Triad Golf Magazine April 2024

The Preeminent Golf Publication Designed for Golfers in North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad Region

from the editor

After two years of digital-only, Triad Golf Magazine is back in print! Responding to the clear demand from Triad golfers, we’re excited to announce our return to the shelves of your favorite local golf courses and businesses.

While our online presence remains strong at triadgolf.com, we’ve listened to your feedback and brought back the print edition that made Triad Golf a beloved staple for three decades. Look out for four more print issues this

with plans for even more in 2025.

Under new ownership and with a refreshed look, Triad Golf Magazine promises to deliver the same local content you love. From course highlights to tournament schedules, we’re here to keep you up to date with all things Triad golf.

And what perfect timing for our comeback! Golf is thriving in the Triad, with increased rounds and a surge in interest, especially among younger players. Plus, exciting developments are happening nearby in Pinehurst. First, the long-awaited Pinehurst No. 10 course opens this month, followed by the opening of the United States Golf Association’s Pinehurst Golf House with a public museum in May, and in June, the playing of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

This month’s cover story, which reports on the comeback from hard times of four prominent Triad courses, provides several examples of the improved health of the game under new ownership and management dedicated to restoring the luster of the clubs.

We focus on Forest Oaks, the longtime home of the Greater Greensboro Open. Neglected by previous owners who lost the PGA Tour event, the Southeast Guilford club fell into disrepair which included a temporary shutdown and a significant deterioration of facilities.

But longtime members Terry Lee and Eddie Stephens, who bought the course in 2019, have brought it back to life with renovations of the clubhouse and pool, and the addition of attractions such as a golf simulator and a large patio. The story of the transformation of Forest Oaks is a prime example of the rejuvenation of golf in the Triad, and thus an ideal vehicle for our return issue.

Our cover story also takes a look at Sapona Golf Club in Lexington, Cross Creek Country Club in Mt. Airy, and Tot Hill Farm in Asheboro, other great properties rescued from financial instability by new owners who have made significant financial investments in improvements.

We extend our gratitude to our advertisers whose support made this return possible. The enthusiasm from both advertisers and readers has been overwhelming, and we can’t wait for you to pick up your copy of the new Triad Golf Magazine at your local spot.

Welcome back to print – we’re thrilled to have you with us on this exciting journey!

FOREST OAKS thrives WITH NEW OWNERS, PUBLIC PLAY

Less than five years ago, Forest Oaks Country Club teetered on the brink of extinction. Today, it stands rejuvenated, boasting a golf course and amenities befitting a venue that once proudly hosted a PGA Tour event for three decades, from 1977 to 2007.

Under the stewardship of former members Terry Lee and Eddie Stephens, the Forest Oaks Country Club, nestled in Southeast Greensboro, has undergone a remarkable transformation. Neglected for years, this Ellis Maples-designed golf course has been revitalized through a series of renovations, breathing new life into its once-diminished allure.

On a recent day, Stephens, whose father was once on the club’s Board of Directors, and now runs the day-to-day operations in addition to his “day job” as a certified financial planner, looked out at the course through the dining room’s new large windows and smiled about the club’s resurrection. More than three decades ago, Stephens himself served as the club’s pool manager, underscoring his personal connection to its history.

“It’s been great,” Stephens said, reflecting on the journey since he and Lee acquired the club in August 2019 with a shared vision of restoring its vitality and reestablishing its significance within the community. “We are flourishing.”

NEW OWNERS’ IMPROVEMENTS

Forest Oaks, once hindered by its off-the-beaten-path location, now thrives amidst the promise of impending development, including the establishment of a Toyota battery plant nearby in Trinity.

Lee, a developer and longtime member, and Stephens bought the club after several months of negotiations and have revived Forest Oaks with a combination of love and capital improvements. When they bought the club, it was down to 40 golf members.

Now, the club has 200 full members and 250 social members and accepts public play on the golf course for $55 on weekdays and $65 on weekends,

giving guests access to a layout where Greater Greensboro Open (now Wyndham Championship) winners included 15 players with major titles.

“The mix is working,” said Stephens, who said the club is now operating in the black. “To make it work, we have to have public tee times.”

The 1960s-style, brick clubhouse has fresh white paint that replaced a drab beige exterior. The interior has been completely refurbished. The ballroom, once converted into a fitness gym, then left vacant, has been renovated and is again a site for weddings and other celebrations. The kitchen received extensive updates.

The most arduous task may have been replacing the 110 large single-pane windows that serve as the walls for the upper level. Over time, the panes had sunk into the wood frames, opening gaps -- some big enough to put a finger through. With the new custom-made, double-pane windows, Stephens said the club’s monthly heating bill went from $14,000 to $2,000.

The basement, vacant for several years, has new life with a spacious new members bar with tables for card games, and a golf simulator in a large space ideal for foul-weather practice. A new turn house provides quick food and drink to golfers in the middle of rounds.

Stephens describes the investments as a “multimillion dollar” renovation.

The large, three-section pool has new pumps and filters and is again a hub activity in the summer. The tennis courts have fresh clay surfaces as well as new nets and fencing. A few former hardcourts were converted into six pickleball courts.

The window-filled dining room is open to all during the day and members at night with a private back room looking out over the course. A new back patio with several tables, a product of the COVID-19 epidemic, has

continued as a great place to relax with a round of drinks following rounds on the course.

RECOVERY FROM POST-WYNDHAM NEGLECT

Following the loss of the Greater Greensboro Open (GGO) in 2008, Forest Oaks fell into disrepair under foreign ownership, Nishin Corp., resulting in a decade of neglect, decline, and unpaid debts.

