By David Droschak With dozens of Donald Ross-designed golf courses scattered across the state of North Carolina from Asheville to Wilmington, golf enthusiasts have debated for decades the best of the best. One Ross course that has often flown under the radar has been the Southern Pines Elks Golf Club, especially over the last decade…
By David Droschak There are a few certainties in life – death, taxes and frost — turning the bermudagrass fairways of North Carolina’s wonderful golf courses a sad shade of tan every winter. When I first came to the Tar Heel state from the Great White North I wondered why “all the grass had died.”…
ClubCorp, already a major player in the Triangle, has increased its presence dramatically by acquiring Brier Creek Country Club in Raleigh and Hasentree in Wake Forest from Toll Golf. Brier Creek, an Arnold Palmer design, is located near Raleigh-Durham International Airport and features an 18-hole private golf course, tennis courts, pool with waterslide and kid-friendly…
By David Droschak There was quite a buzz surrounding the opening of Arnold Palmer’s only college golf course design in the world. But I’m not sure if folks lined up more than 100 deep a decade ago in the dark at 6:30 a.m. jockeying for position at Lonnie Poole Golf Club. That’s what will take…
By David Droschak It was hard for Jaclyn Kenzel to imagine winning the 4-A women’s high school golf championship two months ago. Kenzel and her family had just returned from a two-week vacation to the Cayman Islands and the future college bio-medical engineering major was focused on academics heading into the school year. The Pinecrest…
By David Droschak More than 90,000 cars a week now cruise past the entrance to Falls Village Golf Club north of Raleigh-Durham International Airport, something that is not lost on head professional John Montgomery. “Our locale is just incredible,” Montgomery said as the public course carved out of prime Durham County forest along Highway 98…
By David Droschak Donald Ross personally handpicked the property that would become Raleigh Country Club, but the legendary architect wasn’t around to see the course’s completion, passing away in April 1948. His two most trusted “generals” – Ellis Maples and J.B. McGovern – finished off the work at the private club that is considered one…
By Kurt Dusterberg For as far back as Emilia Migliaccio can remember, Jennifer Chang and Gina Kim were part of her own golf story. “I was still slicing my drives and sculling my chips at the time,” Migliaccio says with a laugh. “I had just started golf and they were a lot better than I…
By Brad King Three years ago, Scott Petinga — a cancer survivor and, at the time, a divorced father of three young girls — decided to take up golf as a healthy outlet to spend quality time with his family. “I wanted to make sure the time I spent with my daughters was well served, so…
By Brad King During an illustrious career at Hickory High School, 2019 Wyndham Championship winner J.T. Poston earned all-state honors three times and was conference player of the year all four seasons. Poston was a key member of the 2009 state champion golf team as a sophomore and captured the state individual title twice. He…