Triad Golf Magazine | May 2024

DAIL-ING

May rings in the new Pinehurst No. 10, PGA Tour event, Hall of Fame

May is my favorite month for Triad golf.

It’s a great time to play. The weather is mild. The threat of cold weather is gone, even in the N.C. mountains. Extreme heat and humidity haven’t arrived. The fairways are lush, and the greens are smooth. Daylight savings make it possible to play 18 holes after work. There’s no dread that the end is near. Golf weather is here for at least six more months.

And May 2024 may be one of the best Mays ever.

Many of the Triad’s best public-access courses have recovered and are in peak condition. Plus, we avoided any winter burn that sometimes ruins spring fairways.

Pinehurst, a favored day-trip destination for Triad golfers, unveils its latest marvel, Pinehurst No. 10.

Crafted by Tom Doak, this super course emerges from a former quarry, offering a thrilling new challenge. Stay tuned for our firsthand account next month. Additionally, the United States Golf Association’s public museum and the new World Golf Hall of Fame location are set to open their doors. And there’s still time to buy tickets to the U.S. Open in June at Pinehurst No. 2

But we won’t have to wait until June to watch many of the world’s greatest players. The Wells Fargo Championship, one of the PGA Tour’s enhanced-purse, limited-field tournaments returns to Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club on May 9-12, returns to Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club from May 9-12. On that same weekend, the PGA Tour’s inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic will be played at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club. So Triad golf fans have a choice in convenient golf road trips.

In this edition, our cover story shines a spotlight on the burgeoning success of Triad-based Dail Golf, spearheaded by Greensboro native Geoff Dail. From managing maintenance to overseeing renovations and construction projects, Dail Golf’s influence stretches far and wide across the golf course landscape. Noteworthy mentions include their involvement at Tot Hill Farm, Asheboro’s picturesque course, and Oak Valley, where Dail holds ownership. Meanwhile, Siler City Country Club anticipates growth opportunities amidst the influx of nearby megasite jobs.

Near Pinehurst, the revitalized course at Woodlake Country Club, masterfully restored by Greensboro architect Kris Spence, garners praise for its resurrection.

Also in this edition, we celebrate standout performances from high school and college athletes, alongside heartwarming tales like that of two octogenarians who achieved holes-in-one while playing in the same foursome.

Thank you for being a part of the Triad Golf Magazine community.

what’s inside...

ON THE COVER

Geoff Dail

John Brasier | Editor + Publisher | john@triadgolf.com

Dee Wilson | Advertising | deewilson54@gmail.com

Stacy Calfo | Graphic Design | ads@triadgolf.com

DAIL GOLF builds client base through expertise, versatility

It all happened quickly without advance planning. Within a few weeks, Geoff Dail, a golf course superintendent, club general manager, and dirt-moving contractor, became the head of a company managing a handful of courses in various arrangements.

“Basically, I had three offers at the same time,” said the 51-year-old Greensboro native of the attractive employment options that awaited his decision in early 2019.

He could continue as superintendent at Forest Oaks Country Club, restoring the course where he worked on the grounds crew in high school and later served a combined 14 years as an assistant superintendent and superintendent.

He could go to Oak Valley and Meadowlands, both owned by a former employer who wanted him to revive them from faltering conditions.

Or he could go to Asheboro’s Tot Hill Farm, a much-heralded Mike Strantz design in great need of renovations and improved conditioning.

Dail didn’t want to choose between the jobs. He wanted them all. So he sounded out his suitors. Each had reached out to him.

He had a long relationship with Tadashi Hattori of Nasshin Corp., the owner of Forest Oaks. He also knew Pete Ramey, the owner of Oak Valley and Meadowlands, courses in Davie and Davidson counties, respectively, convenient to Winston-Salem. The relationships at Tot Hill Farm were a little more complicated with 11 ownership partners, but the layout had incredible potential.

Dail remembers his discussion with Ramey, who embraced Dail’s proposal.

“I told Pete, ‘I want to do it on my own terms with my own business,’” Dail recalled. “He said, ‘OK. I support you.’”

Tot Hill Farm’s partners were also agreeable to hiring a company put together by Dail, who soon partnered with the late golf professional Anthony Miller in a full management deal at Forest Oaks.

“Everybody was like, ‘We support you 100%,’” said Dail.

In a matter of a few months, Dail was transformed from a course superintendent and single-site manager into the owner of a multi-faceted golf management business offering construction services, agronomical management, and operations of all club facilities. He also provides food and beverage service as well as handling accounting and administrative duties.

Dail Golf has managerial or consulting contracts -- with varying responsibilities -- with at least seven courses or golf clubs. The company also has current construction projects at two others and is negotiating for more. Plus, Dail is an ownership partner at Oak Valley.

Ownership has changed hands at each of Dail Golf’s original clients. Terry Lee bought Forest Oaks. Charleston, South Carolina, businessman Pat Barber bought Tot Hill Farm.

Former childcare operator Bob Greear bought Oak Valley and Meadowlands, adding to a stable that includes Caswell Pines in Yanceyville and Draper Valley and Holston Hills in southwest Virginia.

Barber retained Dail Golf, which handled extensive renovations at Tot Hill Farms before it reopened last fall in mint condition with Zoysia greens. Dail maintains a full agronomical management contract with Tot Hill Farm.

Greear not only retained Dail at Meadowlands and Oak Valley, where Dail had supervised renovations, but also hired Dail Golf to deal with his other three courses.

“He’s so dependable,” Greear said of Dail. “Geoff is so helpful and knowledgeable. I doubt there are more than a few out there with the variety of experience he has. He’s involved in just about everything we do.”

That was the start of Dail Golf. Though Dail continued to manage Forest Oaks through an owner transition, he elected to leave when the club told him they wanted him to be a full-time staff member.

About 2 1/2 years ago, members at Siler City Country Club hired Dail Golf to a full management contract that included handling more than $700,000 in course and other facility improvements as well as taking over the pro shop, tennis courts, swimming pool, and restaurant and bar.

Dail Golf’s construction division also handles outside projects. A crew spent several months in Indiana to rebuild bunkers and build tees at Country Club of Indianapolis, host of this year’s Indiana State Amateur. Dail Golf currently has other projects ongoing at Heritage Club in Wake Forest and Chapel Ridge at Jordan Lake in Pittsboro.

“We’re talking to several other courses about doing some substantial projects,” Dail said. “We’ve got some irons in the fire.”

How was Dail able to adjust to running all facets of a country club?

