured unceasing cold and frostbite on their last chance race for rescue. It’s enlightening to see how crewmates reacted under the stress. Some of the crew, initially judged to be capable, crumbled from the hardship. Others (George Melville and William Nindemann in particular) proved to be heroes. It turned out their only hope lay in getting to Siberia, a land renowned for its lack of hope. De Long himself adds some words about dealing with the frozen conditions when he writes, “We live in a weary suspense…A crisis may occur at any moment, and we can do nothing but be thankful in the morning that it has not come during the night, and at night that it has not come since the morning. Living over a powder mill waiting for an explosion would be a similar mode of existence.” Through it all his adopted motto was: “Nil desperandum” never despair. Sides’ writing style takes you along for the voyage. He keeps you informed through the differing perspectives of all the people involved. Bennett stays in the background, waiting to finance whatever is needed to find the missing crew. Steadfast Emma De Long agonizes for over two years, awaiting news from her husband. And then the captain’s log allows you to share in what De Long was up against. The heart-rending decisions, the extreme conditions, and the no-win situations they faced, certainly did make for a grand and terrible voyage. Pinehurstmagazine.com 21
Southern Chatter sunday supper
Š DON MCKENZIE PHOTOGRAPHY
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Sunday Supper
Mark Elliott
with
“Happy Kids, Happy Wife, Happy Life”
M
by Heather Mallory
Mark Elliott didn’t anticipate world travel when he was training to be a chef in his home country of England, but somewhere between a restaurant in Nuremberg and a ship’s galley in Juan les Pins, he realized that “the language of cooking has no barriers.” Elliott’s cultural adaptability and culinary fluency are certainly on display in the evolving food scene in the Sandhills. His restaurant Elliotts on Linden, in its fifteenth year of business, invites dishes from around the world onto its menu: an Asian-inspired tea-smoked duck sits comfortably next to a classic Italian gnocchi, without excluding regional favorites like shrimp and grits. Over the years, he’s added Elliott’s Catering Company, Elliott’s Provision Company, and The Sly Fox gastropub (in Southern Pines) to his food fiefdom. This spring, he’ll add one more when he opens The Roast Office - a café in the old post office building in Pinehurst village. So what does a guy with so many diverse food interests do for dinner on his night off ? “Not a
lot!” he says, without missing a beat. He likes to keep Sunday suppers simple, but that doesn’t mean he sacrifices taste. “I’ll make something really simple - a one-pot dish - but it’ll taste good. I’d rather things taste really good than be elaborate. We’ll leave elaborate for the restaurant.” After eating rich foods throughout the week, Chef Elliott says his Sundays are full of vegetables. He favors preparations like stir-frys, curries and pad thai, where the vegetables can take center stage without heavy sauces or long cook times. To get the best flavors, he emphasizes eating seasonally. “I love it when things are peaking and they’re at their best.” One vegetable he eats regardless of the season, though, is white yams: “I’m fanatical about them!” His go-to method is to boil them, purée them, and add a little horseradish. The most important ingredient for Elliott’s Sunday is family. His perfect meal, he says, is one where he’s “hanging out” with daughters Madison and Nicole and his wife Kelly. The girls even cook for their dad sometimes. They recently whipped up burgers with a secret ingredient for their chef Pinehurstmagazine.com 23
Southern Chatter sunday supper dad (answer: pancake syrup!). As it turns out, family Sunday meals are a big part of Elliott’s memories of growing up in England. He says the tradition of the “Sunday roast,” as the meal is called, is one that is especially close to his heart. “After the war, there was major rationing in England, and it was still there in my parents’ time,” he explained. “People would save on meals all week and then, on Sunday, the family would sit down together later in the afternoon for this really nice meal.” According to Elliott, the Sunday roast fell out of favor as the digital age emerged, but some chefs, Elliott among them, want to bring it back. About once a month, The Sly Fox offers a traditional Sunday roast. It may not be the veggie meal Elliott now prefers on Sundays, but it’s got the other ingredients covered: “It’s about getting people around the table,” he says. “It’s about community.”
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Chef Mark Elliott’s
Corsican Beef Stew Ingredients
2 lbs 1 2 oz 1 tsp 1 cup 1 can/28 oz 1 tsp 1 cup To taste
beef (diced into 1-inch pieces) onion, large dried porcini mushrooms crushed garlic white wine plum tomatoes cinnamon beef stock salt and pepper
Method
1. Preheat oven to 350°. 2. Peel and halve the onion from top to bottom, then lay the onion flat-side down. Slice thinly so you will end up with even-sized pieces of onion. 3. Place about 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven, or other oven-safe stew pot, and heat. 4. Add the onions, garlic and beef. With a spoon, keep the ingredients moving so as not to burn. 5. Cook until the beef is browned. 6. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. 7. Cover with lid and place in a hot oven; cook 1 - 1½ hours until tender. Serve with any sides you like: risotto, potatoes, pasta...
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Southern Chatter on trend
Dare to be Bold
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story and photography by adam whamsley
With the onset of spring, and summer right around the corner, it’s time to pack up your heavy sweaters and dig out the skirts and shorts. This is also a perfect opportunity to take a few minutes and reflect on what you own and refine your wardrobe. A little bit of maintenance now can go a long way when you’re scrambling to find the right outfit before running out the door. But, once you’ve nixed all of the worn-out tops, scuffed shoes, and those ever present few items that never get picked from the lineup – what next? I met with NC-based artist Emily Brooks to ask her opinion. After studying textile design at the Fashion Institute of Technology and spending some years in New York City working for brands such as Marimekko, United Colors of Benetton and Martha Stewart, Emily found her way back to Raleigh where she now spends her time creating out of her studio space located at the Litmus Gallery downtown. As an artist, it’s not hard to imagine that color and pattern play heavily into her wardrobe. Pulling inspiration from vintage items,
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’20s fashion and pictures of her great grandmother, she blends classic cuts with modern prints and color to define a style of her own. “When building or refining a wardrobe, it’s important to work within color palettes that you look good in and stick with clothes that fit,” says Emily, otherwise they’ll just wind up collecting dust in your closet. “Start with pieces that work with your body type, play off your skin tones, and accentuate your hair or eye color.” Doing this will help to establish a cohesive and familiar framework to pull from each day. She finds accessible brands that fit her style, like Madewell and Anthropologie, to pull her core pieces from, and then looks to local boutiques, such as Dogwood Collective, for more unique prints, patterns and jewelry. In the end, “Style is an expression of your personality, and what you wear is an extension of who you are,” explains Emily, who sits surrounded by her colorful washes of paintings, inspirations, and pigment-filled palettes that so appropriately mesh with her outfit. So when in doubt, she says, “Go with colors you love, and don’t be afraid to be bold.”
C omplete the Room bedroom
complete the
Room >>
bedroom
>> A
bedroom should be more than just a place to sleep, it should be your personal comfort zone — a retreat that beckons with privacy and coziness — a getaway spot right in your home. Put your feet up, read a book or just grab a few ZZZs after a hectic day.
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The Quinn Linen Chair
Made in the USA >> Framer’s Cottage, Reg $2100, Sale $1785
Desk/Table Clock
Add a touch of elegance to any room with a Marcelli desk clock >> The Potpourri, $36
Wood Trays
Two’s Company wood tray is a beautiful addition to your bedroom; showcase your keepsakes in it or use it to serve breakfast in bed >> The Potpourri, $36
Louis XV Style Bench
Retire to your bedroom and relax on this Louis XV style bench >> Hunt & Gather, Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, $1250
Papillion Lamp
by The Natural Light >> Framer’s Cottage, Reg. $387, Sale $329
Chinese Deco Rug
Luxurious Chinese Deco rug will add a touch of color to any room >> Robert Fritz Oriental Rugs Inc. Hunt & Gather, Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, $2350
Pinehurstmagazine.com 29
THE CRYSTAL COAST N o r t h C a r o l i n a’ s southern outer banks
Photograph Š Stephen Beaudet
Here in the middle of North Carolina
we have the best of both worlds for weekend getaways; in a car it is three hours east to the beaches and west to the mountains. Eastward the shoreline is divided into three segments: The Outer Banks from Virginia to Cape Lookout spans about half, The Crystal Coast in the middle, and the southeast coast running from The Brunswick Islands to Sunset Beach bordering South Carolina. For most North Carolinians a spring or summer beach break beckons each year, and in this issue we take a closer look at the middle portion of North Carolina beaches. 30 Pinehurstmagazine.com
Photograph © Stephen Beaudet
COAST Photograph © BRAD STYRON Photograph © BRAD STYRON
Photograph © ISLAND EXRPESS FERRY CO.