But the ownership was reluctant to sell – Stephens said Nisshin Corp. asked $5 million for the club in 2008 while receiving annual $100,000 payments from the PGA Tour over a decade, according to a deal it had with the club and Wyndham. Plus, Stephens said Nisshin also received millions in a settlement. A spokesman from the Wyndham Championship confirmed a lump-sum payment.

The post-Wyndham decade at Forest Oaks was one of neglect, decline, disrepair, and unpaid debts.

Nisshin hired eight outside management teams after losing the PGA Tour event. One included former NFL player Ricky Proehl, whose group took over management in 2013 and tried to run it with a fitness club in the ballroom affiliated with Proehl’s Proehlific Park facility in Northwest Greensboro. The property’s gates were locked in 2014 due to unpaid debts by the operators.

But with the Jaycees’ payments coming in, Nisshin was in no hurry to sell.

“They wanted $3 million,” Stephens said, noting the price was about “double” what the market would dictate. “And, it would cost a lot more to fix everything.”

An arrangement with Integrity Golf concluded with the club’s future seemingly over. A final balloon payment made, Nisshin dropped the price. A Charlotte developer obtained a contract on the property with the intent of building a development with 200 homes and retail.

But that fell through when the developer couldn’t get the necessary water service from the city, which was keeping the needed supply for a nearby megasite user, which eventually came in the form of Toyota.

CLEANING UP THE MESS

That’s when Stephens convinced Lee to step in. Stephens said Lee saw the value of the club to the neighborhood. They paid $1.2 million.

“After watching the club languishing for a decade after losing the tournament, Terry was willing to do it,” Stephens said. “So, we did it.”

Stephens said Nisshin and some of the former operators who leased the club from Nisshin had failed to pay bills, leaving him to deal with creditors, who expected the new owners to pay those bills. That’s why Lee and Stephens bought the land, not the club’s corporation.

The now-lush grounds of the course where the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Raymond Floyd, Sandy Lyle, Steve Elkington, Shigeki Maruyama, and Davis Love III had won PGA Tour events, had glaring bare spots and a mixture of weeds. The lower level of the clubhouse was abandoned, the pro shop had actually been moved upstairs into the dining room.

Formerly, a thriving club with an active local membership involved in many activities, Forest Oaks flailed under the far-away Nisshin ownership. Membership and energy dwindled.

Renovated ballroom

Looking out on the patio from the dining room

“It had definitely been a family club,” Stephens recalled. “They (Nisshin) treated it like a business.”

With investment in the facilities came increased membership and public play, allowing Forest Oaks to operate in the black despite its modest $1,500 initiation fee and family monthly dues of only $310. And Lee, a successful developer, has invested profits back into course improvements.

The Forest Oaks course is back in well-manicured condition, fitting a PGA Tour host. When an error spreading fertilizer caused significant damage to the course last year, Lee and Stephens got quick help from N.C. State agronomists and a Charlotte firm to aid a quick recovery.

With his business, Lee owns heavy equipment needed for maintenance. His son, Ryan Lee, acts as chief operating officer, overseeing management of the grounds. Another son, Carson Lee, who owns Southeast Land Co., has handled some major projects on the course.

The new owners have renovated many of the course’s bunkers, removed invasive trees, and planted dozens of others. They’ve also improved the condition of tees, fairways, and greens.

Though the Wyndham is happy at Sedgefield, Lee doesn’t rule out Forest Oaks as a future site for a pro event, possibly on the LPGA Tour.

RESTORING A FAMILY ATMOSPHERE

With no experience in owning and running a club, Stephens and Lee decided to find out what the members wanted while keeping with the vision of founder John Hughes, who strove for an “impeccably maintained, championship golf course with country club level amenities.”

The improvements included the restoration of the original ornate wooden front doors which Hughes had hand-chiseled with the Forest Oaks logo.

“We’ve tried to honor what he started,” Stephens said. “We’re trying to do things that will make members want to spend more time here. The members that were here before have held us accountable for maintaining a full, old-style clubhouse.”

The feedback includes an advisory board. Stephens said meeting the expectations of the membership and operating a 28,000 SF clubhouse can be challenging.

So far, so good. The swimming pool, tennis courts, and golf course are hubs of activity. The member bar reopened. The ballroom and kitchen are renovated. The restaurant, one of only a few convenient options, is open to the public for lunch. On Friday, the members can enjoy “fine dining.” Sunday afternoon offers a buffet including the club’s popular fried chicken.

“We’re happy that (the success) it’s not all tee-sheet drive,” Stephens said.

With a goal to keep the club a vital part of the community, Stephens said the new ownership has “no intentions to sell.”

“We were two families that didn’t know how to operate a country club,” Stephens said. “We re-invented the wheel. We’ve just now hit our stride.” Ø

The dining room was reclaimed and the pro shop moved back to the lower level

Indoor golf simulator

With new ownership dedicated to upgrading the facilities and a familiar, trusted face running the golf operation, Cross Creek Country Club has gained momentum and rebounded from lethargy.

Tim Brant, a Mt. Airy native who worked at the club at age 16 as a cart attendant, has seen membership and golf revenues rise significantly since returning to his hometown as the golf professional in December 2020, only two months after Skip and Cathy Eckenrod bought the club, which allows outside play.

The Eckenrods owned Interlam, which produced architectural wall panels and design elements, and retired in Mt. Airy.

“They’re spending money on the course and the facilities,” said Brant of the current ownership. “Things are getting done that hadn’t been done in a long time. We’ve got a lot more hands to do things.”