He credits a three-year stint as general manager at Forest Oaks from 20082011 when Troon Golf had a management contract. He later worked as a superintendent then regional agronomist for Pinnacle Golf, supervising maintenance at Meadowlands, Bryan Park, Stoney Creek, and The Challenge in Graham.

Though he didn’t do it intentionally, Dail had prepared himself well for his current business during his student days at N.C. State, where he changed majors several times before earning a degree with dual majors in agronomy

and business. During summers, he worked on the grounds crew at a few Triangle courses.

Prior to suffering an eye injury, Dail’s original goal was to go to Navy Flight School after college. Instead, he took a job as assistant superintendent at Forest Oaks, where he played a major role in renovations in 2002, when Davis Love III’s design group made $3.5 million in course renovations for Greensboro’s PGA Tour event.

As he gained experience, Dail learned how to perform tasks outside course maintenance. He served as general manager at Forest Oaks for 2009-2014.

“My ultimate objective at one point was to know everything about this business I could to be able to manage any facet of any country club,” he said.

Dail’s interest in construction began as a way for him to save employers money by doing projects such as bunker repair or rebuilding tees in-house. Dail Golf owns some equipment, which is moved between client courses as needed. It also rents equipment.

“My original intention was not to own a golf course construction company, but to have a resource for our clients to save them money,” said Dail. “We do that, and it does work. There’s a lot of golf courses that might have a great agronomist but not the construction expertise you need a couple of times a year in the business.”

Buying in scale is another advantage Dail Golf offers. With multiple courses buying in heavier volume, Dail saves money in equipment, staffing, labor, fertilizer, and chemicals.

Tot Hill Farm

Dail said he is a big fan of Raleigh-based McConnell Golf, which owns most of the 16 courses it manages, most of them prestigious clubs in the region including Sedgefield, The Cardinal by Pete Dye, and Old North State. McConnell hasn’t only improved clubs’ bottom line -- it’s improved facilities.

“Volume purchasing was one of our biggest objectives,” Dail said. “At the same time, the idea for Dail Golf was to offer its clients a resource that can make their club grow.”

At Siler City Country Club, Dail Golf took over a facility in need of updating and upgrading. Hal Milholen, one of the board members, said Dail Golf made noticeable improvements, in the area ranging from the greens and fairways on the course to the restaurant menu. Milholen said the club needed some fresh energy.

“But when they came on board, things changed dramatically,” Milholen said. “The board made a very, very good decision to hire Dail Golf.”

Satisfied clients have produced a growing company. Dail estimates that his company has grown to more than 70 employees in its short existence. The core leadership includes vice president of course maintenance Ben Smith and construction superintendent Brandon Eaton. Rick Dail, Geoff ’s brother, joined as vice president of business operations in August. Jenna Marrocco came aboard as director of marketing last fall.

During lunch at Siler City, several members exchanged greetings with Dail, who said he enjoys interacting with members, especially those at smaller clubs that have remained loyal and active throughout hard times.

“He’s as good of a human being as he is a grass grower,” said Greear.

With its sudden start, the company never made self-promotion a priority. Instead, the founder’s reputation brought in business. But Marrocco is in the process of catching up with a company website, a Facebook page, and other social media platforms.

“(Geoff ) is Dail Golf,” said Marrocco. “He got all this business just from word of mouth and how good he is.”

What Dail doesn’t do on a golf course is play golf. Though he grew up with a family membership at Forest Oaks and he’s spent much of his life working on courses, he avoids playing the game.

“He can’t walk down a fairway without stopping to fix something that needs to be fixed,” said Rick Dail, who also rarely plays.

The next progression for Dail Golf? Maybe owning the courses where his company works.

“That’s a goal,” Dail said. “I’ve always worked at the golf course. I never played. It’s been fun.” Ø

Oak Valley

Siler City Country Club makes improvements to prepare for new arrivals

After surviving more than six decades as the only golf course in a small town, Siler City Country Club is gearing up for a boom in demand.

New golfers are coming to Chatham County, with nearby Wolfspeed and VinFast plants under construction, in addition to a Toyota Lithium battery production factory fewer than 10 miles away near Trinity, creating around 10,000 new jobs. As of 2024, Siler City is estimated to have slightly more than 8,000 in population, so the area is destined for growth. In fact, Dail Golf, which manages SCCC, has already received inquiries from workers planning to work at the new manufacturing facilities.

The members at SCCC, which features an 18-hole layout designed by Ellis Maples and Tom Jackson, don’t want to miss the opportunity to improve and grow. For years, the club has faced challenges with an aging membership and the departure of the city’s young adults to bigger cities as textile and furniture jobs disappeared. The 6,600-yard, par-72 course plays through an assortment of ponds and bunkers, with each side measuring about 3,300 yards from the back tees.

“We wanted to be ahead of the curve,” said Hal Milholen, a longtime member whose family owns Basic Machinery Co. based in Siler City. “As all of this was percolating around, the board felt it was the right time for all of these improvements.”

“With all of the industry coming to town, we’re getting ready for the impact with an amazing golf course,” said Geoff Dail, the head of Dail Golf.

The improvements on the course include the conversion of to TifEagle Bermuda with new TifTuf collars, rebuilt tees, improvement of the fairway turf, cart path repairs, and significant tree removal. A new fleet of carts is planned for next year. Off the course, the swimming pool has new pumps and a new sand filter. Renovation of the club’s ballroom has also been approved, with a second drainage lake planned for the future.

It’s an exciting time at the club, which is only 40 minutes from Pinehurst. Until the front nine at Siler City was built by Maples in 1957, the closest course for Siler City golfers was Asheboro Municipal. Since then, The Preserve at Jordan Lake and The Golf Club at Chapel Ridge have opened on the eastern side of Chatham County.

With membership at around 200 full and social members, SCCC struggled to maintain good playing conditions on the fairways. For the past two decades or so, SCCC has accepted public play. Now, the new greens are nearly flawless, and the fairways are filling in.

“For years, we played the ball up in the fairways,” said member Craig Wood, whose family operates pork producer Brookwood Farms. “Now, we can play it down.” Dail said the renovation of the greens made it possible to make the front greens more compatible with the greens on the back nine, built by Jackson in 1987.

SCCC’s small-town charm includes down-home prices. Weekday prices for greens fees and carts in late April were $36 on weekdays and $53 on weekends for the public. Full membership, which includes tennis, pickleball, and swimming, was $215 per month in 2023 with an $1,800 stock purchase. The restaurant, which has an extensive menu, is open to the public for lunch and for members on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.

WOODLAKE resurrection

KRIS SPENCE BREATHES LIFE BACK INTO MAPLES COURSE

Kris Spence couldn’t see much when he first visited the Maples Course at Woodlake Country Club, a residential community in Moore County about 14 miles northeast of Southern Pines.