The 85 miles of gleaming beaches only begin to tell the story of North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. The authentic “coastal experience” features waters of crystalline purity bordering sandy, sparkling beaches, allowing adventureseekers to let their imaginations run free. It is both a place and state of mind; a departure from the ordinary and an arrival at the extraordinary. From its history steeped in pirate legends and ghostly encounters, to exotic wild horses that
have roamed the same shores for centuries, the Crystal Coast today continues to reflect Southern tradition and charm. This favored Atlantic beach destination of generations represents one of the only remaining natural barrier island systems in the world. The islands are strung together along the southern Outer Banks - 56 miles of which are in the protected Cape Lookout National Seashore. With beaches that course east and Pinehurstmagazine.com 31
west, visitors can admire the dazzling bright sunrise to greet the day, and end it with a spectacular late evening North Carolina sunset. Mother Nature must have spent a little more time on the Crystal Coast, giving the frothy blue waters that caress its shores an indescribable clarity often compared to the waters of the Caribbean. Also attributed to Mother Nature’s kindness, the Crystal Coast is one of two places on the Eastern Seaboard where the Gulf Stream tickles the coastline, bringing clear, warm waters that are perfect for active salt-water adventures. Unlike other beach destinations, the Crystal Coast is not lined with concession stands or admission ticket offices. Natural and un-commercialized are two of the most cherished attributes of the destination. Some of the “gems” of the Crystal Coast include Atlantic Beach, Beaufort, Emerald Isle and Morehead City, each one as distinct and beloved as the next.
Atlantic Beach Atlantic Beach is home to wide pearlescent beaches and plenty of sunshine. Part of the Bogue Banks, Atlantic Beach is the oldest of
five resort towns. Visitors can choose from a range of accommodations to suit all budgets and lifestyles, from a seven-bedroom Victorian mansion to a “no frills” beach bungalow. Fort Macon State Park, the site of a historic Civil War skirmish (and more than a few tales of ghostly encounters with uniformed soldiers), is located at the tip of the island and is part of the Civil War Trail (friendsoffortmacon.org).
Beaufort Beaufort (pronounced BOW-Fort, as in bow tie) boasts more than 300 years of historical legacy to capture the hearts of all who visit. It was recently named “America’s Coolest Small Town” by Budget Travel magazine, as well as one of “America’s Favorite Beach Towns” by Travel + Leisure. Offering beach days and haunted nights against the backdrop of many Nicholas Sparks novels and movies, Beaufort transports visitors and residents to a time long forgotten, with deep roots entrenched in both history and adventure. The air contains the same ancient salty-sweet ocean scents that have wafted over the coast for centuries. It is not uncommon while dining at a waterfront café to see wild
© Scott Taylor Photography
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Photograph © Stephen Beaudet
horses roaming freely on Carrot Island, just across the waters of Taylor’s Creek. The salty-sweet ocean scents wafting over the coast evoke the town’s swashbuckling pirate tales, romantic mysteries, ingrained maritime heritage and wartime triumphs and tragedies. The air of Beaufort is alive with memories of the past, from spectral tours through the Old Burying Grounds and leisurely strolls among the preserved buildings at Beaufort Historic Site, to a gentle ferry ride to the seashore to view historic Cape Lookout Lighthouse and get a firsthand look at the treasures excavated from Blackbeard’s infamous flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge (which still rests in its watery grave just three miles off the island’s sandy shores). For a sneak peak into the historic luxury of “America’s Coolest Small Town,” head downtown and experience Hungry Town Bike Tours, where groups can hop on retro-chic bikes and pedal their way unique guided tours.
Pine Knoll Shores Pine Knoll Shores was once owned by America’s own royal family, the descendants of Theodore Roosevelt, and is known as a peaceful residential community with an eco-friendly focus. The area was designed with minimal disturbance to the native maritime forest and sand dunes, and is one the state’s most environmentally sensitive towns. Explore the North Carolina Aquarium, where more than 3,000 specimens of North Carolina’s most colorful aquatic life reside, making it the largest saltwater aquarium in the state.
Emerald Isle Emerald Isle is built on the most prominent of the banks on the Crystal Coast. Named for the lush greenery that covers much of the area, Emerald Isle is Pinehurstmagazine.com 33
located at the western end of the Bogue Banks. Of all the housing available at this destination, the most popular is its astounding collection of oceanfront cottages and estates. Sitting right on the sand, these accommodations offer visitors the chance to wake up each morning and take in the spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean and Bogue Sound. Ranging from cozy beach cottages to majestic villas, these homes, used primarily as vacation rentals, offer no shortage of quiet but luxurious amenities included in your stay. Prospective guests can contact one of the area’s several realty agencies and reserve a seaside mansion or one bedroom condo by the
week or month for family reunions, wedding weekends, birthday celebrations, or even just a family vacation.
Morehead City Morehead City sits along sparkling clear water with rows of charter fishing boats gently bobbing like fishing lures, waiting to usher passengers to their first “big catch.” Known for the most diverse fishing on the coast, Morehead City is home to the annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, where fisherman from all over the world compete for the top honor, while supporting local charities that have received more than $2,300,000 in donations from the tournament in the past 15 years. For dinner that is equal parts exquisite and eclectic, head to Morehead City’s Circa 81 and try Chef Clarke Merrell’s menu of tapas, like a bowl of his Covington Sweet Potato Bisque with goat cheese marshmallow, crispy potato, candied walnut and extra virgin olive oil vinaigrette. Nestled along the downtown strip of Morehead City is a narrow, rustic building that houses Arendell Room, a craft cocktail bar that might be at home in any major city.
Photograph © Stephen Beaudet
Photograph © Stephen Beaudet Photograph © Stephen Beaudet
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PHOTOGRAPH © Brad Styron
© Scott Taylor Photography
Cape Lookout Cape Lookout is a place reminiscent of times past where wild horses roam freely on deserted beaches. With its famed lighthouse, the island offers escapists a 56-mile stretch of undeveloped, shimmering beaches accessible only by boat. Sea oatlaced sand dunes and miles of large unbroken conch shells seem to have been resting there for centuries. In harmony with the natural scenery are fisherman patiently waiting and watching, like shore birds looking for their next meal to spring out of the frothy blue waters. Along with a wide range of experiential activities, the Crystal Coast offers a variety of accommodations to suit every lifestyle and budget, from mammoth beach mansions (known locally as “sandcastles”) and quaint B&Bs to seaside cottages and comfortable condos, as well as campgrounds and cabins. For more information on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast, check out the tourism board’s website: www.CrystalCoastNC.org. Pinehurstmagazine.com 35
By Corbie Hill and Adam Sobsey
HERE WE SHARE Some secret and not-so-secret spots in Pinehurst you need to go see for yourself; some are new, while many have been here a while. Step out of your lunch/ dinner routine, or dump the Saturday chores and go take a look!
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Sandhills Horticultural Gardens by Corbie Hill
Photo courtesy of Pinehurst Visitors Bureau
There’s more to the Sandhills Horticultural Gardens than just a walk in the park. It’s a beautiful place, with its 32 acres tucked away behind Sandhills Community College, and it features everything from an enormous collection of hollies—28 species, to be exact—to a formal English garden, planted and designed in honor of the early Colonial era. The Horticultural Gardens celebrate native plants like poplars and azaleas, sure, but also maintains decidedly non-Sandhills environments—take the Japanese garden, for example. What sets these cultivated grounds apart from others of the same caliber, though, is that they are maintained by the college’s landscape gardening program. So when you view the gentle quiet of the Atkins Hillside Garden, the cacti of the Succulent Garden, or the varied blooms of the Rose Garden, you take in the handiwork of local landscapers-in-training. And that’s something to be proud of.
The Cellar at Elliotts on Linden by Adam Sobsey
Feel like cracking open some fancy wine, but maybe you’re alone and don’t want to commit to a whole bottle? Or perhaps you always wanted to try, say, Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon before committing? At Elliotts, you’ll find not just an array of perfectly quaffable daily-drinker wines by the glass, but also that the bar pours top-notch estates - a rarity. Order dinner to go with your wine, and while you wait, ask manager John McKenzie to walk you into Elliotts’ tempcontrolled cellar, secreted down the hallway. Here you’ll find the very essence of the hidden gem: wine that’s both luxurious and scarce. Elliotts has, for example, a few bottles of North Carolina’s tiny allocation of the renowned Harlan Estate, along with many other fine wines from around the world (there’s even a 1964 St. Emilion, if you can talk Chef Mark Elliott out of it - it’s from his personal collection). If you want to bring one or two bottles home, they’re available at a generous take-home price. Come to think of it, maybe the kitchen should make your dinner to go, and you can tuck into it with your Harlan right on your sofa.