Much of the spending has been on needed infrastructure, beginning with a new clubhouse roof. Brant credits an increased maintenance budget with improving playing conditions.

TJ Waters, who worked at Primland Resort for 17 years, took over as superintendent in 2023. Chef Josh Greenberg was brought in from South Florida to supervise the restaurant, renamed “The Sunset Grille,” with seating in various rooms and on the outdoor patio.

The Eckenrods’ daughter, Shannon Myers, the general manager, has made it a priority to increase community events and private gatherings such as weddings at the club, which has a formal ballroom and a large outdoor pavilion (pictured above next to the clubhouse) with space heaters and a fieldstone fireplace.

Myers said that total membership has increased from 290 to 370 — not all include golf — under the new ownership and management. The pro shop, ballrooms, and locker rooms have been renovated.

The 6,800-yard course, designed in 1973 by Joe Lee, who worked with architect Dick Wilson (Bay Hill, Cog Hill) and has more than 100 courses to his own credit, is a challenging, upscale layout playing to a healthy 72.7 rating and a 138 slope with bent greens in the rolling terrain. Greensboro

architect Kris Spence made course improvements in 2005.

Non-member play is $55 for greens fees and cart on Monday through Thursday and $65 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Waters inherited a layout with a faulty irrigation system that didn’t allow tees and fairways to be effectively maintained. The bigger budget and fertilizer have helped improve the greens and force out poa annua that had encroached in the fairways. New irrigation pumps are planned in the near future.

Brant, whose other stops have included High Meadows Golf Club in Roaring Gap, Cedarbrook near Elgin, and Peninsula Club on Lake Norman, takes personal pride in the changes.

“In the past, they just let this place go to absolutely nothing,” Brant said. “(The club) is very important to the town. It’s almost like an event center as well. We host a lot of fundraisers; we do a lot of things for the community.”Ø

Sapona survives, thrives after wild ownership ride

Little more than five years ago, Lexington’s Sapona Ridge Country Club was on the verge of extinction. The large clubhouse, 18-hole Ellis Maples/Ed Seay-designed golf course, swimming pool, and tennis courts were sold to an Uber executive, who planned to convert it into a personal retreat.

It was a crazy, regrettable time for Sapona members, who ended up paying a high price — about $390,000 — for not buying the club from NASCAR legend Richard Childress, who rescued Sapona in 2012. When Childress told the members he no longer wanted to subsidize the losses and would sell the club, the members failed to act.

That’s when Uber exec Mark Moore stepped in and bought the 172-acre property for $1.2 million, shut down the club, and announced he was converting the 15,000 square foot clubhouse and the surrounding grounds into a vacation home.

Realizing they had lost their club, members burst

into action, and within a few weeks had persuaded Moore to sell the property to them — for $1.59 million. Members renamed the property Sapona Golf Swim & Tennis Club. In early 2023, the members brought in the management group GreatLife Golf, which eventually bought the club with plans to make improvements.

Based in Pennsylvania, GreatLife has a strong presence in North Carolina. The company also owns Carolina National, a 27-hole facility in Brunswick County. It manages The Preserve at Jordan Lake, Falls Village, Chapel Ridge, and Heritage in the Triangle market; Foxfire and Whispering Pines near Pinehurst; and The Palisades Country Club in Charlotte. The company owns and/or manages more than 50 courses throughout the country.

GreatLife’s early course improvements at Sapona have been easy to see. About 80 trees have been removed along the ninth and 18th holes, making it

easier for sunlight to nurture the turf and creating distant scenic views of the lake (shown above) that comes into play on the finishing holes.

In the past, Sapona had allowed public play only on Monday and Tuesday.

“2023 was our busiest year on record,” said general manager Justin Malone, hired by GreatLife. “We expect another good year in 2024 as people learn more about us.”

Malone said Sapona was experiencing an “uptick in membership,” which now includes 281 social and full memberships.

Sapona joined the roster of Triad clubs with a golf simulator. Sapona’s simulator features an 18-footwide screen and 255 courses. Ø

Sapona Golf Club | saponaclub.com

For many years, Tot Hill Farm Golf Club was a designer course with a limited maintenance budget.

That changed when Charleston golf course owner Pat Barber bought the Asheboro course in December 2022 and closed it for repairs. Tot Hill Farm reopened in September 2023 with new greens, upgraded cart paths, and a new clubhouse, fittingly located in a restored old farmhouse.

Since its opening in 2000, Tot Hill Farm has received acclaim. Golf Digest has named its third hole the best No. 3 hole in the nation, and just last year referred to its “moments of sublime brilliance.” It has also garnered respect.

And, it’s received respect. In 2007, Golf Digest named Tot Hill Farm the seventh-hardest course in America. Though designer Mike Strantz designed only seven courses from scratch — Tot Hill was his sixth — before he passed away in

2005, Golfweek magazine named him one of the “Top 10 Greatest Golf Architects of All-Time.”

Barber’s restoration projects included installing Prizm Zoysia putting surfaces.

Over the years, Tot Hill Farm hasn’t received enough love — not as much as the scenic, rollicking layout deserves. During a succession of owners and management companies, Tot Hill’s level of maintenance was inconsistent, far below the standard of the layout itself.

Barber owns upscale public courses in the Charleston area, The Links at Stono Ferry and The Plantation Course at Edisto.

Geoff Dail, a longtime superintendent and course manager in the Triad, led the restoration crew and stayed on to complete some remaining projects and maintain the course. Dail, whose company had managed maintenance during the past few

years, helped the previous ownership get together with Barber for the sale.