In 2021, when the Greensboro golf architect first looked over the remnants of a course designed in 1971 by Ellis Maples and Ed Seay, he said he saw only limited signs that a golf course had been on the site. Lake Surf, which bordered the first few holes and the finishing holes, was drained and filled with vegetation, resembling a wetlands area.

“I couldn’t see most of the greens when I first came out here,” Spence said. “I knew it was an Ellis Maples design. It turns out, it may be one of his best.”

A former 36-hole club, Woodlake has permanently closed an Arnold Palmerdesigned course, where Spence is planned to design a par-3 layout on some of that property.

A veteran in renovating courses designed by Donald Ross and Maples, a protégé, Spence took the project, which at the beginning required a solid three months of bush hog clearing. Several encroaching trees and vegetation had to be eliminated. He had to undercover fairways and greens.

Now, Spence takes pride and satisfaction in looking over the course, which plays over undulating fairways to challenging greens with new Bermuda TifEagle surfaces. There’s a new 18th hole, but for the most part, Spence said he tried to restore the layout to its original design, albeit with a few modern enhancements and some new back tees.

Spence jokes that his work at Woodlake was neither a renovation nor a restoration.

“This is a resurrection,” Spence likes to clarify. “We’re bringing this thing back from the dead. It’s probably one of the most satisfying things I’ve done.”

Finished almost a year ago, Woodlake management waited until midSeptember 2023 before opening the course to residents — one round per resident. For 30 days beginning September 20, more than 600 homeowners at Woodlake had the opportunity for a “sneak peek” at the course.

Memberships will be sold, though the course and grill also will open to the public in May, offered in Pinehurst area golf packages.

Wreckage and Recovery

In 2016, Hurricane Matthew wiped out the two Woodlake courses in Vass, as well as the Oates House, its stately clubhouse, leaving property owners without golf courses and other amenities. And after the state made a posthurricane check of the community’s aging dam of creeks that created the 1,200-acre Surf Lake, they lost the lake, too, as the state mandated the dam be breached for safety purposes.

Spence said the reaction of homeowners over the past two years has been particularly gratifying.

“When we were first out here, there wasn’t a twoby-four being nailed anywhere, and that went on for about six to eight months,” Spence recalled. “When it was announced the lake would be restored, within 30 days they were clearing lots and buildings houses like crazy. They were just sitting there waiting for that assurance.”

A few weeks ago, Spence was playing the course when he saw a retired military officer he’d gotten to know sitting on his back porch. Back in 2021, the same man had seen Spence in his yard and questioned what he was doing there.

“I yelled to him, ‘I bet you thought you’d never see this,’ and he was grinning ear to ear,” said Spence.

Maples’ designs included much-heralded layouts such as Grandfather Golf & Country Club in

Linville and Country Club of North Carolina’s Dogwood Course. Seay, then a Maples associate, joined Arnold Palmer in 1971 to form Arnold Palmer Design Co.

The course has a new irrigation system. As a result, the tee boxes, greens and bunkers are in mint condition and the fairways are plush. All that remains is the restoration of the lake, and work commenced last year on the new dam.

The lake is expected to fill quickly once the dam is completed -- as early as 2025, according to Cara Spencer, Woodlake’s marketing director and the daughter of owner Keith Allison.

The existing holes at the Maples Course had to be reclaimed. Assorted vegetation had grown over the former Bermuda fairways. Little pine trees and

shrubs had grown in bunkers. Spence had trouble finding the location of some of the former weedcovered greens. Intruders had used many of the former fairways for their ATVs. The course, which over the years had a reputation as neglected due to financial problems, looked like a “jungle,” recalled Spence.

Plus, the lakebed, which Spence said ranges from about 6 feet in depth near the edges to about 20 feet, was filled with tree stumps that had to be removed to meet state requirements. The cleanup was hard work, managed by Jim Harbin, a Spence project manager. Spence said he made many 75-minute drives from his office to check the project.

Bermuda Fairways Survived

That was the situation facing Spence in 2021 after

Woodlake Country Club

he was contacted by Allison, the Fayetteville businessman who bought the community’s assets for $3.5 million at a foreclosure auction in March 2021, with plans for saving at least one of the courses and building a newly completed clubhouse.

The hurricane and state-forced breach of the dam had left Woodlake, which had gone through an earlier foreclosure, without its major amenities. The German developer, Woodlake CC Corp., went bankrupt and lost the property. In 2018, a Superior Court judge awarded a homeowners’ group almost $162 million in damages for negligence that led to the loss of the lake, plummeting property values and an adverse effect on quality of life. According to several reports, that award remains unpaid.

A group of property owners, the Restore Woodlake Committee, won a class action lawsuit in 2018 against Woodlake CC Corp. after claiming the company’s negligence led to the loss of the lake, adversely affecting residents’ quality of life and property values.

To bring the course up to date, Spence did create some new back tee boxes to add 300 yards or so, extending the course to 7,350 yards -- enough to play host to top local or statewide tournaments. Some bunkers were also repositioned to bring them into play more for today’s bigger hitters.

Though the lake -- lakebed, for now -provides a formidable hazard at the start and finish of the course, the par-3 eighth, a downhill beauty that stretches to 236 yards, may be the most memorable hole.

Spence said he expects significant feedback in June when golfers from throughout the world come to the Sandhills for the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Many will bring their clubs and play at courses throughout the region when not at the tournament.

In some ways, the course’s resilience surprised Spence. The Bermuda 419 grass fairways were mostly intact when weeds and overgrowth were removed. After mowing and spraying with herbicides and the application of fertilizer and some rain, the Bermuda fairways were in such good condition, no sprigging was needed. Some sodding was done, especially where new trees and overgrowth had blocked sunlight.

Spence also found a working pump station from the lake to help irrigate the course.

Due to flooding concerns downstream, the state voted to pick up a $9.6 million bill for replacing the dam. Spence said that in a year or so, the lake should return to form, creating 25 or so new lakefront homesites on the former 18th hole as well as rejuvenating the property values throughout the community. A new sales office is in future plans.

Allison, the owner of Systel Business Equipment, and a Woodlake property owner prior to buying the golf courses, has his three daughters learning the golf business. Jeff Crabbe, the general manager, was hired from Lakeside Park Golf Club in Richmond, Virginia. He was previously a golf pro at Pinehurst Resort.

Greens Restored, Bunkers Rebuilt

The Maples Course begins with four holes along the western bank of Lake Surf, before turning inland. The final four holes return to the lake, though the new 18th hole is now on the location of the first hole on the former Palmer Course.

