Former Wake Forest assistant coach Dan Walters fired a spectacular 65 Thursday at Cedarwood Country Club in Charlotte to climb into a tie for third place finish in the 101st Carolinas Open.
Walters’ 65 tied for the low round of the 54-hole tournament. Colin Salema, a Clemson golfer from Matthews, posted 13-under-par 200 to win by six shots over Nick Rencis of Cornelius.
Steve Scott of Winston-Salem closed with 70 to finish at 209 in a tie for eighth. Amateur Ben Jordan of Greensboro finished at 211.
A old, well-known Triad name is in contention in the 101st Carolinas Open at Cedarwood Country Club in Charlotte.
Steve Scott, the 45-year-old Winston-Salem pro who played Tiger Woods in the 1996 U.S. Amateur championship match, had a 3-under-par 139 total after 36 holes to tie for fifth place. The 45-year-old Scott, 2018 Carolinas PGA Player of the Year, works as an instructor and broadcaster.
Scott trails leader Colin Salema, an amateur from Matthews playing at Clemson, by six shots entering Thursday’s final round. Amateur Ben Jordan of Greensboro, who plays at Wofford, is tied for 14th at 141.
Holly Ridge Golf Links does things differently than most public golf courses – from the online booking of an exclusive tee time through the 19th hole service provided by robots in a leather sofa-filled lounge surrounded by golf simulators.
That’s because when Luke Hollingsworth took over as sole owner in 2007, the golf course business wasn’t booming as it is in the post-Covid 19 era.
The U.S. economy was stuck in recession and the housing bubble was about to burst. With play down at U.S. courses, Hollingsworth was looking for answers to increase efficiency and revenue at Holly Ridge.
“It was all out of necessity to sustain the business. That was the main catalyst,” said Hollingsworth, whose father Dale opened the course with partners Phil Ridge and Bobby Myers in 1994. “I’ve always been one to do things different. I don’t understand why everyone wanted to be like everyone else. I believe that in business you have to do things to make yourself stand out.”
Convinced that he did want to remain in the golf business, Hollingsworth took on the challenge when his father’s partners wanted to sell. He sought new, better ways to do business.
Eventually, Hollingsworth created Tee Caddie, a tee sheet platform that sells tee times, not individual rounds, and is supported by targeted digital marketing.
“I told my dad, ‘I don’t know anything else I’d rather be doing,” Hollingsworth said.
Hollingsworth has made it work. Revenues are up close to 200% in the five years since Tee Caddie debuted.
Though the pandemic created some initial demand in 2020, Holly Ridge has continued to grow revenues at a similar rate each following year.
Foremost among the business solutions Hollingsworth (middle in top photo) found was a different way to book golf – sell tee times rather than single rounds.
Led by partners Chris Sidden (left, top photo) and Jacob Shouse (right), Tee Caddie developed technology to maximize efficiency from marketing and booking times and integrating each into a proprietary POS system.
Another major additional revenue source (non-weather dependent) is the spacious Bunker Lounge filled with six simulators (golf and other games), comfy sofas and tables, and a menu including steak, brisket and salads brought to the tables by robots.
“We’re not totally a golf course. We’re in the entertainment business,” Hollingsworth said. “There’s a lot of cookie-cutter courses where everything is the same. I think golf has been stuck with blinders for 100 years.
“In my opinion, instead of bettering what they have and making themselves stand out, owners were just kind of grasping at straws instead of focusing on what they had and creating revenue streams.”
With Tee Caddie, Hollingsworth put himself in prime position to capitalize on the recent boom. The exponential growth in revenues has continued post-pandemic.
“Since 2022, we’re still climbing,” Hollingsworth said. “I have to assume that’s due to reinvestment in course and the tech that we do.”
Now, Hollingsworth and partners are offering Tee Caddie — complete with the fully integrated, proprietary POS system and social media advertising — to other courses.
BOOKING TIMES, NOT ROUNDS
Before launching Tee Caddie, Hollingsworth was frustrated by the lack of efficiency with the traditional way golf is sold.
According to the USGA, the average group at a U.S. course includes only 2.6 – not 4 – players, leaving a 35% gap between actual and potential revenue for greens fees and carts in the traditional method of booking per round.