The broken cart paths have been replaced with new asphalt. Several tee boxes were leveled, and greens and bunkers were restored. New on-course restrooms were built, and bridges were repaired. Many trees that had been encroaching on sunlight for the tees and greens were removed.

“We kind of retouched everything,” said Barber, who was drawn to Tot Hill by Strantz’s reputation and the natural beauty of the course.

Listed at $110 every day for greens fees and $25 for a cart on its website, Tot Hill’s prices may be the highest among public golf courses in the Triad. Barber expects to draw players from the Triad, Triangle, Charlotte, as well as visitors to the Pinehurst area. Ø

ACES since December 2023

tournament schedule thru August 2024

amateur individual

April 27-28 | 48th annual Bud Kivett Memorial Blair Park & Oak Hollow GC, High Point. Regular and senior divisions. Medal play in flights. 336-883-3260.

May 31- June 2 | Asheboro City Amateur Asheboro Municipal, Asheboro CC, Pinewood CC. (Randolph County residents only). 336-625-4158.

July 6-7 | Joe Wood Memorial Cedarbrook CC, Elkin. Medal play in flights. 336-835-2320.

July 13-14 | Danville Invitational

Danville GC, Va. Medal play in flights. 434-792-7225.

July 27-28 | The Triad Amateur Golf Classic

36 holes stroke play. Ages 16-over. High Point CC Willow Creek course. 336-869-2416.

Aug. 3-4 | Holly Ridge Charity Classic in memory of John Ridge and Jerry Davis, Holly Ridge GL, Archdale. Medal play in flights. Optional shootout on Aug. 2. 336-861-4653.

Aug. 3-4 | 63rd annual Chatmoss Invitational

Chatmoss CC, Martinsville. Medal play in flights. Also senior division. 276-638-7648.

Aug. 16-18 | 77th Forsyth Championships

Reynolds Park GC, Pine Knolls GC. Medal play in flights. The top 16 in the championship division will play a third round (course TBA). Limited to Forsyth County residents. Bobby Hege 336-416-3289.

Senior Individual

June 6-7 | Forsyth Seniors

Tanglewood and Reynolds Park. Limited to Forsyth County residents 50-over with play in age divisions. Bobby Hege 336-416-3289.

July 6-7 | Joe Wood Memorial

Cedarbrook CC, Elkin. Medal play in flights ages 55over. 336-835-2320.

July 13-14 | Danville Invitational

Danville GC, Va.. Medal play in flights. Super Senior division also, depending on entries. 434-792-7225.

July 27-28 | The Triad Amateur Golf Classic

36 holes stroke play. Ages 55-over. High Point CC Willow Creek course. 336-869-2416.

Amateur Team

April 6-7 | Greensboro National Spring Fling

Greensboro National GC, Summerfield. Two-person bestball gross and net. Tees based on age. 336-342-1113.

April 13-14 | Masters 2-Man Bestball

first round at Southwick GC, Graham; second round at Brookwood GC, Whitsett. Flighted after first round. 336-227-2582.

June 1-2 | Danville Two-Man Invitational

Danville GC, Va. Medal play in flights. 434-792-7225.

June 8-9 | 36th annual Oak Hollow 2-Man Open Oak Hollow GC, High Point. 2-man captain’s choice. 336-883-3260.

June 8-9 | Lynrock Memorial Two-Man Lynrock GC, Eden. 336-623-6110.

Aug. 3-4 | Madison-Mayodan Rotary Four-Ball Invitational, Deep Springs CC, Madison. 336-427-0950.

DAVE ABTS OF DANVILLE, MARCH 5

Goodyear GC. No. 6, 158 yards, 6-iron. Playing partners: Charlie Vaden, Aaron Abts. His 1st ace.

TERRY AGNOR OF DANVILLE, VA., DEC. 31

Wolf Creek GC. No. 2, 140 yards, 6-iron. His 1st ace.

RON DAVIDSON OF GREENSBORO, DEC. 4

Stoney Creek GC. No. 4, 130 yards, 9-iron.

RICHARD DAVIS OF DANVILLE, DEC. 3

Goodyear GC. No. 17, 170 yards, 6-iron. Playing partners: Dennis Mahan, Wayne Jackson, David Mahan. His 1st ace.

WAYNE JACKSON OF DANVILLE, FEB. 28

Goodyear GC. No. 12, 130 yards, 8-iron. Playing partners: Dennis Mahan, Richard Davis, Gordon Martel. His 3rd ace.

GREG KRAEMER OF WHITSETT, DEC. 23

Stoney Creek GC. No. 7, 126 yards, 9-iron. Playing partner: Teresa Pearman. His 2nd ace.

THOM ROCK OF BROWN SUMMIT, FEB. 22

Iron Play Par-3 Links. No. 14, 108 yards, pitching wedge. Playing partners: Ed Pugh, Pete Blomgren. His 2nd ace.

GEORGE SETZER OF GREENSBORO, MARCH 5

Iron Play Par-3 Links. No. 3, 150 yards, 6-iron. Playing partners: Keith McCall, Carl Payne. His 12th ace.

CARTER SPILLMAN OF FARMINGTON, DEC. 21

Pudding Ridge GC. No. 7, 194 yards, 5-iron. Playing partners: Scott Spillman, Wiley Brown. His 1st ace.

BOB WILLIAMS OF GREENSBORO, MARCH 13

Iron Play Par-3 Links. No. 2, 110 yards, 9-iron. Playing partners: Rob Holiday, Whit Wilkerson. His 7th ace.