Photo courtesy of Pinehurst Visitors Bureau
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The Sandhills Woman’s Exchange by Adam Sobsey © McKenzie Photography
The 200-year-old log cabin doesn’t even look high enough to stand upright in, its long history dating back to, well, a shorter time. Yet it’s easy to spot this funky old building - admittedly, it’s not exactly hidden there on Azalea Road right across from the Chapel. But what’s inside may surprise you. It is a de facto trading post of handmade crafts and other goodies. And more: back behind the store is a bustling little luncheonette with red-checkered tablecloths, kind souls, and a comforting array of sandwiches, pies, and other homemade staples you’ll have trouble choosing between. Rumor has it that this wonderful nonprofit jewel is in danger of extinction, so make sure you get over there now and keep it alive. During the Christmas season, stock up on ornaments and decorations.
The Golf Pin Flags at the Tufts Archive by Adam Sobsey
In advance of the 2014 US Open, played on Pinehurst No. 2, the Given Memorial Library wanted to do something commemorative, so they sent requests to all the Donald Ross-designed or redesigned courses in the US for a pin flag. “We expected about 25. We got 225,” says Executive Director Audrey Moriarty. “I hand-wrote 225 thank-you letters,” she said - unique responses to these surprisingly unique flags, many of which are as much art as they are ways to mark pins. All 225 hang on the walls of the Tufts Archive, tucked away at the back of the library. Some flags may take you on trips down memory lane (“Remember the weekend we spent there?”), others may be heralds of future aspirations (“I’ve got to play that one! And that one!”); almost all of them - some comfortably weathered, others bright and shiny, a few richly colored and embroidered - have character and style. Pro tip: if Audrey is around, try to talk her into taking you downstairs to show you legendary course architect Warren Hatch’s beautiful hand renderings of Ross’s course designs. 38 Pinehurstmagazine.com
Photos courtesy of Tufts Archive
MIRA Foundation USA by Corbie Hill
Darcie and her companion, Navy.
Student Housing, photos courtesy of MIRA Foundation USA
By providing guide dogs for visually impaired children aged 11-17, MIRA USA gives them a measure of both independence and responsibility, and this six-year-old nonprofit is based in Pinehurst. It was formed in conjunction with MIRA Canada, an older organization with a similar mission, after local co-founder Bob Baillie lost his sight. When he got his guide dog, he regained his independence. Upon learning there was no organization providing these service animals to those under the age of 18, he knew what he had to do. For eligible children nationwide, MIRA provides dogs free of charge—talk about a lifechanging gift, and all originating in Pinehurst! Kids gain confidence and grow socially; they take their dogs to high school and college, to hiking trails and through busy airports, and—in one case—even to the UN. Throughout its working life, though, each guide dog costs about $7,500— not just for the initial training, but for follow-ups and evaluations. How neat would it be if the lion’s share of donations came from Pinehurst and the surrounding Sandhills? Pinehurstmagazine.com 39
The Harness Track Restaurant by Adam Sobsey
© McKenzie Photography
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The bright, homey little Track Restaurant, hard to spot off to the left of the Fair Barn, serves hearty, tasty, unpretentious breakfast and lunch seven days a week. Breakfast is available all day, in fact, but at lunchtime you’ll want to try the Reuben. Portions are huge, prices small, and Joy, who’s likely to be your waitress, couldn’t be friendlier. Ditto the customers, who are mostly locals and regulars - the kind of folks who’ll help an oldtimer feeling the pains and strains of age get up from his seat and out to his car. The Track Restaurant feels like the long-loved institution it is: it’s been going strong for 90 years, and owned by the same family for the last 18. They’re from New York (but don’t hold that against them they’ve got horse racing ties), and you can tell not only from some of the Yankee memorabilia on the wall but by chatting with Glenn, one of the cooks, whose Noo Yawk accent is a dead giveaway while he’s cracking wise (and eggs) at the griddle.
Calendar of Events march & april Spring Home & Garden Expo March 2-8 The Fair Barn 200 Beulah Hill Road South | Pinehurst 910.295.0166 | www.thefairbarn.org
Springtime Holiday Shoppe ARts & Craft Show March 14 | 10am-5pm 114 Knight Street | Southern Pines 910.528.7052
69th Fayetteville Camellia Festival March 7-8 | 10am-5pm 536 North Eastern Blvd. | Fayetteville www.fayettevillecamelliaclub.org
Youth Music Festival Competition and Concert March 14 & 15 Weymouth Center Southern Pines | 910.692.6261
Meet the Artists March 7 | 12-3pm 905 Linden Road | Pinehurst 910.255.0665
Margo and the Pricetags March 15 | 6:46pm 114 Knight Street | Aberdeen 910.944.7502 | theroosterswife.org
Zumba March 9 | 5:30-6:30pm 106 Vass-Carthage Road | Carthage 910.722.4003
Women of Weymouth Program: Bunky the Bee Man March 16 | 9:30-11am Weymouth Center Southern Pines | 910.692.6261
Sandhills Photography Club Meeting Second Monday of the Month March 9 & April 13 | 7pm 3300 Airport Road | Southern Pines 910.692.6920 | sandhillsphotoclub.org
Coolsculpting Event March 16 | 6-8pm 375 Pinehurst Avenue #3 Southern Pines 910.725.1639
NC Symphony: Grant conducts Eroica March 12 | 8pm 250 Voit Gilmore Lane | Southern Pines 877.627.6724 | www.ncsymphony.org Live Music at the Jefferson Inn March 13 | 8-11pm 150 W. New Hampshire Avenue Southern Pines | 910.692.9911 ShamRock ’N’ Roll Road Race 10k, 5k and Leprechaun Leap March 14 | 8am-12pm 14 Hardee Lane | Whispering Pines www.shamrocknrollrace.com
7th Annual Lunch with Legends March 17 | 11:30am 6255 West Quincy Avenue | Pinehurst 910.673.2330 | www.lwvmc.org 17th Annual Kelly Cup Golf Championship March 18 | 11:30am 80 Carolina Vista Drive | Pinehurst 910.692.3323 sandhillschildrenscenter.org Carolina International CIC and Horse Trials March 19-22 Carolina Horse Park carolinahorsepark.com Round Table Meeting Business Networking March 20 | 7:30-8:30am Moore County Chamber of Commerce Southern Pines | 910.692.3000 The Coalition Resale Shops 25th Anniversary March 20 | 2-4pm 1117 West Pennsylvania Avenue Southern Pines | 910.693.1600
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NC Poetry Society: Sam Ragan Day with Poet Laureate Shelby Stephenson March 21 | Weymouth Center Free and open to the public Southern Pines | 910.692.6261 Growing Vegetables in Containers March 21 | 10am-12pm Sandhills Horticultural Gardens sandhillshorticulturalgardens.com Celebrate Music Education in Moore County with Music Director Grant Llewellyn March 21 | 5pm 1 Carolina Vista Drive | Pinehurst 877.627.6724 | ncsymphony.org Amadeus March 21 | 7:30-9:30pm 250 Voit Gilmore Road | Southern Pines 910.433.4690 fayettevillesymphony.org Prancing Horse: Annual Barn Dance 2015 March 26 | 6-10pm 200 Beulah Hill Road South | Pinehurst 910.246.3202 | prancing-horse.org Palustris Art Festival March 26-29 250 Voit Gilmore Road | Southern Pines 910.433.4690 | PalustrisFestival.com Palmis Trio with Allen Ware on clarinet, Concert March 29 | 3pm Weymouth Center Southern Pines | 910.692.6261 64th Stoneybrook Steeplechase April 4 The Carolina Horse Park 2814 Montrose Road | Raeford 910.875.2074 www.carolinahorsepark.com Women of the Pines 40th Annual Rummage Sale April 8 | 8am-1pm Old West End Gym
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Symphonie Fantastique April 9 | 8pm 250 Voit Gilmore Lane | Southern Pines 877.627.6724 | www.ncsymphony.org Creating a Rock Garden in the Sandhills April 10 | 1pm Sandhills Community College Pinehurst | 910.695.3882 landscapegardening@sandhills.edu Sandhills Horticultural Society Plant Sale April 11 | 8am-12pm Sandhills Community College Pinehurst | 910.695.3882 sandhillshorticulturalgardens.com Weymouth Center for The Arts & Humanities Plant Sale April 11 | 9am-1pm Weymouth Center 910.949.3999 | Pinehurst Habitat for Humanity of the NC Sandhills: Gala 2015 April 11 | 8pm 80 Carolina Vista Drive | Pinehurst 910.295.1934 | sandhillshabitat.org African Heritage in Southern Food Lecture April 12 | 3pm 170 West Connecticut Avenue Southern Pines | 910.692.8235 Concert: Pianist Dmitri Shteinberg April 12 | 3pm Weymouth Center Southern Pines | 910.692.6261 2015 Southern Pines Garden Club Home & Garden Tour April 15 | 10am-4pm 482 East Connecticut Avenue Southern Pines | 910.695.3980
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Fine Art & Antique Appraising: “Sleuthing Values in Real Life” Lecture by Debra Rhodes Smith April 15 & 22 | 4-6pm 109 Van Dusen Hall | Pinehurst 910.695.3980 Women of the Pines 40th Annual Rummage Sale April 18 | 8am-1pm Old West End Gym Under Magnolia: An Evening with Frances Mayes April 19 | 4pm Weymouth Center Southern Pines | 910.692.6261 Women of Weymouth: Spring Wreath & Centerpiece Demo April 20 | 9:30am Weymouth Center Southern Pines | 910.692.6261 Luncheon featuring Sheriff Neil Godfrey April 21 | 11:30am 2205 Midland Drive | Pinehurst 910.944.9611 | www.lwvmc.org
Pinehurst Garden Club’s Bedding Plant Sale Benefiting Student’s Educational Field Trip April 24, 1-5pm | April 25, 10am2pm 910.695.3883 sandhillshorticulturalgardens.com Annual Plant Sale April 25 | 10am-3pm 405 Magnolia Road | Pinehurst 910.295.3798 Lunch and Learn in the Gardens with JJ Faulk April 27 | 12-1pm Ball Visitors Center | Pinehurst 910.695.3882 Run for the Roses April 29 The Fair Barn | Pinehurst 910.295.0166 | www.thefairbarn.org Pinehurst Concours D’Elegance May 2 Pinehurst Resort Clubhouse pinehurstconcours.com 910.973.6594 Three Dog Night concert May 2 Pinehurst Resort Clubhouse pinehurstconcours.com 910.973.6594
Have an important event? We would love to hear about it. Please send the details of your calendar events to: michelle@pinehurstmagazine.com.