“I think the golf industry has been charging for golf incorrectly,” Hollingsworth said. “Do we need a rate for a single round of golf? Absolutely! But a golf courses’ main inventory consists of tee times, not rounds.
“Think about it like this: Look at any tee sheet in the world. What is on that sheet? Tee times, not rounds. When solicitors come asking for a charitable donation, what do they ask for? A foursome of golf, which is in essence a tee time.
“Other third-party vendors that golf courses use require tee times (not rounds!) for their services. So, if tee times are what we have in our inventory and tee times are what other people and businesses are asking us for, why in the world are we not selling them?”
The well-manicured course includes several challenging water hazards.
Selling by the tee time also has benefits for players.
“A lot of people get confused and think it is strictly a “foursome” rate,” Hollingsworth said. “That is completely false – it’s a “tee time” rate. While foursomes obviously get the better deal financially, it also caters to the folks that don’t want to be paired up.
“Once the tee time is purchased, it is out of inventory, so there is no need to try and pair up singles and twosome with others. In other words, if you purchase a tee time instead of a round, that time slot is yours. Bring whoever you like, as many as you like (up to four) and there’s no worry about someone being paired with your group.
“If you want to purchase a single round of golf then you are subject to being paired. That’s the difference between selling rounds and tee times.”
ELIMINATING HEADACHES
Hollingsworth, who started as superintendent at Holly Ridge after earning a degree in agronomy at N.C. State, said he began considering switching to tee time pricing as early as 2011 or 2012.
Though unique to the Triad and most of the U.S. market, selling golf online by the tee time is standard practice in the United Kingdom.
With Tee Caddie, Hollingsworth said Holly Ridge averages about 3.4 players per tee time, as opposed to the 2.6 national USGA average. He also stated that 90% of his weekend times are Tee Caddie online bookings. Additional threesomes and foursomes also produce more revenue from merchandise and food and drink sales.
Paying online in advance takes away headaches course owners typically suffer from traditional phone reservations that tie up staff, and if not pre-paid, leave course owners vulnerable.
Some golfers will call multiple courses to reserve times, then make their choice without cancelling the others.
“Another benefit I’ve seen is that by requiring booking online, no-shows are no longer an issue, and you don’t have groups booking four players and showing up with only two players,” Hollingsworth said.
HOW TEE CADDIE WORKS
How does a Tee Caddie partnership work? Tee Caddie doesn’t charge partner courses’ a fee up front. Instead, a revenue target is set considering the number of POS systems the course requires.
Tee Caddie offers multiple pricing strategies to fit the golf courses’ overall goal.
Initial Tee Caddie partners include Siler City Country Club, Monroeton Golf Club in Reidsville and Hedingham Golf Club in Raleigh, courses managed by Dail Golf, a company founded by longtime Triad superintendent Geoff Dail.
“Dail Golf has been an excellent early partner because they recognize the need of effective golf course management services and rely on the Tee Caddie technology to help their managed courses succeed,” Hollingsworth said.
Though focused on adding courses in the central NC markets, Hollingsworth also has ongoing discussions with other potential users in different regions of the country.
Sidden and Shouse, the technology team for Tee Caddie, are hardware and software technology veterans from Winston-Salem.
Tee Caddie uses targeted Meta ads to drive players to the booking platform. With a course website and the Meta campaign ads as the primary methods for booking times, the effectiveness of the campaigns can be accurately measured.
Tee Caddie includes the fully managed marketing services for all participating courses. Hollingsworth and his technology team believe Tee Caddie is an attractive alternative to the “800-pound Gorillas” that dominate online tee time booking platforms.
“Tee Caddies’ platform is a movement that’s more than just software,” said Sidden. “It’s a declaration of our commitment to reclaim your golf course and your time. It’s your key to regain control of your customers and your tee times. Harness it alongside our managed marketing system, and the reins are back in your hands.”
“It’s essential to recognize that the third-party vendors’ primary customer is the golfer, not the golf course owner,” Sidden said. “Tee Caddie presents a unique opportunity for golf course owners to reassess their marketing strategies and consider discontinuing the use of barter in favor of a true golf management platform.”