STEVE WILLIAMS OF REIDSVILLE, JAN. 3

Pennrose Park CC. No. 4, 126 yards, 7-hybrid. Playing partners: Mike DeLapp, Danny Dallas, Steve Money, David Dixon. His 3rd ace.

If you make an ace or double eagle please let us know about it. You can fill out the form at triadgolf.com, email triadgolf@mac.com or call 336-280-3722.

Pennson Badgett CLIMBING THE JUNIOR RANKS

Pennson Badgett admits he hasn’t always kept his cool on the golf course. However, the East Surry High sophomore showed remarkable restraint and poise under pressure last year while winning a state high school title and qualifying for the U.S. Junior Amateur.

First came the Class AA state tournament at Longleaf Country Club in Pinehurst. Badgett opened with a 3-under-par 69 to stand three shots behind teammate Connor Key. During the final round, he struggled while shooting 38 on the front nine. After rallying with three birdies, he hit his tee shot on No. 16 out of bounds, a mistake that could have rattled him and cost him more than the two-stroke penalty. Instead, he kept his cool and hit a long tee shot. Then he drilled a 212-yard approach with a 5-iron over the green, leaving him with a tough chip to a putting surface sloped away from him. Feeling he needed to get up and down to stay in contention to win, he hit a deft chip to within 5 feet and made the putt for bogey.

At 17, he resisted the temptation of trying to drive the green on the short par-4, laid up, hit a short approach, and rolled in a tricky 12-foot birdie putt with multiple breaks. At 18, he punched a low shot from pine needles onto the green and saved par.

“I just grind,” said Badgett, who acknowledges that he had to work on controlling his emotions after mistakes. “I’ve gotten real good over the past few years at keeping my composure.”

Badgett’s 71 was good enough to win medalist honors at 4-under 140, one shot ahead of Key and two other players. East Surry won the team title by a whopping 44 strokes. The team included senior Anderson Badgett, Pennson’s older brother.

“Being able to share that with him was really amazing,” Pennson said.

Badgett showed the same poise a few weeks later while qualifying for the U.S. Junior Amateur. Breezing along at 2-under through eight holes at Salisbury Country Club, Badgett hit a shot into a water hazard and made a triple-bogey 8, a score that would normally end any chances of earning one of only a few qualifying spots. On the tee

at No. 10, he remembers Anderson, who was caddying for him, offering some encouragement. “Anderson said, ‘You got nothing to lose. We can go out there and be aggressive. If you go out there and make some birdies, you can qualify.’ “That’s what we did.” Badgett shot 4-under on the back nine to finish second and avoid a playoff for the final spot by one stroke.

The previous summer, Badgett shot 80 in the first round of an American Junior Golf Association All-Stars tournament at Tanglewood’s Championship Course and was frustrated because he felt he had played a solid round. Brad Luebchow, his instructor, advised him not to worry, that if he was playing well, the breaks would even. Badgett finished with rounds of 68 and 69, grabbing the attention of a TaylorMade rep.

“The TaylorMade rep reached out to him and said that the thing that was most impressive was that the 80 and 68 looked the same,” recalled Luebchow, the director of instruction at Maple Chase Country Club. “What was most impressive was that he was able to bounce back. Unless you’re really tracking his shots, you don’t know whether he’s shooting 80 or he’s under par.”

Badgett already hits drives that carry 280 yards, though he said his biggest strength is his iron game.

“His golf swing is beautiful,” said Luebchow. “He hits it a long way. He’s got good touch around the greens. He’s a good putter at times.”

On his way to the Daniel Island Club near Charleston, South Carolina, for the Junior Amateur event last year, Badgett made a pit stop in Raleigh. There, he showcased his skills in the Carolinas Golf Association’s Junior Dogwood at Bentwinds Country Club, securing an impressive top-five finish. This achievement not only highlighted his talent but also granted him an exemption into multiple AJGA events for the following year.

At Daniel Island, Badgett failed to qualify for match play but enjoyed playing the elite competition.

“It was an experience like no other,” Badgett said. “It was easily the biggest tournament I had ever played in.”

Badgett began playing golf at an early age, swinging a plastic club given by his father, Charles, when he was 3 or 4 years old. Charles Badgett had played at East Surry and introduced his children to golf at Pilot Knob Park Country Club in Pilot Mountain.

“I just fell in love with the game and played whenever I could,” said Badgett, whose parents drove him to nine-hole tournaments in Charlotte when he was in grade school.

Badgett remembers getting battle-tested in regular competition against Aston

Lee, who won the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association state title last year as a freshman at Charlotte Latin.

His younger sister, Colby, has also competed in high school and junior events. In fact, Colby was the first Badgett sibling to work with Luebchow, whose junior students have included Wake Forest’s Macy Pate and Virginia Tech’s Morgan Ketchum. About two years ago when Badgett was in search of a coach, his dad suggested Luebchow. They work together once every week or two.

This spring, Badgett hopes to lead the Cardinals to another state title. Though NCAA rules prohibit college coaches from contacting him until June, Badgett has attracted outside attention. He recently was added to Titleist’s Next Gen program, which provides him with balls, gloves, shoes, hats, and other accessories. He also gets a significant discount on clubs and apparel. This summer, Badgett expects to play in CGA majors and enter a few AJGA events. He also hopes to qualify again for the U.S. Junior Amateur to be played at Oakland Hills Country Club near Detroit.