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WATCH THE SUNRISE
What is a theater for? And who decides? These buildings where we go to be entertained, absorb culture, have a social experience, perhaps widen our window on the world a little - do their offerings sometimes seem rather narrow, variations on the same things? And don’t we usually have a passive relationship to our theaters? We take what they give us and leave it at that.
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The many stages of a Southern Pines cultural treasure.
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The Sunrise Theater is a treasure of Southern Pines’ own making. It is a movie theater most nights, an incoming beam from the great palaces of art on weekends, a house of many revivals in summer, and always a place for locals to rent out - a place for use. The Sunrise is exactly what Southern Pines wants it to be - a community chest, an activist theater. Most of the operating budget is generated by donation. Most of the labor is volunteer. Many of the volunteers have been coming to the theater since they were kids - it’s a part of their heritage, which is largely why it still exists. On the Sunrise website, an old photo of the theater has the 1948 movie So Dear to My Heart on the marquee. That is what the Sunrise Theater is: dear to Southern Pines’ heart. Not long ago, there was a live performance at the Sunrise of Our Town. That, too, is what the Sunrise Theater is: a reflection of the town in which it operates. The heart of the Sunrise’s programming is its movies. These change weekly, drawn from the wellspring of independent films that are the artistic lifeblood of American cinema - no blockbusters here. The offerings are richer, generally quieter, sometimes riskier. (I saw the uncomfortable gender-bent road movie Transamerica here a few years ago.) The Sunrise has a committee that meets regularly to plan programming, which is refreshingly improvisational and flexible - in January, February’s calendar was still mostly blank. This open approach allows the committee to make decisions appropriate to the moment. Golden Globe winners and Oscar nominees began popping up in January. For the last few years, the Sunrise has participated in the Metropolitan Opera’s “Live in HD” programming, streaming performances onto the screen. Now they’ve added a similar program from the Bolshoi Ballet. The March 8th Bolshoi event is Romeo and Juliet, with champagne and mimosas. The community meets the art in the middle, bringing its own extravagances to the show - and they come in the right costumes, too. Theatergoers got dressed up when Casablanca was shown as part of the summer classics series, and there were plenty of robe-wearing Dudes in the house for 46 Pinehurstmagazine.com
© McKenzie Photography
The Big Lebowski. The Sunrise is also a rental space. High school productions, recitals, and other locally-based events happen here. Scheduled programming steps aside to accommodate them - if you need a stage, it’s here: a place for Southern Pines to perform the life of its community, by and for its community. The theater’s history is well known by now. Until the 1980s, it was a conventional movie theater feeling the effects of the cineplex. Financially imperiled, it had to be either abandoned or reimagined. Southern Pines chose the latter. The Arts Council of Moore County commandeered it, along with Sandhills Little Theater. It became a performing arts center. By the 1990s, it evolved again. A nonprofit organization called the Sunrise Preservation Group was formed to operate the theater, and ten years ago the group became the owner of the building. “It’s rare to find a place like this,” says Aimee Rotting, who has been a house manager at the Sunrise since April 2014. Her route to the job was very much in the spirit of the theater. She
liked going there as a patron to see movies and performances, and one day she was having a glass of wine across the street at The Wine Cellar. She started talking with the manager of the theater. He needed a house manager. She needed a second job. She was hired. Aimee took us around the intimate but surprisingly capacious 361-seat theater. It’s a handsome venue in good repair - it’s a sign of health when the next item on a nonprofit theater’s wish list is nothing more than cupholders for the seats. There’s a state-of-the-art digital projector up in the old projection room, the centerpiece of a fairly recent equipment upgrade (reel to reel is on its way out). Aimee lamented the recent increase of concessions prices, but they’re still lower than most other theaters - and you can get a Southern Pines Brewing Company draft beer for $5. The Sunrise has two fundraisers each year. Raise the Roof is a fun wintertime variety show, but it’s the annual July Blues Crawl that is in many ways the soul of the theater. The Sunrise Preservation Group works with the Hillsborough-based Music Maker Relief Foundation to organize a town-wide festival of traditional music, anchored by the Sunrise stage. The musicians, many of them long struggling to make ends meet, are paid for their performances, which serve the additional purpose of raising money for the theater itself. The Blues Crawl epitomizes the best of the Sunrise: it both supports the theater and is supported by what it presents. Pinehurstmagazine.com 47
A Tradition Evolves
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By Corbie Hill Photography by Chris Walt Photography
The Sandhills as we all know, has much to offer in the way of entertaining and traditions. The equestrian community in our area has roots as deeply anchored as those of the golfing legacy. And the annual showcase and pride of the Sandhills’ horse country is a homegrown steeplechase where attendees dress up, pull out the fancy silver and set up a swank picnic spread. The Stonybrook Steeplechase is a
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Sandhills tradition dating to the 40s, when Irish rider Michael “Mickey” Walsh moved to Southern Pines and bought a stable. It’s evolved and moved – today it calls Raeford’s Carolina Horse Park home – though its survival hasn’t always been guaranteed. When events and logistics manager Abby Schlicht came on in late 2009 to plan the 2010 event, attendance had been flagging. “They had a pretty bad year as far
© Chris Walt Photography, Courtesy of Carolina Horse Park
STONYBROOK STEEPLECHASE:
© Chris Walt Photography, Courtesy of Carolina Horse Park
Courtesy of Carolina Horse Park
as attendance – the year before, it rained. It wasn’t great,” she says. Thinking memories were enough to bring people in, the park had stopped advertising; it didn’t work. “So I got brought in to bring it back.” Today, the Steeplechase is a mix of local tradition and new ideas. Sure, it retains the reunion feel it has for years – some perennially reserve the same tailgating spot and others run into old classmates here – yet elements of Stonybrook continue to evolve. Case in point: 2015 is the first year the steeplechase is using Etix.com – a more familiar website to concertgoers than horse-racing fans – to sell tickets. “One of the things with Stoneybrook is, we’re always looking at how we can make it better,” Schlicht says. “It’s not like it’s this simple formula where every time we run it it’s the exact same thing.” New this year, too, is Frontstretch Fest – a hipper, trendier event-within-an-event. With a jazz band, bourbon and local beer tastings, vendors and, the separately-ticketed Frontstretch offers a party for young professionals. And then there’s the raison d’etre itself – the race, which many jockeys love because of the excellent turf at Carolina Horse Park. And though some racing experts attend, many come for the mix of equestrian tradition and social reunion. And Schlicht is glad she could help keep the Steeplechase going – 64 years and counting. “I look back to 2010 and where we were then and where we are now,” she says. “I’m amazed that in five years we’ve taken it as far as we have.”
Courtesy of Carolina Horse Park
Courtesy of Carolina Horse Park
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Custodians of a vanished world
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At the Pinehurst CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE, the love of classic cars is an excitement worth sharing By Corbie Hill Photography by Don McKenzie and David Droschak
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Les Holden and his wife with a Heroic Soldier during the Iron Mike Rally.