In the competitive landscape of attracting new customers, Tee Caddie lightens the load for pro shop managers by seamlessly handling the intricacies of online advertising. The unique platform covers everything from crafting engaging content to the dynamic publication of live ads, showcasing a campaign strategy that delivers more golfers to the course.
POS-ITIVE EFFICIENCY
Tee Caddie is about more than Tee Times. It also provides efficiency utilizing the latest technology with an element of fun.
While hitting into six simulator bays, customers can enjoy food and drink in the Bunker Lounge.
Tee Caddie has teamed with a Canadian golf course management systems provider, Visual Touch (VT) Golf, to employ a tee sheet that also effectively integrates tee times, merchandise, food and beverage (including on-course drink carts) into a single computerized POS system.
Tee Caddie has exclusive U.S. rights to the VT Golf platform. With VT Golf, every POS is connected.
Utilizing the technology, there’s only limited need for staff in Holly Ridge’s Bunker Lounge, where two robots from VT Golf deliver food and clear tables. The kiosk in the lounge will provide a direct method of sending orders to the kitchen.
The robots help the staff to keep the focus on the customer experience.
“People love the robots,” said Hollingsworth. “I think some people come in just to see them.”
ENTERTAINMENT DESTINATION
As Hollingsworth points out, Holly Ridge doesn’t look like the typical public golf course.
The front door of the modern, but rustic-in-décor clubhouse opens into an attractive full-service bar with comfortable stools. A new pro shop is further right, around a corner. The hallway to the left opens into the Bunker Lounge. An outdoor deck with tables and seating is in the back, overlooking the course and driving range.
An open layout where wind and water protect par features smooth, Ultradwarf Bermuda greens and well-maintained fairways. Old whiskey barrels identify the tee on each hole. Carts are equipped with GPS providing yardages.
The 6,790-yard course is solid with a 72.4 rating and 140 slope from the back tees. Last year, it served as host for the Carolinas Golf Association’s North Carolina Senior Amateur.
The driving range is included for players with a tee time. In addition to daily lunch, the bar and grill serves dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The clubhouse also hosts an occasional concert.
The facility is frequently booked at night for weddings and other social gatherings.
Hollingsworth was quick to go all-in on simulators — popular entertainment for social occasions and perhaps the best revenue source during inclement weather.
When rounds are canceled due to lightning or heavy rain, the course offers the simulators as one alternative to a rain check. “With simulators, we’ve created a whole new base of customers,” Hollingsworth said.
Located off an isolated stretch of U.S. 311, Holly Ridge has become a golf, food, and entertainment destination for the surrounding area.
For more information about Tee Caddie, contact:
Luke Hollingsworth email: luke@teecaddie.info 336-442-0281
Leah Edwards of Greensboro shot 79 Tuesday at Atlanta Athletic Club and will likely fall one or two strokes short of making the cut at the U.S. Girls’ Junior when the second round is completed Wednesday morning.
Edwards, who opened with 71 Monday, struggled after making an opening birdie Tuesday morning. At 8-over-par 150, she was in a tie for 85th in the 36-hole stroke-play competition. The top 64 players advance to match play.
Edwards will likely move up the leaderboard Wednesday, but only 17 of the players in the top 75 were still on the course.
Mallory Pitts of Greensboro shot her second consecutive 78 Tuesday to tie for 133rd when play was suspended.
Davis Womble of Winston-Salem finished second July 11 in the 111th Carolinas Amateur at Pinehurst No. 7.
Womble, a former Wake Forest player, rallied to shoot 1-under-par 71 in the final round after making double bogey on the first hole. He finished at 13-under 273 for 72 holes, one stroke behind Chandler Mulkey of Johns Island, South Carolina.
Mulkey, an Oregon native and a long-time caddie at Kiawah Island Resort, shot 70 in the final round, taking the victory with a birdie on the 72nd hole.
Womble and Mulkey battled head-to-head with Womble during the final round, taking a three-shot lead at the turn after consecutive birdies at Nos. 7, 8 and 9. Mulkey battled back with consecutive birdies at 10, 11 and 12.
Womble, who has won six Carolinas Golf Association championships, also finished second in the event in 2015 and 2019.
