By John Brasier
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 Eckenrod’s 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 a 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.”
