By David Droschak After a half century as a members-only club, the transition of Sapona Golf Swim and Tennis Club over the last year to a successful semi-private offering has been truly personal for general manager/director of golf Chad Newton and former club chairman Jason Barney. Newton and Barney each have strong emotional ties to…
By David Droschak It’s fitting golf course architect Dan Maples spent some quality time with his legendary father Ellis Maples during the designing of Apple Valley at Rumbling Bald Resort, considering generations of families have for decades enjoyed special moments at the mountain retreat along with its splendid scenery and countless recreational offerings. The elder…
By Brad King In the world of golf course architecture, Ellis Maples may not be as prolific or renowned as fellow North Carolinians Donald Ross or Tom Fazio. But Maples is unquestionably the centerpiece of North Carolina’s first family of golf course design, construction and maintenance. Maples was born in Pinehurst in 1909. His father,…
By Bill Hensley This will be a festive year at the Grandfather Golf and Country Club, which will host a variety of events in a season-long celebration of its 50th anniversary. “It will be a time for us to honor the past as we celebrate the future,” said event chairman Bob Eoff. In addition to…
Private club in Advance attracting top-notch players, tournaments By David Droschak As ClubCorp celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2017, Bermuda Run is celebrating its own resurgence of sorts. Once home to the popular Bing Crosby Clambake Pro-Am, and host to two NCAA men’s golf championships in the late 1970s and mid ‘80s, the private club…
By David Droschak Mark Slawter often wondered the purpose of his brief stint away from the game of golf. Now he knows. “I worked for St. Lawrence Homes in Raleigh for four years as an on-site agent for a neighborhood in Wake Forest and I watched these machines clear lots for about a week,” said…
GM at Stoneville club takes on “for the team” during greens project By Steve Hanf John Budwine boasts 35 years of experience in the golf business. He never dreamed, however, that one day he’d be in charge of a greens replacement project. “It was rather scary for me,” Budwine said with a chuckle. “This…
By David Droschak Under normal circumstances, it would have been a major downer for the re-opening of the Dogwood Course at the Country Club of North Carolina to transpire in the middle of Tropical Storm Hermine. But with a major directive to transform the Ellis Maples classic into a firmer playing experience for the private…
By Robert Kimball After some time away from Bermuda Run Country Club a return visitor would notice nothing different about the journey back to the club. Same Advance, N.C., exit off the highway, same drive past Tanglewood Park, same Kathryn Crosby Bridge and same turn into the gatehouse. Walk up to the front door of…
By Harris Prevost RedTail Mountain Golf Course, located 20 miles west of Boone in Mountain City, Tenn., has been in existence for 32 years. Exciting changes taking place this year have changed it from a local favorite to an up-and-coming resort destination. The course was originally named Roan Valley Golf Course. The scenic layout was…