“Last year was a pretty big year for me,” Badgett said. “Winning the state title was amazing. Playing my first junior am, my first USGA tournament was a pretty big jump for me. Hopefully, I can continue it.” Ø

WEEKENDS Ø 18 holes w/ cart $38

SENIORS (60+) Ø Monday-Friday 18 holes w/ cart $26

JUNIORS (15 & UNDER) PLAY FOR FREE w/ 1 paying adult daily after 12:00 pm

Macy Pate

PLAYS KEY ROLE IN DEACONS’ TITLE DEFENSE

Macy Pate eliminated any doubts about her readiness for top-flight collegiate golf in her first round playing for defending NCAA champion Wake Forest.

Pate shot a 2-under-par 70 in September at the Annika (Sorenstam) Invitational in Minnesota, on her way to a tie for ninth at 6-under 210 in a 12-team field, including many of the nation’s top women’s teams.

She went on to finish the fall at No. 33 in the national individual rankings as Wake Forest grabbed the No. 1 team ranking. Additionally, she experienced the thrill of winning the deciding match for the Demon Deacons in the championship round of the Jackson T. Stephens Cup.

Pate compiled a fall stroke average of 70.62, tying for third on the team with All-American Rachel Kuehn. Carolina Chacarra led with 69.62, followed by Mimi Rhodes at 70.38. Pate shot par or better in 11 of 13 tournament rounds and was 2-1 in match play.

“It’s been really fun,” Pate said on a frosty winter day at the Wake Forest Golf Center as she prepared for the spring season. “I’m happy with how I played. I worked really hard in the summer, school came around, and I hit the ground running.”

The highlight of Pate’s season was a 4 and 2 victory over Farah O’Keefe

of Texas in the deciding match in the Deacons’ victory over Texas at the Stephens Cup in Dallas. Pate made a 6-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole to clinch the win.

“It was very impressive,” Wake coach Kim Lewellen said.

Only weeks into her college career, Pate found herself in the middle of a celebration on the green after sinking the winning putt. Soon after, she was interviewed by Golf Channel, which televised the tournament.

“We all ran on the green to celebrate,” Pate remembered. “It was supersurreal because it was what I had been dreaming about for years.”

Pate also had a match-play victory in the Deacons’ 3-2 triumph over No. 2 Stanford in another championship round, this one at the East Lake Cup in Atlanta.

Playing elite competition, the Deacons won three of five fall events, with topfour finishes in the other two stroke tournaments.

Though confident after a year of preparing for the adjustment to college golf, Pate said she had a few jitters as she waited for her debut in Minnesota.

One of the nation’s top recruits, Pate was a two-time Carolinas Golf Association

Junior Girls’ Player of the Year and an AJGA Rolex All-American. She helped

Reagan High to state titles as a freshman and sophomore then skipped high school golf as a junior before graduating a year early to begin at Wake.

“I got here, and I thought, ‘Well, we’re here,’ and I just tried to take it all in,” she said. In Minnesota, “there were a lot of nerves, but it was exciting.”

Pate generated plenty of excitement as a junior, giving the golf world notice by shooting 57 – a feat reported by national and international media outlets -- in a tournament at Bermuda Run West as a high school sophomore.

Lewellen was depending on Pate and fellow freshman Brooke Rivers to make successful, quick transitions to college golf. The Deacons have only six players – all six can play in the regulation tournament -- on their roster, allowing each player to have a full athletic scholarship and travel to every tournament.

Pate has maintained her momentum so far in the new year. She was the lone Deacon player to go 3-0 in match play as Wake beat Georgetown and San Jose State before losing to South Carolina in a tournament played in Palos Verdes, California.

The national title will be determined in mid-May at La Costa Country Club in Carlsbad, Calif. If the Deacons stay near the top in the rankings, they should have a good opportunity to qualify for La Costa at an NCAA regional at Bermuda Run East.

Despite Pate’s youth, Wake coach Kim Lewellen said Pate has a mature approach to practice and preparation.

Pate said she has maintained a consistent college routine. Class is until 12:15 or so, followed by a short lunch, then four hours of practice, followed by a shower, dinner, and classwork.

“She has a routine, and she follows it every day,” the coach said of Pate. “She always has a professional demeanor. With practice, that is what she does and who she is.

Wake’s strong match-play performances may be a product of competitive practices. Pate said practice rounds always include games between the players.

Macy Pate has shot par or better in 13 of her 16 stroke-play rounds at Wake Forest.

Pate and Kuehn, similar in stature and often confused for each other by outsiders despite a five-year age difference, are known for their trash-talking to each other. Pate said she considers the Asheville native, the daughter of former Wake star Brenda Corrie-Kuehn, to be “kind of a big sister” figure.

“If we go out and play, we always have some sort of match going, sometimes two matches going,” Pate said. “We’re super, super competitive. We’re always competing against each other in something.”

Pate said she has enjoyed the celebrations and recognitions afforded the Deacons since their national title victory last June. Plus, it’s made her hungry to be an active part of another championship.

“It’s been fun to celebrate with them, and it’s super-motivating for me to want to go out and win one this year.”

In addition to her teammates and coaches, Pate also has family support only a few minutes away. Her parents, Martha and Chris, are only a few minutes away. Close enough for the freshman to drop off her laundry with mom and get a few playing tips from dad. She can also visit her young nephew, who lives in town.

Though slim and only 5-5, Pate averages about 260 yards off the tee – “good enough” – and is consistent in hitting greens in regulation. As her 57 showed, she’s capable of stringing together birdies and eagles.

“I’d say my ball striking is what really helps me,” Pate said. “I hit it pretty straight. I don’t miss many greens.”