Spence had particular respect for the green designs by Maples and Seay. Spence said Maples was known for creative, undulating greens in a variety of sizes and shapes.

“For the most part we restored the greens,” Spence said.” We did not rebuild the greens — we just stripped off the overgrowth.”

“This golf course is going to have a lot of eyes on it ... when they get things ramped up and the U.S. Open is here,” said Spence.

Spence, whose Quixote Club design in Sumter opened in 2022, has remained busy with several projects, including a renovation at Hope Valley Country Club, an original Donald Ross design in Durham. His future projects this year include renovations at Starmount Forest Country Club and Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Spence’s renovations in the Triad have included Sedgefield Country Club, Forsyth Country Club and Cross Creek Country Club. Within the state, Spence’s projects have included prestigious courses at Roaring Gap Club, Country Club of North Carolina Dogwood Course, Grove Park Inn, Blowing Rock Country Club, Cedarwood Country Club, Gaston Country Club, and Providence Country Club. Ø

The 8th hole at Woodlake

Octogenarian Playing Partners

ACE THE SAME HOLE

Playing partners Jim Morris and John Scoville defied odds of approximately 17 million-to-1 with holes-in-one last week on the same unusual par-3 hole at River Landing Golf Club at Sandy Ridge.

Considering both golfers are in their 80s, and the No. 3 hole they aced is typically played as a much longer par-5, the odds of a similar achievement are probably much greater.

“That’s got to be off the charts,” Carolinas Golf Association executive director Jack Nance told Triad Golf of the odds when told of the feat. “That is unbelievable.”

The 17 million-to-1 odds come courtesy of the PGA of America. The odds for one golfer making a hole-in-one on a shot are about 15,000 to 1. Oh, and neither player saw their ball go into the hole because the cup was cut behind a crown in the back section of the green. Both looked first behind the putting surface before playing partner Troy Brim found the balls together in the cup.

Leading off on the tee on the overcast, cool day, Morris hit a 7-hybrid from tees he measured at 120 yards. Scoville used a 5-wood from 105.

“It went straight at it. I thought, ‘That’s going to be close or it’s going to go off the back side.’ As soon as we didn’t see them on the back of the green, we figured they had to be in the hole,” said the 81-year-old Morris, a Crawfordsville, Indiana, native who moved to the Sandy Ridge retirement community after living at Carolina Trace Country Club in Sanford.

“I hit a low ball that hit on the front of the green,” said the 88-year-old Scoville, a Barnwell, South Carolina

native, who moved to Sandy Ridge from a home at Forest Oaks Country Club. “I was surprised. I didn’t think I was anywhere near the hole.”

Scoville hit a Callaway ball, with what turned out to be a lucky Shamrock logo. Morris hit a Srixon ball.

Playing in a Stableford event, Morris and Scoville each wrote down a “6” — the number of points they were awarded for an eagle — on their scorecards. Both Morris and Scoville have been at Sandy Ridge for about five years.

Bob Campbell, the fourth member of the group, took the above photos. The ace was the first for Scoville, and the fourth for Morris, who had two at Carolina Trace and the other at Ford’s Colony Country Club in Williamsburg, Virginia. They are part of a group that plays in different pairings on Tuesdays and Thursdays at River Landing. Of the 20 or so players in the regular groups, Morris and Scoville said about eight stuck around to claim the drinks traditionally paid for by golfers who make a hole-in-one.

Morris and Scoville said that so far they haven’t received any financial rewards from the manufacturers of their equipment. Morris said he received $500 in merchandise from a hole-in-one club at Carolina Trace. Over the years, several golf companies have provided gifts to players who score an ace using their equipment.

The hole, normally 504 yards from the back tees, was playing as a par-3 due to wet conditions close to the Deep River, which often spills over into the fairway. A week later, Morris said the hole was once again playing as a par-5 despite some wet areas. Ø

Two balls, one hole

Jim Morris (left) and John Scoville

RECENT ACES

tournament schedule thru September 2024

amateur individual

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 55-over. 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

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.

Sept. 21-22 | 13th Annual Fall Oak Hollow 2-Man Open, Oak Hollow GC, High Point. 2-man captain’s choice. 336-883-3260.

Sept. 28-29 | Tuscarora Two-Man Invitational Tuscarora CC, Danville. Medal play in flights.  434-724-4191.

RANDY SUMMERS OF GREENSBORO, APRIL 19

Crooked Tree GC. No. 11, 147 yards, 6-iron. Playing partners: Eric Page, Phil White. His first ace.

DENNIS CREAMER OF GREENSBORO, APRIL 17

Iron Play Par-3 Links. No. 5, 75 yards, pitching wedge. Playing partners: Alex James, Lewis Thompson, Doug Johns, Phil Curtis. His fourth ace.

JENARD JACKSON OF GREENSBORO, APRIL 17

Iron Play Par-3 Links. No. 13, 90 yards, pitching wedge. His first ace.

BILLY CLAYTON OF BURLINGTON, APRIL 15

The Valley GC. No. 13, 132 yards, 9-iron. Playing partners: Lori Beth Adams, George Morris. His first ace.

BOBBY FISHER OF GRAHAM, APRIL 13

The Valley GC. No. 4, 144 yards, 8-iron. Playing partner: Dale Gull. His first ace.

TRAVIS CARTER OF JULIAN, APRIL 13

Colonial CC. No. 8, 170 yards, 7-iron. Playing partners: Joshua Williams, Cody Jones, Chase Jones. His first ace.

CALVIN SCALES OF MADISON, APRIL 6

Dan Valley GC. No. 3, 149 yards, 8-iron. Playing partners: James Nelson, Jr. Sands, Danny Bowman. His first ace was the jackpot winner in the Dan Valley league.

GREG HUTCHINS OF EAST BEND, APRIL 5

Pudding Ridge GC. No. 7, 145 yards, 8-iron. Playing partner: Donna Hutchins. His second ace.

BILL CLARK OF GIBSONVILLE, APRIL 4

Monroeton GC. No. 14, 100 yards, 9-iron. Playing partners: Bill Anderson, Ronnie Wright, Ken Glaspie. His fifth ace.

ETHAN RYAN JOHNSON OF NEW YORK, APRIL 2

Iron Play Par-3 Links.No. 9, 95 yards, 60-degree wedge. Playing partner: Jacob Dallas. His first ace.

SCOTT WEARN OF WINSTON-SALEM, APRIL 1

Tanglewood Championship Course. No. 7, 135 yards, 9-iron. Playing partners: John Kennedy, Eli Kennedy, Cody Mathis. His third ace.