Meet the judge. His name is Nigel Matthews, and he’s been working on cars his whole life. The British-born Canadian replaced his first transmission at age nine. Today, he’s an internationally respected Concours d’Elegance judge who, in 2015, will travel all over the U.S. and as far as India. This will also be his third year at Pinehurst’s Concours, and his first as chief judge. He has a sharp eye, and he can catch repair or restoration shortcuts invisible to many people. He has an affinity for preservation cars — aging vehicles that have been tenderly kept in shape, rather than rebuilt — and he identifies with antique car owners who put in the work themselves, rather than simply paying someone else to do it. To Matthews, authenticity matters. “If somebody has painted the car a wild color just because they like pink or whatever, that will certainly detract from the points,” he says. Meet the entrant. His name is Les Holden, and he specializes in Brass Era cars— automobiles preceding the Ford assembly lines, the First World War, and the discovery of Pluto. He lives in Southern Pines and it’ll be his third time at this Concours, too. Of his five cars, he’s shown four, so this year he’s bringing the remaining one, a large 1910 Buick. It’s a preservation car he bought 15 years ago; it had 9,200 miles on it then, and he’s added about 4,500. When Holden shows his cars, he dresses 52 Pinehurstmagazine.com
the part, arriving in period-appropriate style. and his outfits — open His century-old cars — a window to a vanished automotive ecosystem. “There was certainly more individuality,” Holden says of Brass Era cars. “Most of them were hand-built until Henry cranked up his assembly line in 1913, so some of these early cars, every part will be hand-stamped with the car number. So I like to call it art.” On May 2nd, dozens of head-turning cars descend on Pinehurst for its third Concours d’Elegance. There will be Brass Era antiques and luxury vehicles, race cars and rare autos, all competing in what amounts to an upscale beauty pageant. Some of them will give honor rides to Heroic Soldiers as part of the Iron Mike Rally, chauffeuring them from Pinehurst to Fort Bragg, escorted by local police and MPs. The Concours also benefits the USO of North Carolina. “It’s great to be around these American heroes and talk with them,” Holden says. The soldiers get to ride in rare or antique luxury vehicles they may otherwise never have heard of. And the car owners get a good reason to bring these valuable vehicles out of the garage. “Let’s face it, when you ask somebody to bring their car to an event like this and they travel hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles, at great expense to them, there has to be a reason to do it,” says Matthews — at least
more reason than a mere trophy. “I think you’ll find a number of people support that [the Pinehurst Concours] because of who Pinehurst is supporting.” Joe Parsons, who owns two Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) awardwinning Studebakers, agrees; though the cars require regular maintenance, he’ll happily drive them a few extra miles if it means a special experience for the Heroic Soldiers. Parsons’ cars are both Pinehurst Concours award-winners, too. “Both won a second place award,” he says. Parsons isn’t competing at Pinehurst this year, but he’s been twice — his two Studebakers, a 1958 Golden Hawk and a 1963 Avanti, both proudly bear Iron Mike decals on their upper right windshields — and he has good memories. One soldier gave Parsons the hat he wore in Afghanistan, he recalls, and the two remained in touch. A lot can come out of sharing these cars. As Matthews believes, it’s an imperative. “I don’t believe that we own these vehicles,” he says in his Vancouver-tempered British accent. “I think we are just the custodians.” The Concours world is largely an old boys club, Matthews says, and he’d like to see the younger generation more involved. Part of that, he admits, is the fault of the baby boomer owners; they weren’t likely to include their children in their antique autos hobby. “I think we’ve skipped a generation because dad’s pridePinehurstmagazine.com 53
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Nigel Matthews holding a tablet during judging at the Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance.
and-joy car in the garage was always put up on a pedestal,” Matthews says. “‘That’s dad’s car. Don’t touch it. Don’t go near it.’” As grandparents, these owners are more relaxed and willing to bring their grandkids in on the hobby, but there’s still the question of the middle generation. Matthews’ own son, 35, has no interest. When kids are involved, though, they develop the passion. Parsons, like Matthews, was working on and around cars at a young age. His father, Chester, owned a Studebaker dealership, and Parsons was out driving a tow truck on the Pennsylvania Turnpike at age 16. He remembers those years fondly — the late 50s, the early 60s — when legitimate excitement surrounded the release of a new model. Showroom windows were covered with paper, and nobody knew what the car would look like — not until the showing. Dealers would give out little commemorative models of the cars and everything. 54 Pinehurstmagazine.com
“The excitement of new cars coming out, it’s kind of lost its pizzazz a little bit,” Parsons says. It was an exciting time, and he wanted to stay in the family business. It wasn’t in the cards, though. In October 1962 his father came home from prepping the showroom for the ‘63 models, complaining of indigestion. By 3 a.m. the pain was severe — he was having a heart attack. An ambulance came, but it was too late. Parsons was a senior at Ohio University, and he’d been planning a trip home to see the new models already. Instead, he came back for a funeral. Studebaker took the new cars back and Parsons had no choice but to liquidate his father’s remaining inventory: 18 used cars, shop equipment, and parts. He couldn’t get enough money for the parts, so he buried them. Soon they were under a soccer field. Yet Studebaker was in his blood, and one of
his cars — the Avanti — is the year, model, and color his dad always wanted. “Every time we encounter a young person who shows the slightest interest in these cars, we need to take a step back and spend five or ten minutes with them and encourage them,” says Matthews. He recalls a story the car-loving Jay Leno told him; when Leno was young and riding his bike around his neighborhood, he spotted a Jaguar and stopped to take a look. The owner came out of the house and gave Leno a ride around the block — and he was hooked. With kids and cars, a little goes a long way. So Matthews believes in giving the young a chance to get their foot in the door, and he appreciates that Pinehurst’s teams include two seasoned judges and a young person to help operate the judging tablet, as the judges aren’t always tech-savvy. Yet it’s in modern technology that things come full circle, as cars were modern tech in the Brass Era; the young were excited and knowledgeable and kept up with all the developments, while the older generation threw their hands up in confusion. “It’s kind of like today. A lot of people don’t enjoy computers,” Holden says. A century ago, salesmen catered to the 19-or 20-year-old chauffeurs, not the 40-or 50-year-old owners. “I have a car in my garage; it was purchased in New York in 1909, and it was chauffeur driven — I can’t say the chauffeur picked it out, but I can say he played a large part in picking it out.” If these owners are the custodians of these cars, it seems the next step is connecting to the next generation of restorers — that is, the next generation of custodians. It may be the wisdom of hindsight in action, as Matthews recalls himself and other baby boomers encouraging their kids to become doctors, lawyers and accountants, even as they maintained a “hands-off ” attitude with their cars. Yet it’s tradesmen who keep these historical cars running — people like Matthews, who have been mechanics since they were grade school age, and who dedicate their lives to the service of these fantastic cars. “Look at me - I started out as a tradesman and it has taken me down so many career paths, it is unbelievable,” he says. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think my life would turn out this way.” Pinehurstmagazine.com 55
Junior Achievement
U.S. Kids Golf World Championships Poised to Celebrate 10th Anniversary in Sandhills By David Droschak Photos courtesy of U.S. Kids Golf
On the surface, they appeared to be such strange partners – a small army of junior golfers converging on one of the state’s premier retirement locations. What in the name of teenage puberty was the connection? Well, 10 years later, it appears there was a union, a bond for those who hang their hats on championships like the U.S. Open, who take just as much pride now in 2,000 youths journeying from all parts of the globe - filling 56 Pinehurstmagazine.com
up hotel rooms and devouring chicken tenders - to the Sandhills each summer to compete on a world stage. As many as 650 volunteers gladly help facilitate one of the area’s largest events each year, as do 13 area courses and golf pros who donate their facilities, time and efforts in the name of “growing the game.” “U.S. Kids Golf is dedicated to helping kids have fun learning the lifelong game of golf and encouraging family interaction that
builds lasting memories,” said Dan Van Horn, founder of U.S. Kids Golf. “We are so honored to partner with Pinehurst and the surrounding golf communities to fulfill our mission for growing the game with a family focus. Every year, we’re able to bring the best junior golfers and their families from around the world to the home of American golf.” The future of golf is its youth, but it’s so much more than that, according to some of those who are deeply involved in junior golf in and around Pinehurst. “It works because it’s fun; it works because it creates a deeper interest than just playing golf on Saturday afternoon with your dad or your friend,” golf pro Dale Briggs of Knollwood Fairways and Driving Range said of the world championship event. “It’s a chance to go out there and compete in a big setting. Sure, high school golf is important and the local junior tours are important, but the world championship is a big deal. You ARE somebody when you make it to the world championship.” Stuart Taylor played in the Donald Ross Junior Championship in the 1960s and ended up migrating to the area as a golf pro. He even once hired the younger Briggs to work for him. The senior citizen Taylor now is the PGA Director of the Eastern Junior Golf Association and a major proponent of kids learning the game…but more importantly enjoying the game. He fondly recalls golf, golf and more golf as a youngster. “I remember my junior days like it was yesterday,” Taylor said. “We would do fun things like go find golf balls or chip over some bushes. Sometimes we would play six holes, and if we weren’t doing so good we would start over. That was back in the day of walking and cheap golf. There is nothing that makes me happier than to see some kids with bags over their shoulders, going down the fairway, just jabbering and seeing them enjoying each other’s company, getting fresh