Though NCAA rules make it possible for Pate to receive NIL deals, including equipment from Ping and apparel from Nike, Pate’s major aspiration is to move on to the biggest stage, the LPGA Tour.

“That’s the goal for sure,” she said. “I’m excited to have 3.5 more years with both our coaches. It’s nice to be here. We learn things every day from them. At the end of my four years, I should be ready to move on and have success.” Ø

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Maple Chase

RENOVATIONS UNDERWAY

Renovations of the Maple Chase Country Club course began on March 11. The changes will include a new irrigation and drainage system, the creation of several bunkers — fairway and greenside — as well as the addition of some back tees and some bunker and green moves for strategic purposes.

The north Winston-Salem project started with the bulldozing of the driving range along Germantown Road and the closing of the front nine. The back nine was scheduled to be closed in mid-April. The course is expected to reopen in December.

Bob Moore, who has degrees from Wake Forest University and N.C. State and has designed or renovated dozens of courses in North Carolina, California, and throughout Southeast Asia, is the architect of the project through his JMP Golf Design Group. Landscapes Unlimited, a golf

construction giant based in Nebraska that worked on Old Town Club’s recent renovations, is handling construction.

“It’s a complete infrastructure overhaul,” said Maple Chase pro Paul Allen.

Maple Chase pro Paul Allen said the greens would be replanted in one of a handful of bentgrass strains that the club is studying. Some bunkers will be reshaped and added to give them a more “uniform” look throughout the course. The greens, created by “pushing up dirt” for the course’s opening in 1954, will be rebuilt and reshaped by modern standards to allow for proper maintenance.

“The plan is to get everything uniform across the board,” Allen said.

The green on the par-4 third hole will be moved back behind a creek. Ø

Maple Chase driving range renovations

SPENCE TO LEAD

Starmount Forest UPGRADES

Starmount Forest Country Club will launch an extensive, eight-month renovation project in January 2025 to include new greens, tees, fairways, bunkers, and a new irrigation system.

Greensboro-based architect Kris Spence, whose portfolio includes restoration projects at Sedgefield Country Club, Forsyth Country Club, and several other Donald Ross layouts as well as his own designs, is the architect. Spence recently completed an extensive renovation at Woodlake Country Club near Pinehurst and the design of the exclusive Quixote Club in Sumter, South Carolina.

Starmount was originally designed by Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek in 1930. Spence said the “Ross influence” is noticeable in several places.

Spence will replace the top four inches on all the greens and do some subtle reshaping, replacing Champion Bermuda with TifEagle Bermuda on the surfaces. The fairways will be reshaped and replanted with TifTuf Bermuda grass, a stable strain that uses water efficiently and has become known for its playability. Mounding that was added to the borders of fairways over the years will be eliminated.

The tees will be doubled in size and planted with Zoysia. Bunkers will be moved and added to adjust for increases in distance from modern technology.

“We would like it to look and feel like courses did in the 1930s,” Spence said. “It’s going to feel like a new golf course.” Ø

PEGRAM WORKS ON Monroeton

Monroeton Golf Club has nine new greens with nine more on the way. Triad golf professional Tommy Pegram, who designed Crooked Tree Golf Course in Browns Summit and worked on several other Triad courses, is supervising the project at the rural course, which is southwest of Reidsville on N.C. 150.

The first nine opened last year. Pegram said he expects to have the second nine seeded in April and ready for play in June. Pegram said the projects included expanding, reshaping, and moving greens as well as work on several tee boxes.

The goal, he said, was to give the putting surfaces “more character” and “more interest,” without making them significantly more difficult. Ø

Greensboro National offers service upgrades, twilight events

Greensboro National Golf Club has made changes designed to improve service and guarantee a faster, more enjoyable player experience.

he course, located on the Guilford-Rockingham county line near Summerfield off N.C. 150, now has attendants at its bag drop to greet golfers and get them set for play. The starter will explain the features of the carts’ GPS system and provide information about the course.

The club will also provide free bottled water during the summer months in coolers built into the carts. Beverage carts now consistently circle the course. Food can be ordered through a QR code on the GPS screen and picked up as players make the turn to their second nine holes. GPS will also provide information such as weather warnings.

After rounds, cart attendants will clean players’ clubs and load them into their vehicles. Such cart service is not common at area public courses.

The course is also holding a variety of nine-hole twilight events each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

“Golfers will end their day without lifting a finger,” said Bruce Mohler, who was hired as general manager in 2023. “Our bag drop staff loads the golfers’ clubs into their vehicles, providing a terrific ending to what we expect to be the best golf experience possible.”

Mohler said staff would monitor the pace of play on the course with the goal for no rounds to exceed 4 hours and 15 minutes. Ø

After watching the PGA Tour play the second of two tournaments at the remote Congaree Golf Club in the South Carolina Lowcountry in October 2022, Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce CEO Karen Riordan said she asked Myrtle Beach’s mega-golf marketing firm, Golf Tourism Solutions, why the Grand Strand can’t have a Tour stop.

After all, Myrtle Beach has long billed itself as the “Seaside Golf Capital of the World.” At the time, Riordan said she considered it a “provocative” question.

Riordan received the succinct and surprising reply, “We can.”

Such was the catalyst for the creation of the Myrtle Beach Classic, set for May 9-12 at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club.

For the co-hosts, the Myrtle Beach Chamber and Golf Tourism Solutions, which markets more than 60 Myrtle Beach area courses, the vision is to

“showcase Myrtle Beach golf to the world.” The tournament will have two hours of daily TV coverage split between Golf Channel and Peacock.

SportFive, a global sports marketing agency, is managing the tournament.