TRAVIS HASKINS OF GREENSBORO, MARCH 21

Challenge GC. No. 8, 175 yards, 6-iron. Playing partners: C.J. McMasters, Mac McMillan, Jeremy Moore. His third career ace came one hole after he eagled the 7th hole with a 50-foot putt from the fringe.

Emily Mathews

SMALL STATURE CAN’T OBSCURE POWERFUL GAME

Despite her 5-foot-3 stature, Mebane native Emily Mathews generates prodigious power with her golf swing, driving the ball at least 275 yards, according to her coach.

Chase Duncan, the longtime instructor at Lonnie Poole Golf Course in Raleigh whose pupils include PGA Tour winner Ashkay Bhatia, jokes that the petite Mathews, a standout freshman at Virginia Tech, swings a golf club like a man and shows remarkable toughness. Duncan says she generates more clubhead speed than the average LPGA Tour player.

“She’s 5-foot-3, 115 pounds and swings it like a grown ass man,” said Duncan, who has worked with Mathews for about six years. “She swings it beautifully. She rotates really well. She gets a lot of strength from her lower body.”

Maybe Mathews developed her power-generating swing by watching her brother, Nick, a redshirt junior on the N.C. State golf team. They grew up playing at Mill Creek Golf Club.

Mathews said the surprising power is the result of setting up in a “squat” position and generating power by pushing off the ground while not sacrificing accuracy.

“With my legs, I get a lot of speed through impact,” she said.

Mathews’ quick success at Tech -- her 73.17 stroke average was No. 2 on the team behind Winston-Salem native Morgan Ketchum entering the ACC Tournament in late April at Porter’s Neck in Wilmington -- is no surprise.

Matthews was one of the nation’s top juniors. She won the N.C. Class 3A state title for Eastern Alamance High in 2020, 2021 and 2022, earned invitations to several elite American Junior Golf Association events and qualified for two U.S. Junior Girls’ Amateurs, advancing to match play in 2022. Her success led to an equipment deal with Mizuno.

She had many offers, including full-ride options at UNC and N.C. State, but felt most wanted at Tech, which also gave her the opportunity to live outside the Raleigh area.

“They (Hokies coaches) treated me like I was their No. 1 priority,” Mathews said. “They felt that I had the potential to be a great player.”

Majoring in sports media analytics, Mathews applies those skills in her golf game. She closely watches top players, especially those she’s paired with. After each round, she sits down and writes “reflections.” Her game also reflects her other focus of studies at Tech -- organizational leadership.

Those could include anything from shot preparation to set-up, shot selection and execution.

“I’m super-attentive,” Mathews said. “I watch (other players) and try to pick their brains. In 18 holes, I try to learn at least one thing. I learn one thing from one person and learn one thing from another. “I’m probably the only one on the team who does that. I think in the end, it will benefit you.”

Though she’s played well from the start at Tech, Mathews’ first semester was a struggle as she battled the effects of bronchitis.

“I was pretty much sick the whole semester,” Mathews said. “But I had endless support. I kept working, and I was in a good place with my swing. I’m not exactly sure how I did it.”

Mathews finished in the top 20 in the Wolfpack’s four fall tournaments, shooting 67 in rounds at Oklahoma’s Schooner Classic and the Landfall Tradition near Wilmington, where she finished 13th.

For the year, she leads the Hokies with a 72.75 stroke average in the final round of the team’s eight stroke-play tourneys.

Mathews got off to a slow start this spring. But her best finish, a tie for 38th at the Clemson Invitational, came in Tech’s last stroke-play event prior to the ACC Tournament. In April, she beat Wake Forest’s No. 1 player Carolina Chacarra, who carried a sub-70 stroke average and was in the top 15 in the national rankings.

The 1-up victory over Chacarra helped the Hokies finish second in the Wolfpack Match Play at Lonnie Poole.

Like most top college women’s players, Mathews aspires to play on the LPGA Tour.

“That’s my childhood dream,” she said. “I’m trying to do everything to put myself in that position.”

Regardless, she plans to find a career involving the sport.

“Hopefully, it will be something related to golf,” Mathews said. “I’m in love with the sport and would love to use my degree in that way.” 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

TWILIGHT & EVENING RATES AVAILABLE DAILY

Preston Howe

KEEPS FUTURE OPTIONS OPEN BY CHOOSING YALE

Though a pro golf career remains a dream for Preston Howe, the Forsyth Country Day School junior made academics the priority with his decision to play college golf in the Ivy League.

In March, Howe committed to Yale University, one of the nation’s most prestigious academic institutions, known more for producing U.S. presidents than PGA Tour players.

Why Yale? Howe doesn’t have friends or family near New Haven, Connecticut, nor any family ties to the elite university.

“Academics kind of drew me there,” said Howe, the top-ranked player in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association Division II rankings. “I had some other schools with bigger golf programs interested in me. I decided I’d rather have my future set up with a Yale degree.”

By choosing Yale, Howe will have to battle cold weather practicing in Connecticut much of the fall and spring seasons. But the Yale Golf Course, currently undergoing some renovations, is not only one of the most historic college courses but is widely considered one of the best.

Designed in 1926 by Charles Blair McDonald and Seth Rayner, the course was ranked No. 83 in the world by Golf Magazine and rated the nation’s best college course by Golfweek.

“By the time I get there, it should be finished,” the 17-year-old Howe said. “It’s going to be nice.”

Plus, Yale travels to warmer climates for most of their tournaments. This past season, the Bulldogs played in tournaments in Mexico, Houston, and San Diego during the late fall and winter.

“I get to go on a lot of cool trips there,” he said.

An outstanding student whose favorite subject is math, Howe said he also considered Stanford and Wake Forest, where friend and former FCS teammate Kyle Haas joined father Jerry Haas’ team this year. The Howe family are members at Old Town Club, Wake’s home course.

“Computer science and engineering have always been interesting to me,” said Howe, who joked that his experience this year in calculus may lead to a change of heart.

Stanford, an elite institution where the likes of Tiger Woods and Tom Watson have played, was Howe’s top choice. But the Palo Alto, California, school didn’t offer him a golf scholarship. As an Ivy League school, Yale doesn’t offer athletic scholarships but offers significant financial assistance to most students.

“I really wanted to go to Stanford,” Howe admitted. “Stanford would have been the best combo.”

Knowing how competitive Ivy League admission is, Howe said he initially contacted Yale, coached by Keith Tyburski, a former Western Carolina University golfer. Tyburski offered Howe a spot in December. Howe already has one friend of the Yale roster. Blake Brantley, a former standout at R.J. Reynolds High, will be a senior next year.