air. My bag was canvas and it had a stick in it to keep it from collapsing. Man, I thought I had something. I used to beg my dad to let me off at the golf course and not pick me up until dark.” Aside from a leg of the world championship held at his facility each summer, Briggs stages four weeks of golf camp for juniors, with the help of Taylor, both of whom have created a unique approach to teaching 10-year-olds the game of golf. Snack time is as important as tee time. Fun is the name of the game, not necessarily golf all the time. “It’s not just about hitting balls. We encourage them to play,” Taylor said. “The first day of Dale’s camp is so unique. Most of the 15 or 16 kids haven’t played very much, and they don’t have many skills. It doesn’t matter, the first day they get here, even if they’ve never touched a club, they are playing golf. We play a little four-person, 50-yard scramble. They are a team and they are walking, playing maybe six or nine holes.” “I’ll tell them to grab just a putter and two clubs, that’s it,” added Briggs. “They take a few balls and put them in their pocket instead of lugging a bag – you know, all these deterrents that end up being an issue with kids. We give them something that’s not such a road block, so they don’t want to immediately go back to the video games.” Taylor agrees that creating a team concept helps keep interest at camp…and beyond. “By the time they get through with the first day they’re saying, ‘I can’t wait to come back here tomorrow,” ’ Taylor said. “We have the best time, and that’s what golf needs to be about. After the first day you can’t keep them from coming back. We have a Pinehurstmagazine.com 57
long drive contest with Wiffle Balls. We have a putting contest and let them build the course with strings and tees. It’s fun stuff.” “Baseball, football and soccer will always have an advantage in school because kids leave the classroom and go to an arena or out the back door to a field,” Briggs said. “Golf is not at the school. It is somewhere else. There is transportation involved, and there is a cost.” In other words, golf in general has to work harder and smarter to attract – and retain – teens. Briggs and Taylor believe a change in attitude is the first step. “We’re at a point in time where just chasing after kids isn’t the way to get this game healthy,” Briggs said. “We need to put fun back in the ballgame by taking away some of these oldfashioned ideas that some of the clubs and golfers are hanging onto and move on; we’ve got to change the mentality. What’s wrong with nine holes? What’s wrong with a hole where you almost drive the green, chip it up there and make a birdie? That’s pretty cool.” Briggs doesn’t make as much cash giving juniors lessons, but his gratification level is off the charts. “The difference is the kids want to get better, and physically they are capable of getting stronger and better and don’t have the distractions of life,” he said. “It’s much more of 58 Pinehurstmagazine.com
a fun environment. Their expectations are much more manageable because you can set those expectations. When the adult comes in, they are paying you; that sets their expectations and they think, ‘I’m getting a lesson and going on the PGA Tour tomorrow.’ But they don’t have time to practice because they have life distractions, they are raising a family, and in this town they may have a new knee, a new shoulder - so you’re dealing with the challenges of that. “Let’s face it, the kids are less damaged by the tips of friends. If you are an adult and you go play golf and hit a bad shot, your buddy is going to tell you to keep your head down and that you are swinging too hard. From a technical standpoint, it’s pure or it’s tainted. The kid is pure, and that’s what makes it fun for me. I can see the kid improve.” There are organizations such as the Tarheel Youth Golf Association (TYGA), which is a division of the Carolinas Golf Association, to help encourage junior play. The TYGA was formed in 1996 to offer CGA membership to juniors in North Carolina who are not members of a traditional golf or country club. In addition, TYGA provides playing opportunities for its members, conducts educational seminars and events, acts as a junior golf informational clearinghouse, publishes monthly North Carolina junior rankings, and awards player of the year and all-state awards. And again this summer, the best junior golfers will come from over 50 countries around the world, traveling to Pinehurst from as far as 12,500 miles away. They will play 6,000 competitive rounds of golf or more than 100,000 holes of golf over three days. And that doesn’t include over 50 holes for practice rounds. “Let me tell you about golf,” Briggs said. ‘‘You can play in China, Japan or Brazil, it’s the same game. There is a language of golf that goes around the world that everybody understands. You may not be able to talk about it after your round, but that score is a score and that out-ofbounds marker is an out-of-bounds marker. “The way the game has been moved around the world, it is a universal language. It brings a lot of people together, and in this world right now we need a lot of that.”
Pinehurst No. 2
Opening Some Eyes
Recent USGA Championships Tee Up Stay-and-Play Business in the Sandhills Story and Photos By David Droschak The U.S. Opens have come and gone … or have they? Martin Kaymer and Michelle Wie took home the hardware with their victories last June, but it’s the golf industry in the Sandhills … in particular the stay-and-play sector of the business – that’s claiming victory this spring. “A lot of people had maybe not forgotten about the area but hadn’t seen it in the national spotlight since 2005,” said Caleb Miles, president and CEO of the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Some were down here for the first time or some saw it on TV for the first time. The nice thing about it was the new look of Pinehurst No. 2; it fascinated a lot of people. It created a lot of new attention, and all those things got connected.”
“When you have a U.S. Open come through you get a lot of eyeballs,” added Greg Austin, owner of AME Golf, one of the leaders of golf packaging in the area. “I would say during non-U.S. Open years my main business is along the Eastern Seaboard. But I just booked a group from California, and Pinehurst No. 2 had to be on their list.” With some 500 golf holes to choose from, charming and iconic lodging options, the quaint Village of Pinehurst, an emerging and eclectic Southern Pines scene, and unrivaled golfing history, what’s not to like about heading to the Sandhills for some fairways and fresh air? “With the Opens being here people either have Pinehurst No. 2 on their bucket list, or a lot of golfers will come to the Home of American Golf and won’t get within a few miles of No. 2 because Pinehurstmagazine.com 59
The first hole at Tobacco Road Golf Club
they’re playing some of the other 40 courses we have in the area,” Miles said. “It all works. It’s all whatever the consumer wants to use as their definition of playing in the area. Either way they will go home and tell people about it.” Kerry Andrews, a spokeswoman for Pinehurst Resort, said bookings at the resort for stay-andplay packages are comparable to 2006, or after the 2005 U.S. Open and before the economy took a major chunk out of the golf travel industry seven years ago. “We’ve had a very good year coming out of the Opens,” Andrews said. “We find that to be a really, really good sign. Stay-and-play packages are our business model. People like the fact that everything is included. They don’t have to drive anywhere because we have a shuttle service. Generally, breakfast and dinner are included. There aren’t a lot of resorts that have nine courses, and very few that have five that go out of one clubhouse. We have such a variety of golf, and folks also come for the tradition. It’s amazing how many people you see just walking up and down the hallways of the clubhouse.” Stay-and-play golf packages mean many things to many golfers. Some groups are on strict budgets when they decide on a Sandhills golf stop, while others spare no expense and strive for the ultimate experience. Some want luxury accommodations, while others prefer to spend their “green” on the greens. Still others drive from Raleigh, Greensboro or Charlotte for a weekend getaway. And Chad Derusseau of Legacy Golf Links in Aberdeen says the Internet has changed the way golf packaging is executed by the end users. A majority of golfers used to stay at hotels, which 60 Pinehurstmagazine.com
would refer them to certain courses. Now they can log on to sites such as Legacy Golf Packages and book with a click of a few key strokes. Seeing the lodging options – complete with photos – make the buyer more comfortable. “We used to get calls all the time at the golf shop requesting packaging. We finally said, ‘Why aren’t we doing these ourselves?’ All of our houses and condos are privately owned, so they are in our rental pool,” said Derusseau, who has been at Legacy since 2000. “We market them for the owners and fill them up. Golfers can really see what they are getting.” “When golfers call the area they are looking for a high quality golf experience; they are not looking to be another number, another guy in line, a volume-type of situation,” added Joe Gay, director of golf at award-winning Tobacco Road and an expert in the golf packaging industry for more than a decade. “They are looking for a more laid-back atmosphere, and we certainly can provide that in the Sandhills.” Gay and Austin of AME Golf said the golf inventory in the area is unrivaled, and that Pinehurst No. 2 and Pine Needles Resort, which hosted three U.S. Women’s Opens within the last two decades, help fuel the state, regional, national and international interest. And Tobacco Road in Sanford was recently voted as one of the world’s top 50 courses by a group of golf course architects, while Legacy Golf Links was voted the Pinehurst Area Golf Course of the Year in 2014 by the National Golf Course Owners Association. “It does help to have some accolade to hang your hat on,” Derusseau said. “We recently had one group that was literally flipping a coin deciding which course to play, and picked Legacy because of the golf course owner’s award.” “At Tobacco Road, they are looking for an experience unlike any other golf course or other golf destination,” added Gay. “We’ve got several golfing products in the area that you just can’t get anywhere else. The so-called poster children of our area have carried the banner well, and people know of the high quality of golf, so we have inherited a good travel reputation. And Caleb is fond of saying the Sandhills has the highest density of golf holes per capita than any place in
the world. That doesn’t hurt our cause either.” Austin added: “I have some groups that are knocking off all of the big ones, they bounce around to different places every year and that’s kind of fun for me. Of course, No. 2 seems to be on a lot of the lists this year.” Austin likes to limit his bookings in order to provide the ultimate customer service. He executed 92 stay-and-play packages in 2014, but is already at 70 so far this year. He believes another factor is “in play” other than a residual fallout from the Opens being in town.