Leah Edwards is in position to advance to match play at the U.S. Girls’ Junior.
The Greensboro golfer, a two-time Class 4A individual champion at Northwest Guilford High who will attend Western Kentucky University, shot even-par 71 Monday afternoon in the first round of stroke play at Atlanta Athletic Club.
Edwards made three birdies and three bogeys, shooting even-par on each side. She will play in the morning on Tuesday.
Edwards is one of eight players tied for 16th entering Tuesday’s final round of stroke play. The top 64 players will advance to match play. Rinka Nakayama of Japan leads with 66.
Mallory Pitts, a student at Greensboro Day School and the Carolinas Girls’ Junior champion, shot 78 after making birdie on the first hole.
Welcome to “What’s New in Triad Golf?”, a new feature to run every Monday for subscribers to the coming soon TriadGolf.com newsletter.
Let’s start with the good news:
A lighted six-hole, par-3 course is under construction at Colin Creek in Mocksville. Crews were visible and light stands are up on open land on the east end of the property.
Hickory Hill Golf Club until sold and reopened as Colin Creek in 2019, the course’s new owners had shortened the course from 18 holes to 12 holes with six extra tees allowing players to stretch rounds to 18 holes.
Customers have been told the par-3 holes, owned separately from the 12 regulation holes, are expected to be ready in the fall.
We’ll have more information on Colin Creek and other Triad golf venues this week on TriadGolf.com …
Work on the new replacement for Country Club Golf Center is well underway in Lewisville. No opening date has been set. Until the new facility opens, the current location on Country Club Road in west Winston-Salem will remain open.
Partner Chris Merritt, a PGA instructor, said the new facility’s bells and whistles will include swing analysis technology and a putting course as part of a large practice green. Short game areas and target greens had already been announced.
Merritt said the new facility will have an admission price rather than a traditional method for purchasing practice balls …
Winding Creek director of golf Jason Gentel showed Triad Golf its new indoor facility only a short iron away from the clubhouse of the Thomasville municipal course.
Simulators have been chosen. Garage-style doors for two bays will allow players to hit outdoors and into simulators. The structure is up, installation of simulators and interior furnishings should come soon …
The Par 3 Grill opened at Gillespie Golf Course on July 1.
Par 3 Grill opened at Gillespie Golf Course on July 1. The restaurant, leased by the city to a private operator, is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The kitchen got some new equipment after a tree fell on the roof of the clubhouse last summer …
The new clubhouse at Tanglewood is also approaching completion. The target date for opening in the same location as the original clubhouse is now in September.
Tanglewood Park’s new clubhouse should be ready to open soon.
Tanglewood has operated out of a mobile unit across a road from the left side of the ninth hole for several months …
The grass is starting to fill in for sprigging on some of the fairways at Starmount Forest. Greensboro architect Kris Spence is supervising the extensive renovation project, hoped to be ready before the end of the year.
Now, the not-so-good news:
Last week’s Tropical Storm Chantal caused damage at several courses. Perhaps hardest hit was Mill Creek. The Mebane course announced it would be closed until Aug. 1, citing damage from the storm.
Brookwood, Dan River, Deep Springs and Riverside were among others that were closed during my print distribution four last week due to heavy rain or storm damage. Several others were closed to aerify greens …
What’s new in Triad Golf? is posted every Monday on TriadGolf.com
A prominent Pinehurst-area golf ownership group has more than doubled its portfolio.
A corporation controlled by the Miller and McGowan families, including daughters of the late Warren and Peggy Kirk Bell, and partner Haresh Tharani, bought golf courses at Country Club of Whispering Pines and Foxfire Resort.
The properties each have 36 holes. Whispering Pines’ courses were designed by Ellis Maples. Foxfire’s layout were designed by Gene Hamm. Whispering Pines is five miles northeast of Pinehurst, Foxfire is a similar distance to the west.
The new owners also own Pine Needles Resort, Mid Pines Resort and Southern Pines Golf Club, all original Donald Ross designs regarded as among the best Pinehurst-area courses. They recently sold the Pine Needles and Mid Pines hotels while retaining ownership of those properties’ golf courses.
Whispering Pines and Foxfire courses are open for public play. None are considered among the region’s elite.