Howe works with instructor Chase Duncan, whose client Ashkay Bhatia won the PGA Tour event prior to the Masters, at N.C. State’s Lonnie Poole Golf Course every 4-6 weeks.

Howe, who has three top-10 finishes in nine American Junior Golf Association events in the past 12 months, tied for eighth in March at the Will Lowery Junior Championship, his only AJGA start so far in 2024, at Carolina Trace in Sanford.

Duncan said Howe’s retention of his lessons quickly caught his attention, noting at age 12 Howe’s written summaries of lessons requested by Duncan were amazingly comprehensive and thorough.

Howe had an exciting week in early March, shooting 4-under-par 32 for FCDS in a 9-hole match at Greensboro National Golf Club, then winning the North State Boys’ Challenge the next day with a bogey-free (his first in competition), 4-under 67 at Country Club of Salisbury, after announcing his commitment to attend Yale.

Duncan said the public commitment to Yale may rid him of some self-inflicted pressure, helping him complete the bogey-free round, a failure that had caused frustration.

“I think that’s (the bogey-free round) a testament to putting the decision behind him,” Duncan said. “I told him the decision (to play lower-profile college golf) might ‘free you up to play better golf.’”

As the high school season winds down, FCDS was No. 2 in the Division II team rankings, behind Cape Fear. Greensboro Country Day School, which beat FCDS by one stroke to win a state title last year, is ranked No. 3.

Though Howe carries only 145 pounds on a thin 6-foot frame, he still manages to carry the ball 290 off the tee and uses his 3-wood as one of his top weapons.

While Yale should ensure a successful financial future with various options, Howe said he hasn’t ruled out trying to play professional golf.

“It’s still on the table,” he said. “I’m going to pursue it as long as I can.”

Duncan said Howe has no major weaknesses in his game with potential to play at a high professional level.

“I think he just needs to keep building confidence and prove it to himself,” Duncan said. Ø

Jack Nance

ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

Jack Nance will retire as the executive director of the Carolinas Golf Association, effective at the end of the year. A search committee has been formed to find a replacement.

The announcement was made on March 22. Since 1984, the Clinton native has served in various roles with the CGA, including communications, course rating, rules and competitions, and as executive director since January 1992.

“This wonderful career I have had with the CGA was not planned out as a teenager,” Nance joked. “Timing, friends, and good fortune played a big role in me getting a job at the CGA in the first place. I will be forever grateful to those who introduced me to the business and to those who had enough confidence in me to keep me here for over 40 years. I have been blessed with lifelong friends through the CGA.”

A past president of the International Association of Golf Administrators (IAGA), the former Wake Forest golfer has served on numerous USGA committees. He has worked as a rules official in over 30 USGA championships and also qualified for the 1980 U.S. Amateur as a player.

The CGA has more than 700 member clubs representing over 200,000 golfers in the Carolinas and conducted more than 370 golf events in 2023. Ø

WAKE WOMEN win ACC title

Wake Forest won the ACC Women’s Championship on April 21 when its championship match against Clemson was stopped due to darkness. Wake was awarded the title due to leading the 54-hole stroke-play portion of the event and owning the highest seed of the two remaining teams.

Wake freshman Macy Pate of Winston-Salem was the only player in the final to close out a victory before play was stopped at Porter’s Neck Country Club in Wilmington. Pate also won in the team’s victory over North Carolina in the semifinals.

Rachel Kuehn of Wake was the stroke-play medalist with 10-under 206. Wake, ranked No. 3 in the nation heading into the ACC Championship, is the host school on May 6, when an NCAA Regional starts at Bermuda Run. Ø

WOMBLE WINS CGA Mid-Am

Davis Womble of Winston-Salem shot rounds of 66, 64, and 71 and prevailed in a three-hole playoff to win the CGA Mid-Amateur on April 20 at the Country Club of Salisbury. The former Wake Forest golfer won the playoff over Matt Schall of Matthews with an up-and-down par. Schall had rallied from a six-shot deficit in the final round to tie Womble at 12-under-par 201. Womble also won the tournament in 2022.

Dan Walters of Winston-Salem, an assistant coach at Wake, finished two shots behind. Matthew Crenshaw of Burlington finished seventh at 207. Ø

Jack Nance

Macy Pate

Davis Womble

UNC MEN win ACC title

North Carolina beat Florida State in the title match on April 22 to win the ACC Men’s Championship at Country Club. This victory marks the Tar Heels’ first conference championship since 2006. The Tar Heels are the host of an NCAA Regional that begins May 13 at Finley Golf Course.

Ranked No. 1 in the nation much of the season, UNC led in stroke play to secure the top seed. Wake Forest’s Michael Brennan and Florida State’s Frederik Kjettrup were co-medalists at 7-under 206. Ø

OPERATORS LOSING W-S DRIVING RANGE but plan another nearby

The Triad will soon lose another driving range. But it may gain a “supreme” replacement.

Country Club Golf Center in Winston-Salem will close late this summer, according to Tommy Pegram, one of the business’ operators. Pegram said that the property owner plans to develop the land.

He said he and business partner Ricky Lyons have their sights on a Lewisville property to put a “first-class” driving range with covered hitting areas, grass areas, target greens, chipping areas and a putting green. Like Country Club, the new location is planned to have a shop and facilities for lessons. Pegram did not specify the location, noting the property had not yet been purchased.

While several area outdoor ranges have closed in the Triad in the past few years, many indoor options have opened. Davis Troxler, who had operated the Deep River Golf Range and the North Carolina Golf Academy on the same property, opened Tee It Up Indoors on Battleground Avenue in Greensboro. Similar multi-simulator facilities have opened in Clemmons, Kernersville, Bermuda Run and Archdale. Ø

TRIAD HOSTS major events

A trio of major CGA and Carolinas PGA tournaments is scheduled for Triad courses in May. The CGA Senior Amateur is scheduled for May 7-9 at Holly Ridge. The Carolinas PGA N.C. Senior Open is set for May 14-15 at High Point Country Club’s Willow Creek course. The CPGA North Carolina Open is May 21-23 at Starmount Forest.

The State Open at Starmount Forest is the biggest tournament scheduled at the Greensboro club before the course begins a renovation project late in the year. Local architect Kris Spence will handle the project, expected to last several months into 2025.

The Triad Amateur is scheduled for July 27 and 28 at High Point Country Club’s Willow Creek course.