Fazio Find How spectacular are Forest Creek’s luxury suites, situated on the second floor of its 46,000 square foot clubhouse? Impressive enough for the famed golf course architect himself – Tom Fazio – to own one of 11 that went on sale in 2011. At times, noted golf course architects hand pick prime property for their designs, and with more than 200 golf layouts to his name, the fact that Fazio placed some roots at the private Southern Pines digs certainly made an impression with the membership. The suites are reserved for the private club’s membership and/or guests. The stunning clubhouse is an elegant white structure that has the look and feel of a private home, with four fireplaces and a library. The upstairs suites include a veranda, providing one of the best golf views across the Sandhills. “A large percentage of our membership is a national membership,” said Forest Creek COO John Buser. “We wanted to provide an opportunity for those who maybe haven’t fully located here with something easy and convenient. And our lodging is certainly kind of an old-school approach, harking back to a day when golfers used to stay at the club with all the activities right there.” 62 Pinehurstmagazine.com
“Through the 15 years in the business I’ve really learned a lot about the booking cycle and how the economy affects things, how the weather affects things,” he said. “And gas prices being low now don’t hurt at all. It makes people want to get in the car and travel.” Here are some interesting facts for Moore County (the home of most of Sandhills golf ) from Miles, who estimates that 40 percent of the county’s tourism dollars can be directly tied to the golf industry. • Hotel occupancy increased six percent in 2014 over the prior year. • The Average Daily Rate (ADR) for the year grew 17 percent over the same period. • Total hotel revenues topped 2013 totals by 23 percent (would have been seven percent without the U.S. Open Championships). •
Total visitor spending in 2013 for Moore County topped $410 million (11th highest in the state), marking a record year. Totals for 2014 will be released this summer.
“Why is stay-and-play so successful here?” Gay said. “Well, with so many golf courses in a small area we have a lot of value choices. The Sandhills can compete with a Myrtle Beach or a Santee, yet on the upper end of the spectrum we can compete with a Bandon Dunes or Pebble Beach experience. With so much concentration A view of the rear of the 46,000 square foot Forest Creek clubhouse, with 11 suites overlooking the scenic South Course.
Legacy Golf Links offers some picturesque water holes and customized package lodging.
of golf courses in the area, we have it all. “And because we don’t have all the traffic and the courses are close together, it makes for a great golf experience. I have been on golf trips where one day you might have to play 30 minutes south and the next day it may only be 10 miles up the road, but you’re stuck in traffic the whole way there. I feel like you don’t just have to stay on the north end or the south end … you can play anywhere you want here, and for the most part you are going to be from the parking lot of your hotel to your golf course destination in 15 minutes.”
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Shop Pinehurst support locally-owned, independent businesses
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Shop Southern Pines support locally-owned, independent businesses
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Healthy Living
Milestones measured by Moments
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By Tara Ledford for The Foundation of FirstHealth
“Life Isn’t a Matter of
Milestones, But of Moments” - Rose Kennedy. Never has this quote been more accurately applied than with The Foundation of FirstHealth’s Cancer CARE Fund. Started in 2000 by the vision of the late Ruth Lyman Watkins as a way to directly support cancer patients in our community, the Cancer CARE Fund recently reached a $1 million distribution milestone in its goal to help cancer patients and their families in the FirstHealth community. Since its beginning, the Cancer CARE Fund has
directly assisted about 5,000 cancer patients and their families, providing help in very trying times. Most of the money has gone toward transportation expenses involved in getting patients to and from their treatment since many of them live outside the immediate Moore County area. It has also helped with medication costs, wigs, prostheses, nutritional supplements and other needs that are related to cancer diagnosis and treatment. “Many who receive help are amazed and deeply touched when they learn that Cancer CARE Fund monies are donated by members of the community Pinehurstmagazine.com 67
RUN
For the ribbons
Run for the Ribbons is an annual family celebration that raises cancer awareness and promotes healthy lifestyle choices including fitness, healthy eating and education on cancer prevention. Join us for our 5K and Family Fun Run 1K as families throughout the Sandhills community pledge to be active together to promote healthy lifestyles that help prevent cancer. This year’s event will continue to support the efforts of the Cancer CARE Fund, and highlight the many patients assisted in Richmond County and its surrounding areas. By partnering with the Discovery Place KIDS, the effort brings together health and youth and provides a platform for the community to come together in unity to make a difference. All proceeds benefit The Foundation of FirstHealth’s Cancer CARE Fund and Discovery Place KIDS-Rockingham. 5K Fee: $30 pre-registration until April 14th. Add $5 after. 1K Fee: $15 pre-registration through race day. Race registration includes FREE admission to Discovery Place KIDS on the day of the race. Packet pickup is April 17th from 5-7pm across the street from Discovery Place KIDS-Rockingham – or 7am race day at the registration tent.
Register online at active.com or fill out our registration form and mail to: Run for the Ribbons FirstHealth Fitness 170 Memorial Drive Pinehurst, NC 28374 68 Pinehurstmagazine.com
who are generously giving back to assist others,” says Laura Kuzma, Cancer CARE Fund coordinator. “There is something extremely powerful about being embraced by a community that collectively says, ‘We want to take care of each other.’” Kuzma describes the Cancer CARE Fund as “a truly special program supported by a truly special community.” Herself a cancer patient, Ruth Lyman Watkins saw the opportunity to make life choices that would help her fulfill a dream when she was asked to join a group of community leaders united in their common goal of local cancer support. She immediately realized that the dream they all shared could become a reality. Inspired by Watkins’ dream of emotional support and practical assistance, and with the assistance of The Foundation of FirstHealth, the group met for the first time in July 2000. They discussed an initiative based on community-based coordination of clinical expertise, volunteers, philanthropy, education, research and advocacy as related to cancer. The Cancer CARE Fund evolved from that meeting. Established through a charitable trust from Ruth Watkins with The Foundation of FirstHealth, the fund quickly became a milestone for philanthropy. Patients who needed help immediately started getting it. The support of a generous community has never stopped. According to Kuzma, the $1 million distribution milestone is a time to stop and look at all of the “moments” of the Cancer CARE Fund – the longed-for wig, the much-needed walker, the groceries and the medicine. It is also a time to remember: • • •
The overwhelmed young mother who couldn’t get school supplies or clothing for her five children The mastectomy patient who had been filling her bra with tissues because she couldn’t afford a properly fitted prosthesis The patient who needed an eye exam and new glasses because she feared her cancer treatment was causing her to lose her sight
“These are the moments that make up the life of the Cancer CARE Fund,” Kuzma says. “That life continues to move forward every day as needs for cancer patients in our community continue to grow.” The Cancer CARE Fund was the first of The Foundation of FirstHealth’s CARE (Clinical, Advocacy, Resources and Education) Funds. Each of the funds provides support, hope, and safe passage for patients and their families.
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PRP stem cell therapy
Lower inflammation naturally with your own platelets
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By James T. Skeen, MD Regenerative therapy is an
exciting new approach to treatment of musculoskeletal pathology that uses modern understanding of the natural healing process and the patient’s own concentrated resources. We know that inflammation is the body’s attempt to heal or regenerate damaged tissue. When we stop inflammation – with aspirin, ibuprofen or steroids – we are hindering our own natural regenerative process. A different approach is taken by regenerative therapy, in which the body’s natural process is actually concentrated and enhanced using the patient’s own PRP and adult stem cells. PRP is short for platelet rich plasma, which is the 10 percent of a person’s blood that contains all of the platelets and dozens of growth factors. This is the portion of the blood that is responsible for the body’s inflammatory response, which we now know is critically important in a body’s healing, or regenerative, response to injury or degeneration. When injected under the right conditions into damaged tendons, fascia, or partially torn muscles, PRP can stimulate tissue healing and growth of new, healthy tissue.
Stem Cell InjectIon
Stem cell injection along with PRP is often necessary for treatment of significant joint pathology, such as moderate to evere arthritis or cartilage injury. This involves the injection of the patient’s own adult stem cells, harvested from bone marrow or subcutaneous fat on the day of the procedure.
