By David Droschak Pine Needles has a new look – and it’s quite stunning as the iconic resort located in the heart of the North Carolina Sandhills prepares to host its record-setting fourth U.S. Women’s Open. Just in the last 60-90 days alone, upwards of 30,000 native grasses have been planted by golf course architect…
By David Droschak The first lunch meeting in February 2012 between Pine Needles Resort president Kelly Miller and golf course architect Kyle Franz hit on a wide range of topics. At one point, Southern Pines Golf Club came up, and Franz sat up in his chair. Franz had played the 115-year-old course numerous times while…
By David Droschak With no new golf course construction across North Carolina since 2016, those of us who like “fresh experiences” have been relegated to playing restorations, renovations or the re-imagining of some of the state’s top layouts in recent years, including Tanglewood, Raleigh Country Club, Jefferson Landing and Pine Needles Resort. The latest project…
By David Droschak John McConnell has spent upwards of $100 million over the years compiling one of the nation’s most impressive private club portfolios. A good portion of that cash has been spent on the company’s anchor facility – Raleigh Country Club – from its $7 million rescue from bankruptcy in 2003 to a bunker…
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 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 David Droschak At 28 years old and the golf world still reeling from the Great Recession, fresh-faced architect Kyle Franz made a bold prediction after having a hand in the bunkering work at Pinehurst No. 2. “I did an interview in the summer of 2010 right after we finished Pinehurst No. 2 and one…
By DAVID DROSCHAK Kyle Franz has worked as an understudy for some of the top architects in the business – Tom Doak, Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw and Gil Hanse – and on some of the best projects – the Pinehurst No. 2 restoration and currently the 2016 Olympic course in Rio de Janeiro – prior…
Facing greens that were last redone in the 1960s and some brutal North Carolina summers, Pine Needles and Mid Pines Resort president Kelly Miller knew he had to pull the trigger sooner than later on his struggling putting surfaces at Mid Pines. Miller met young architect Kyle Franz a few years ago while he was…