UNC Men’s Golf Team | photo courtesy of the ACC

chip shots

Pinehurst No.10

NEW NAME AND LOGO UNVEILED

The new 10th course at Pinehurst Resort will have a distinctive name reflecting its unique setting and local history.

The resort announced the course would be known as Pinehurst Sandmines, though it is still also referred to as Pinehurst No. 10. The course, scheduled to open in May, is routed on more than 900 acres, most wooded and undeveloped.

According to a Pinehurst release, a variety of future developments are under consideration, including an additional 18-hole golf course, a short course, clubhouse, and guest cottages.

“A year ago, we were excited to announce that Tom Doak would begin carving a new era of Pinehurst golf on this exceptional property,” said Bob Dedman Jr., CEO of Pinehurst Resort.

“Today, we take another step forward into our continued evolution with a nod to what came before.”

Beginning in the 1920s, the sandy soil proved useful for multiple mining operations, specifically Pleasants Sand and Supply, which was founded after World War II. Over the next half-century, sand mined in Aberdeen was shipped along the adjoining railroad for building projects all over the United States, including the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Following Pleasants’ closure in the mid-1970s, rugged dunes, mounds, and berms forged from mining excavations were left behind and reclaimed by nature. Doak’s No. 10 includes about 250 acres of the total property.

“There’s a lot of history at this place, and you just want to honor it,” says Angela Moser, Doak’s lead design associate on No. 10. “You want to have it be a part of what you’re building, so you’ll see reminders of it.”

The Pinehurst Sandmines logo is a railcar, dashed in railroad red color with features of subtle hints about the property’s past – and its future – within the car’s structure and design. The car carries a “Matterhorn”-shaped mound that resembles the 25-foot sand deposit framing No. 10’s dramatic 8th hole — a signature remnant of the commercial mine’s influence in No. 10’s routing.

“Pinehurst’s past, present, and future are right here in the sand,” says Tom Pashley, Pinehurst Resort’s president. “We look forward to seeing what more can be mined in this area.” Ø

Hole 1 at Pinehurst No. 10 | photo courtesy of Pinehurst.com

SPRING FLING

Two-Man Bestball

Greensboro National GC, Summerfield | April 6-7

OVERALL TOP 10

(INCLUDES FLIGHTS 1 AND 2)

1. Seth Cayton-Rocky Manning Jr. 67-64--131

2. Nick Bargison-Jonathan Clapp 66-69--135

3. Mark Dill-Brian Robinette 68-70--138

3. Jason Gentel-Mark Cassady 65-73--138

5. Trevor Mitchell-Seth Moore 67-74--141

6. Billy Hambrick-Johnny Kallam 73-69--142

6. David Hord-Jeff Crittenden 67-75--142

8. Jason Fulp-Connor Fulp 72-71--143

9. Mitchell Swaringen-Ryan Burke 75-68--143

10. Chris Kiger-John Gaddy 74-72--146

FLIGHT 3 - TOP 4

1. Steve Gaffney-Louis McMeekin 74-78--152

2. Chad Bledsoe-Bo Arledge 82-74--156

2. Hugh Mespelt-Christopher Clement 77-79--156

4. Ed Winicki-Patrick Winicki 80-77--157

FLIGHT 4 - TOP 3

1. Ryan Budwine-Phillip Englebert 73-78--151

2. Robert Zimmet-Dave Printup 80-76--156

3. Lori Knox-Vincente Hernandez 84-83--167

Notes: Seth Cayton shot 69 and Rocky Manning 70 during the final round on their way to a four-shot win, coming from two shots off the pace after Saturday. Mark Dill and Brian Robinette won the first flight. Billy Hambrick and JohnnyKallam tied David Hord and Jeff Crittenden for second. Forest Crowson and Roger Black were fourth with 74-75.

Mountain Glen

Boone Golf Club

Mountain Aire

High Country

HIGH-PROFILE PUBLIC OPTIONS

When you think of N.C. High Country golf courses, the first thing that comes to mind for many golfers are the spectacular clubs that make national top 100 course lists, while the list of public options shrinks.

Linville Golf Club, for decades the elite choice open to guests of the historic Eseeola Lodge, went entirely private during the pandemic. More recently, Beech Mountain, a longtime option for resort guests, did the same.

They joined a list topped by exclusive Avery County neighbors Diamond Creek, Elk River, and Linville Ridge; Blowing Rock in Watauga County; and Roaring Gap and High Meadows in Wilkes County. Jefferson Landing in Ashe County and Hound Ears in Watauga allow some resort play.

Still, visitors to Watauga, Avery, Ashe, and Wilkes counties have a solid group of options offering outstanding mountain golf at prices slightly higher than typical in the Triad but more affordable than destinations such as Pinehurst and the South Carolina coast, especially during their respective high seasons.

Boone Golf Club and Mountain Glen in Newland are premier layouts from well-known architects with well-manicured conditions, each under $100 on weekends and lower on weekdays. Mountain Aire, Ashe’s premier public course, includes the par-4 third featuring perhaps the most memorable downhill tee shot in the region.

Here’s a look at some of the top options:

BOONE GOLF CLUB

With a location in the region’s biggest city with a college population of more than 20,000, it’s no surprise that Boone Golf Club is a hub of activity, generating about 35,000 rounds during a typical six-month season.

The Ellis Maples design built in a valley filled with streams and only a few neighboring homes on the south edge of Boone is a challenging par-71 layout stretching to almost 6,700 yards and requiring a variety of shots.

The distance between greens and tees is modest. Many of the regulars walk the course. Only a few holes, Nos. 9 through 11, require significant uphill walking. The fairways are deep green and lush. A few fairway bunkers were remodeled early this year.

“It’ll be one of the best-conditioned public golf courses you’ll play anywhere,” said assistant pro Art Adams.

Putting skills are put to the test on the course’s large, slick bent grass greens. The combination of speed and undulations make three-putting a consistent concern, especially from above the hole. Fairways are bordered by trees, high grass, streams, and high grasses.

The huge, three-tiered putting surface on the par5 sixth hole can easily turn a birdie putt into an eventual double-bogey. The putting test comes

after a tight tee shot to a dogleg, followed by either a long carry over a lake to the green perched just below the hilltop clubhouse or a short iron third shot over the water.

The most memorable tee shot comes on No. 10, where the drive comes out of a tight chute of trees to land on a hillside sloping dramatically to the fairway on the left. The hillside remains in play on the second shot with the third shot to perhaps the course’s smallest green cut into the hillside, making an errant approach to the left tumble several down a steep slope.