PRP/stem cell treatment seems to work best in acute injuries, partial tear of muscle (think rotator cuff ) and moderate arthritis, or situations in which there is some normal cartilage remaining. “Boneon-bone” situations have slimmer chances of success, but in situations where surgery is contraindicated for medical or age reasons, some patients have had excellent results. In fact, if you consider the risks of joint-replacement surgery – including anesthesia, down time, loss of productivity, risk of failure or infection – PRP stem cell therapy is a reasonable choice prior to surgery, even in the face of severe disease.
Safe and EffectIve
Regenerative therapy is exceedingly safe. It is, after all, the patient’s own, concentrated healing process. Pinehurstmagazine.com 69
The Pros and Cons of Pinehurst No. 2
They’ve All Conquered Pinehurst No. 2
PINEHURST
®
MAGAZIN E
may/june 2014
Planning for Financial Success
History in the Making Pinehurst No. 2 Will Host the U.S. Open and the U.S. Women’s Open Championships in Consecutive Weeks page 36 P I N E H U R S T
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A B E R D E E N
Coming up in the next
in every issue Professional Spotlight | Wine Review | Book Review Calendar of Events | Sandhills Sightings Ask the Pro | Tech Radar | Sunday Supper Healthy Living | Complete the Room
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Depending on where you are in life, financial planning may be on the fore of your mind or just a nagging little afterthought. It is never too soon or too late to let a professional give you great advice on how to stop worrying and start planning your financial future.
Hidden Gems of Southern Pines
Undiscovered places you should make an effort to trek over to and check out - whether you walk, sprint or bike! Southern Pines has a rich history, and whether you were born there or are new to town, there are always special places tucked away waiting for you to explore.
Special Advertising: Real Estate
In the market for a new home, or just like to keep up with what is available in your price range (or fantasize about what you’d buy if you won the lottery?) Let our real estate experts tell you what the status for buying is this spring.
Want your event featured in Sightings?
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SANDHILLS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE The Sandhills Horticultural Society hosted a holiday open house at the Hamwis’ home on December 13th. It was a thank you to the gardening community for all they do to support the Sandhills Horticultural Gardens. 1 Linda Hamwi. 2 Cindy Edgar, Carol Matuza, Terry Lowry, Camille Bailey, Barbara Venditti and Barb Barrett. 3 Les & Jill Fleisher. 4 Linda Hamwi, Bob LaCasse and Becky Smith. 5 Karen Mamuzic and Susie Paints with Gaby. 6 Bruce & Chris Fensley. 7 Christmas chandelier. 1
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COMEDY NIGHT AT ELMCROFT On January 21st Elmcroft Senior Living hosted comedian Mark Klein. The event was open to the public as well as the residents. Refreshments were served, and the evening was enjoyed by all. 1 Comedian Mark Klein, Lori Rakes and Roger Brittingham. 2 Elizabeth Haddock and Carolyn Ward. 3 Harvey Albright, Virginia Royal, Sandy Mashburn and Mike Tardef. 4 Johnny Starling, Angela Barkley, Chauntell Farmer and Ella Ross.
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LANDMARK GARDEN DEDICATION On January 26th the Landmark Garden at The O’Neal School was dedicated. It was named to honor the Landmark Society, which raised the funds to make The O’Neal School fully funded. 1 Designers and installers of the garden: Bart O’Connor Jr. and Sr. with Lynda Acker. 2 Members of the Landmark Society. 3 Stuart Mills, Jaiwant Mulik, George Casey, James Taylor, Sophia Renner and John Elmore, Head of School. 4 Assistant Head of School Dr. Jaiwant Mulik presents a signed aerial photo of the O’Neal campus to Board of Trustees chairman Stuart Mills. Pinehurstmagazine.com 71
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FRIEND TO FRIEND The Friend to Friend organization, which provides services and shelter to domestic violence and sexually abused women, held their annul fundraising luncheon on January 27th. They have provided their services for 28 years.
SANDHILLS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY BODY FLOWER WORKSHOP On February 3rd Carol Dowd, owner of Botanicals in Southern Pines, conducted a workshop. Participants created a brooch, bracelet and corsage with flowers and wire.
1 Donna Mann, Friend to Friend Director Anne Friesen, guest speaker Lise Descóteaux, Nannette Myatt, Elizabeth Garner, Kim Disney and Janeen Lee. 2 Paula Youngblood and Faye Urello. 3 Marilyn Neely, Frances Wilson and Jean Thomas. 4 Women helping women in attendance at the luncheon.
1 Instructor Carol Dowd. 2 Joan Matula and her creations. 3 Beth Cunningham and Mary Longo. 4 June Buchele and Kathy Green. 5 Flower and wire creations.
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YOUNG PEOPLE’S FINE ARTS FESTIVAL The 19th Annual Young People’s Fine Arts Festival awards ceremony and opening reception took place at the Campbell House on February 6th. 1 High School student award winners with Youth Program Director Rollie Sampson. 2 William Hadwen with his artwork. 3 Jane Postlethwaite, art teacher at Episcopal Day School, with her husband Larry. 4 Sydnie & Jeffery Stansel. 5 Tina, Houston, Winston, & Jeff Wrona with Colton Madrigie. 6 Youth Program Director Rollie Sampson and drawing category winner Hanna Fitzgerald. 72 Pinehurstmagazine.com
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KID’S ENCORE CONCERT Over a thousand first and second graders joined the Carolina Philharmonic in two concerts on January 21st as part of a joint program of Moore County Schools and the Philharmonic. The children did not just observe the orchestra, they were the orchestra. 1 Stanley County School Superintendent Dr. Terry Griffin, Anna Stevens, Walt Hess, Kathy Wilford, Betsy Robinson and Dr. Sandra Carter, Assistant Superintendent of Stanley County Schools. 2 Episcopal Day School. 3 Program MC Jua Howard. 4 Southern Pines Primary. 5 Maestro David Michel Wolff off stage. 6 Students in the audience. 7 Tonia, Liam & Chad Lawson. 8 Greg Bradbury, Kathy Jones, Betsy Robinson and David McNeill of Duke Energy. 2
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SEE HOW IT’S DONE On January 11th the Artists League of the Sandhills held an Instructor’s Demonstration Day. League artists, presenting various mediums, demonstrated what they will teach in their winter classes. 1 Marge Swinarton and Lynn Goldhammer. 2 Artist Betty Hendrix, Mona McDonald and Diane Wiltjer. 3 Pat Mc Mahon, artist and Grant Roper. 4 Susan Davis, Peggy Andersen, Liz Stern and Victoria Haidet.
SANDHILLS PRIDE HOLIDAY PARTY The Sandhills Pride organization held its holiday party on December 16th at The Magnolia Inn in Pinehurst. 1 Sandhills Pride Board members: Jules Latham, Neil Ward, Steve Griffin, chairman Michael Edwards and Michelle Yow. 2 Two boxes full of toys were collected by the organization for the Christmas Toys for Tots. 3 Michael & Gerrian Pritchett, Mike Serle and Kira Nunez. Pinehurstmagazine.com 73
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SPELLING BEE On Sunday, February 8th the Moore County Literacy Council hosted the 11th Annual Spelling Bee for Literacy. Money raised is used to support and teach literacy skills to Moore County adults. 1 The winners — The O’Neal School O’Neologists: Jackie Cavallani, Heather Weeks and Jordan Wolfe. 2 Best costume — Linden Lodge Foundation Stigmabusters: Marianne Keman, Chris Laughlin and Nadine Yingling. 3 Best buzz — Southern Pines Rotary Club Rotary Dynasty: Shane English, Lisa Fagan and Rick McDermott. 4 Queen Bee — Moore County Literacy Council Executive Director Beth Daniels. 5 Penick Village — Burro Buddies: Dancing the Honky Tonk, spellers and supporters. 6 Saint Joseph of the Pines — Fighting Saints: Jack Hill, Joe McNeil and Nathan Summers. 1
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CAROLINA PHILHARMONIC HOEDOWN Maestro Wolff and the Philharmonic saddle up for a hoedown adventure into the wild west. Music from classic westerns made for a high-energy concert on February 7th at the Lee Auditorium of Pinecrest High School. 1 David Michael Wolff. 2 Kathy Wilford and Walt Hess. 3 Fayetteville International Youth Symphony conductor, members and family: Jinho Kim, Thomas Follett and Christina, Robert, Stacey, Jenna & James Larkins. 4 Rachel Wolff. 5 Reverend Winston Keene & wife Elaine. 6 Musicians. CORRECTION: In the January/February 2015 article “Where to Sweat in the Sandhills” we inadvertently left out a gym: Fitness Concepts For Life, 985 South Broad Street, Southern Pines, 910.691.2850. We regret the omission. 74 Pinehurstmagazine.com