By Peter Stilwell The U.S. Kids Golf Foundation took its mission to heart three years ago and purchased the Longleaf Golf & Country Club in Southern Pines. Its goal was to help kids have fun learning the lifelong game of golf and to encourage family interaction that builds lasting memories. The group is making great…
By David Droschak There hasn’t been this much excitement at Belmont Lake Golf Club in Rocky Mount since the golf course opened in 2007. In what has been a time of angst over the last few years heading into the hot, humid summer months of July, August and September, the golfing public and the club’s…
(Editor’s Note: With one of the nation’s richest golfing histories, North Carolina’s portfolio of courses from the mountains to the coast is unmatched in its variety, topography and strategy. So, who do we credit for some of these golfing jewels? Well, the golf course architects, of course. The first in a series of insights on…
By David Droschak It was quite an early part of May for Raleigh Broughton. In less than a week span, the Capitals won the school’s ninth 4-A men’s golf championship in the last 21 years and watched alumnus Webb Simpson capture The Players Championship on the PGA Tour. Broughton and Pinecrest have battled for…
By Kurt Dusterberg Akshay Bhatia wasn’t at his best when he won the prestigious Junior Invitational in April, but he took another step in his development as one of the top junior golfers in the United States. Bhatia overcame seven bogeys for a third-round 76, good for a one-stroke victory at Sage Valley Golf Club…
By David Droschak Growing up in Myrtle Beach three decades ago was reason enough for Martin Barrier III to get hooked on the great game of golf. More than 100 golf courses dotted the Grand Strand at the time. What also was a huge part of the golf scene along the popular South Carolina golf…
By Brad King Perhaps the biggest buzz at this year’s PGA Merchandise Show was generated by Cary-based Stitch Golf. Of course, to even be mentioned in the PGA Show’s “best of” category in Orlando is impressive, considering that more than 1,000 exhibiting companies and brands display their wares to 40,000-plus industry professionals from some 90…
By David Droschak Officially located within the Durham city limits, Lakeshore has always been known as the golf course of Research Triangle Park. But there was really nothing high-tech about the public layout built from scratch in the early 1960s by Marvin Utley, his father and grandfather. The 18-hole course measured just 5,719 yards from…
By David Droschak The numbers associated these days with junior golf are mindboggling for parents and the game’s rising talents. If there is any question that this portion of the game has reached the “big time” check out these numbers: There are more than 600 tours and associations scattered across the U.S. A staggering 12,000…
By David Droschak Kyle Franz remembers skipping high school study hall to watch the 1996 U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles. Fast forward more than two decades later and the rising star in the golf course architecture world will once again be focusing on the Southern Pines resort course. This time, however, Franz will be…