Only nine months after announcing its creation, the response — local and regional — has been wildly enthusiastic.

It took only six hours for 4,000 people to apply online for 1,500 volunteer positions. Those selected come from 20 states. Tournament director Darrin Nelson noted that hospitality suites on the 18th green are sold out, venues on the fairway and tees at 17 are a “near sellout,” as are shared hospitality venues on the two finishing holes.

Nelson said the 26-team Monday pro-am is sold out, though spots remain for the 52-team Wednesday pro-am. Clubhouse passes are sold out for the first two days. Former PGA Tour player and current TV personality Charlie Rymer, also an S.C. native, will host the pro-am pairings party and handle other duties.

Dunes Club Hole 9. Credit Golf Tourism Solutions

Beginning with this year’s event scheduled the same weekend as the Tour’s higher-profile, limited-field and rich-purse Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club, the future in Myrtle Beach seems bright. With so many uncertainties involving the PGA Tour, its future schedules, its sponsors, and the planned major investments of the Strategic Sports Group and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Myrtle Beach’s inaugural five-year deal has the potential to grow into something much bigger.

In 2024, PGA Tour fans in the Carolinas have an interesting choice: go to Charlotte to watch the Tour’s biggest stars on a major stage, or head to Myrtle Beach for what shapes up as a weekend in the region’s biggest tourist destination. For golfers, Myrtle Beach offers the appealing combination of splitting time watching at the seaside Dunes Club with time to access playing at the region’s many great public courses.

Tournament organizers have made fun a priority at the Dunes Club, the gold standard among Grand Strand’s for 75 years. In March, eight YouTubers battled eight aspiring PGA Tour pros in the “Q at Myrtle Beach” competition at TPC of Myrtle Beach for an exemption into the field. In April, PlayGolfMyrtleBeach’s YouTube page will show a 90-minute highlight package of the competition. YouTube stars Wesley Bryan and George Bryan VI are expected — Wesley in the field, and George VI battling in the Q for a spot.

Another exemption will go to the individual winner of March’s General Hackler Collegiate tournament hosted by Coastal Carolina University.

Pro-am contestants will include North Myrtle Beach native and “Wheel of Fortune” star Vanna White, who will appear at functions throughout the week. Following rounds on Thursday and Saturday, concerts will be held on the lawn between the clubhouse and the nearby beach.

A field of 132 will play at the Dunes Club for a purse of about $4 million. A field of 132 will play at the Dunes Club for a purse of about $4 million. In Charlotte, between 70-80 are expected to qualify and play for $20 million.

The PGA Tour faces uncertainty in the LIV era. With the spiraling purse costs, Wells Fargo announced it would end its title sponsorship in Charlotte after this year’s tournament. But that was before Strategic Sports Group announced a $3 billion investment in the Tour.

A high-ranking official with the Myrtle Beach Classic said the Myrtle Beach tournament was expected to have “plenty of options” in the future.

The Senior (Champions) Tour Championship was played before large crowds at The Dunes Club from 1994-1999. The Myrtle Beach Classic will be the area’s first event on the regular PGA Tour. Ø

Myrtle Beach Classic | May 9-12

myrtlebeachclassic.com

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Tanglewood plans set for $15-million clubhouse, perhaps ready by 2025

Construction work on a new $15-million clubhouse at Tanglewood Park, one of the Triad’s finest public golf facilities, was given the go-ahead on Dec. 21 by the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners.

Tanglewood Park pro shop staffers confirmed to Triad Golf that the new clubhouse would be built on the site of the current clubhouse, which will be demolished this spring. A temporary clubhouse, described as a “trailer” by the staffers, is planned a few hundred yards down the hill along the 18th fairway on Championship, on the west side of the entrance road.

Samet Corp. of Greensboro will build a slightly smaller clubhouse on the site of the current clubhouse at the top of a hill overlooking the Park’s Championship and Reynolds courses. The new facility could be ready by fall 2025.

The project had been approved but stalled for the past few years as the cost rose from $11 million. An amendment to move the cart storage away from the new clubhouse, potentially to save money, was rejected.

The aging split-level clubhouse was built in preparation for the 1974 PGA Championship won by Lee Trevino on the Championship course. But the decor and furnishings throughout the facility have faded, and much of the upper-level hospitality area and downstairs locker rooms go largely unused.

Plans for the new facility have included a warming kitchen for the snack bar,

meeting space for 150 people, a pro shop, and a wrap-around porch with a view of the Championship course.

The Vantage (also RJR) Championship, one of the biggest events on the Senior PGA (now Champions) Tour, was played on Championship from 1987-2002 with winners including Gary Player, Hale Irwin, and Trevino.

Greens fees and carts for Championship are $54 on weekdays and $64 on weekends. Prices at Reynolds are $34 and $40. On weekdays, players 55 and over pay $37 on Championship and $27 on Reynolds. The walking rate for players 17 and under is $24 on Championship and $16 on Reynolds.

“A modern clubhouse will create more opportunities to host tournaments, and those tourism events will put dollars in local cash registers and enhance the quality of Forsyth County as a place to visit,” Stephanie Brown, the president of Visit Winston-Salem, told commissioners before their approval vote. “Redeveloping this community asset will maintain the clubhouse as a place of gathering and celebration for the people who call Forsyth County home.”

The Championship course, one of the top public layouts in the Triad, was renovated with new bunkers and putting surfaces in 2018. The Reynolds course is much tighter with an interesting, and often difficult, series of holes. Both were designed by Robert Trent Jones, one of golf’s most acclaimed course designers. Ø