By DAVID DROSCHAK Even though Ed Shelton describes himself as “a reformed golfer” who hasn’t picked up a club in 15 years he was all ears when Yadkin Valley tourism officials approached him about partnering golf with the area’s surging wine industry. After all, Shelton is an astute businessman, who along with brother Charlie has…
By STEVE HANF The Bridgestone Golf Collegiate has grown into one of the top tournaments in the region over the past seven years. UNC Greensboro’s marquee event should gain even greater stature this fall when the tournament brings back plenty of top talent to a new location: Grandover Resort & Conference Center’s East Course. “Forest…
By STEVE WILLIAMS Youth was served in the state high school girls championships last fall. And that makes it easy to cast the favorites for this year’s title chase that begins with regionals on Oct. 22 and concludes with three state tournaments on Oct. 29-30. Salisbury, led by freshman Isabella Rusher, rolled to a 33-shot…
By STEVE WILLIAMS Ben Pinkleton had hopes of playing collegiate golf after finishing high school at Northeast Guilford. Seven years later, he’s getting that chance. Pinkleton is a 25-year-old freshman at Guilford College, filled with enthusiasm and confidence in his improving game. He posted some of the Quakers’ best scores in qualifying but narrowly missed…
By BOB SUTTON Matt Crenshaw has no visions of turning his breakthrough 2012 season on the amateur circuit into something more lucrative. The Burlington golfer said the run of Carolinas Golf Association championships suits him just fine. Crenshaw is a four-time winner this year, including pulling off a double of individual majors by following June’s…
By STEVE WILLIAMS Just moments after Victoria Allred captured her second Carolinas Golf Association Junior title in early August, she was already looking ahead to 2013. “I’m excited,” she said after winning the Dogwood State Junior Championship at Starmount Forest Country Club, “I’ll be able to play on the Carolinas team again next year. I…
By MICHAEL GRAFF You don’t do this without thinking about it. You don’t tear up a golf course that’s been in your family for 45 years without being absolutely certain it’s the right thing to do. Two area courses – Wilshire Golf Course in Winston-Salem and Occoneechee Golf Club in Hillsborough – decided this summer…
By STEVE WILLIAMS A victory in The Cardinal Amateur was just what Justin Clement needed as he continues to prepare for a shot at professional golf in 2013. Clement finished at the top of a strong field Aug. 12 at the Cardinal, regarded nationwide as one of the major amateur events on the summer schedule.…
By BOB SUTTON With all the rave reviews associated with Sedgefield Country Club since it became the home to the Wyndham Championship, there’s something else growing on the tournament grounds. New grass for the greens. The switch to a more heat-resistant strain of bermudagrass for the greens complexes is one of the major storylines –…
By David Droschak Two wins, both groundbreaking in the PGA Tour career of one James Frederick Webb Simpson. But in terms of confidence, what a difference a year makes. Last August at Sedgefield Country Club, the former Wake Forest University All-American was grinding on Tour, and in his own words, “pressing” for that initial victory.…