By Steve Hanf At 28 years old, Maggie Watts has grown up in a world with opportunities for females to experience the game of golf. “I grew up in a time that women’s golf and junior girls golf was always included in the overall golf picture,” said Watts, the director of women’s golf with the…
A tiny mountain hamlet in an Allegheny County gap packs plenty of punch with a trio of world-class golf courses By Brad King The hamlet of Roaring Gap in Allegheny County consists of a gas station, a post office … and a trio of heralded golf developments with unique, centerpiece mountain layouts all within a…
By David Droschak At first glance, Salem Glen Country Club in western Forsyth County seems to have it all. As the only Nicklaus Design golf course in the Triad, there is 150 feet of elevation change, 4½ miles of creeks and nine lakes scattered throughout a layout that offers two distinct nine holes. An expansive…
Gillespie Park’s historic layout seeing increased participation. By Steve Huffman At mid-afternoon on a recent weekday, Billy Eastwood was greeting a customer entering the clubhouse at Gillespie Golf Course. They seemed like old friends, the way it is between many of the golfers who frequent Gillespie and those who staff its pro shop. “Hey, Seth,…
By Steve Huffman Gillespie Golf Course is recognized as a tight nine-hole tract, as good a municipal course as you’ll find. It’s also recognized as the site of one of the battles in the civil rights movement, a place where a group of black men sought to integrate a course they weren’t allowed to play.…
By Steve Huffman Jim Melvin grew up across the street from Gillespie Park Elementary School, an area of east Greensboro that in the early 1930s remained largely rural. Melvin, now 82, recalled that, “When I was about 7, I watched them build a golf course.” It was a project that was to become Gillespie…
By Steve Hanf Just about everyone who enjoys golf in North Carolina and South Carolina knows about the Carolinas Golf Association. But as Hale B. Van Hoy and Jack Nance worked tirelessly to grow the game of amateur golf in the region, they couldn’t help but have a little fun with the acronym. “We had…
By BRAD KING Private clubs around the Triad and the throughout the country have felt the pinch from on-going economic turmoil and uncertainty. Membership rosters have shrunk considerably. The majority of private clubs has fewer members today than a decade ago. A challenging economy, along with fierce competition and changing lifestyles have made attracting and…
By Kurt Dusterberg For most golfers, it’s easy to take the game at face value – the nice weather, the camaraderie, the challenge of making shots. A good round of golf is an invigorating break from the everyday routine. But to The First Tee organization, the game of golf is something more. It is a…
By Steve Huffman Rick Murphy is running for office with the PGA of America and said he’s doing so solely for the good of the game. “I’ve got nothing to add to my resume, I’m done,” he said. “This is simply my way of giving back.” Ultimately, Murphy, a Greensboro golf professional, wants to be…