The Pilot newspaper reported the sale of Whispering Pines and Foxfire for more than $3.5 million — including $411,000 for time share units at Whispering Pines — by GreatLife Golf Management, which bought Sapona Golf Club in Lexington in 2024.
According to the Pilot, architect Kyle Franz, who completed a major renovation of Southern Pines after it was acquired, is evaluating changes for the new owners at Whispering Pines and Foxfire.
Greensboro players at different stages in their junior careers are among the 156 players entering Monday’s first-round of stroke play at the U.S. Girls’ Junior at Atlanta Athletic Club.
Leah Edwards, a two-time Class 4A state individual champion at Western Guilford High, will attempt to finish her junior career on a high note before heading to Western Kentucky University on a golf scholarship. Edwards qualified with a second-place finish at a qualifier filled with regional and international players at Spring Valley Country Club in Columbia, South Carolina.
Mallory Pitts, a 15-year-old rising sophomore at Greensboro Day School, made a big splash in June by winning the Carolinas Junior Girls’ Championship at WildeWood Country Club, also in Columbia, to earn an automatic U.S. Girls’ slot.
Mallory Pitts won the CGA Carolinas Girls’ Junior.
The tournament consists of two rounds of stroke play with the top 32 players advancing to match play.
The site of the 1976 U.S. Open won by Jerry Pate, AAC has since hosted one U.S. Women’s Open and three PGA Championships. The course is expected to play to par-71 at about 6,300 yards.
Rianna Maxili, a Filipina, won the U.S. Girls’ and U.S. Women’s Amateurs last year and now plays at Duke University.
With only three weeks left before the Wyndham Championship, let’s look at which PGA Tour starts are most likely to come to Sedgefield Country Club.
How about U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, who won a few weeks ago in Connecticut and ranks No. 8 on the PGA Tour money list and No. 9 in the Ryder Cup standings?
By coming to Greensboro, Bradley could try to cement a spot in the top 6 in the Ryder Cup standings, giving him an automatic spot on U.S. team rather than the dilemma of considering himself for one of six wild-card picks. He could also touch base with potential wild-card candidates/Wyndham entrants such as Jordan Spieth.
When projecting the field, it’s easier to start with who probably won’t be here.
Given the FedExCup standings and former history we can probably rule out Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, perennial no-shows. Likewise for other stars in the top 30 in standings such as Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa, Shane Lowry, Hideki Matsuyama, Ludvig Aberg and Victor Hovland.
Considering the dates, only a week before the start of the FedExCup Playoffs, typically few of the top 20 players in the standings come to Greensboro. Those players are confident they’re safe to make the top 70 to qualify for Memphis, the top 50 for the BMW near Baltimore, and in good position to make the top 30 for the Tour Championship at East Lake.
But the majority of players between Nos. 30-100 will be in the field for one last attempt to make the playoffs or solidify their positions.
Lucas Glover, the 2023 Wyndham champion, has already committed to play. The 2009 U.S. Open champion, Glover is ranked No. 23 in the standings. The Greenville, South Carolina, native, has family in Greensboro and often played the course as a youth during summer vacations.
Ryan Fox, No. 27 with two victories this year, has also committed. Making his first full trip around the PGA Tour, the Kiwi may see a good chance to make another big check.
Other prominent players likely to be here include Justin Rose (33) and Spieth (46). Former Wake Forest player Cameron Young (37) and emerging South African star Aldrich Potgeiter (38) would seem good bets.
So would Raleigh resident Akshay Bhatia (43), former Wyndham winner J.T. Poston (48) of Hickory, Rickie Fowler (68), Billy Horschel (84), Adam Scott (85) and former Wyndham champion Tom Kim (94).
Some international players high in the standings may see the Wyndham as a better way to get acclimated to the climate and tune up for the playoffs than to take a week off.
Players have until July 25 to enter. Tournament director Bobby Powell has not announced the tournament’s four sponsor exemptions. Recent UNC star David Ford would be a likely choice if not exempt. Same with Wake product and former U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson (168), former FedExCup winner and Wake standout Bill Haas (228) and recently turned pro Jackson Van Paris of Pinehurst.