The par-3s at Boone are difficult. Nos. 3, 8, and 16 stretch to more than 200 yards with surrounding water and wetlands. Distance is tough to judge on No. 11, where the tee shot carries over a drop-off to a green atop a hillside obscuring much of the putting surface.

Boone opened in mid-April at $75 on weekdays and $80 on weekends, cart included, and prices will rise as the greens increase in speed as visitors arrive in force in May and June. boonegolfclub.com/

MOUNTAIN GLEN

A little farther off the beaten path is Mountain Glen, another walkable valley layout only a few miles from the Tennessee line. The George Cobb design has rolling terrain, though unlike many mountain courses, there are few if any blind shots and putting surfaces can be seen from the fairways.

The first three holes can be seen from N.C. 194, between Newland and Elk Park in the Cranberry area. The par-72 course stretches to 6,528 yards.

“It’s not necessarily your typical mountain golf course,” said pro Robert Novak, new to the course this spring after the departure of longtime pro and assistant David Burleson, the son of N.C. State basketball legend Tom Burleson. “Everything is pretty much in front of you.”

Like Boone, Mountain Glen has a reputation for well-manicured tees, greens, and fairways. Mountain Glen opened at $65 for greens fees and cart on weekdays and $70 on weekends. The price will increase to $83 on weekends later in the season.

“We are delivering a premium experience,” said Novak. “At that price, it’s a great value.”

Mountain Glen’s front nine is relatively open with small bent greens and flat fairways. The signature hole is No. 11, an uphill dogleg left. The finishing holes wind down to the clubhouse.

boone-asheville-nc-mountain-golf-course.com

MOUNTAIN AIRE

The terrain at Mountain Aire is hillier than Boone and Mountain Glen. The West Jefferson layout is well-maintained with fast undulating greens. The routing on the 6,415-yard par-72 course is solid, though not quite as polished.

With dramatic elevation changes and rolling fairways, Mountain Aire has a true mountain layout feel. The prices are hard to beat, starting at $45 on weekdays and $50 on weekends this spring.

Errant tee shots can roll down hills far off the fairway, leaving difficult recoveries. At No. 3, a 468-yard par-4 from the back tee, players drive over a 200-foot dropoff to a tiny landing area bordered to the right by a grassy backstop hill. To the left is another dramatic drop-off that could be used in a Ben Stiller AT&T commercial. Go left, good luck finding your ball. More luck is needed to get it back in play and make a single-digit score.

At the short par-4 No. 9, players lay up down another steep downslope in front of a pond that guards a small green. The course includes other short par-4s. Only one of four of the par-5 reaches 500 yards, but they are uphill. mountainaire.com Ø

other high country courses

SUGAR MOUNTAIN

It’s tough to find a better short-game test than Sugar Mountain, which turns 50 this year. The par-64 municipal course has tricky, smooth bent greens that make a strong defense of par. Stopping a downhill putt close to the hole can be almost impossible.

Frank Duane, once Arnold Palmer’s top designer, was the course’s architect. With mature trees, flowers near tee boxes, and other landscaping extras, Sugar Mountain has an almost park-like feel with scenic elevation changes.

The longest par-4 is 353 yards, but several approaches require a deft touch to avoid water and woods. The only par-5 is 390 yards, but winds up a steep hill bordered by creeks and woods.

Though the 4,371 yards on the scorecard may make the course look easy, the elevation changes and the undulating, fast greens make it extremely challenging. seesugar.com/golf

OLDE BEAU

In the Wilkes mountains, the choice is Olde Beau, a hilly 6,500yard, par-72 course with spectacular views in Roaring Gap. Many of the greens are protected by water. In recent years, renovations have eliminated some blind shots that frustrated visitors.

The course has par-3 tees on every hole on the front nine, making it attractive to small children and beginners. The 18-hole price for greens fees and cart opened this spring at $59 on weekdays and $79 on weekends. oldebeauresort.com

LINVILLE LAND HARBOR

Linville Land Harbor’s front nine is about 3,000 yards and has a solid reputation. The back nine is polarizing. Tom Jackson designed nine holes. Later on, the membership of the community wanted another nine. As a result, another was shoehorned into the available property. As a result, several short doglegs were created on the home nine, taking woods out of the bag.

The result was a 4,877-yard par-69 layout concluding with a 196yard par-4, where players are asked not to drive the dogleg for safety reasons.

The price for greens fee and cart was $56.42 early this spring. The course is in good condition. linvillelandharborgolf.com Ø

Gillespie

City ponders several possibilities for the public course

Gillespie Golf Course has $1.5 million left to spend and is expected to ask for more from the city of Greensboro, perhaps via future bond funding.

But the city is still figuring out what it wants. A master plan for improvements to the 88-acre golf complex in east Greensboro was near completion in late April, according to Gillespie golf professional Bob Brooks.

“Once we get a master plan, we can look at our options,” Brooks said.

Gillespie originally had $2 million. The city allocated $1.5 million for improvements from money received for Covid-19 recovery. The PGA of America gave $250,000 — and the Bryan Foundation pledged to match it — in project funds that Brooks said are earmarked for a 15,000 to 20,000 square foot synthetic practice green near the current kids’ short course.

The city has already spent about $500,000 on poles and netting to extend protection for vehicles and pedestrians traveling along East Florida Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The new netting along the driving range and the sixth hole is now 85 feet high, an increase of about 20 feet. Brooks said he expects the master plan to cost around $200,000, leaving current funds at about $1.3 million.

Some other changes are almost certain — a new 10,000-to-20,000-square foot maintenance building; a mural on the current First Tee building that honors the “Greensboro Six,” whose actions integrated the course in 1957; and renovation of the nine-hole course’s greens, including a new irrigation system.

Brooks said several options were under consideration. He said a bond referendum could be put before voters as early as 2025.

Brooks said the greens, which have had no major updates since the course’s creation in 1941, are expected to be converted from bent grass to more heatresistant Bermuda with some softening of contours to make them more playable for beginners.

But the city has different options in different price ranges. Brooks said some simple shaving, flattening, and expanding of the existing greens with new surfaces and improved irrigation might cost about $2 million. If the city opted to rebuild with USGA specs for drainage, the price could more than double.

Brooks said work on the greens would probably require bond funding. So work on the greens isn’t expected until after a public vote.

Brooks said new expanded Senior Ladies tees are another priority. Other likely improvements include expanding the par-3 short course, which has holes between 15-40 yards with tiny greens. A possibility would be to convert the short course into six regulation-length par-3 holes, each honoring a member of the Greensboro Six. Cart path repair and tree removal are other possible projects.

Brooks said there is also support for a new, larger clubhouse with a room large enough for meetings or gatherings. Ø