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 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 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 DAVID DROSCHAK In baseball vernacular John McConnell would be a combination of star relievers Mariano Rivera, Goose Gossage and Dennis Eckersley. The Raleigh golf executive has been fast and aggressive — seemingly coming out of the left field bullpen at times – to compile an impressive portfolio of private golf course “saves” across North…
McConnell Golf, LLC has announced the purchase of its seventh premier golf club in the Carolinas, Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., a renowned Donald Ross design and site of PGA TOUR’s Wyndham Championship. Sedgefield CC’s membership debated the possible sale throughout most of 2010, and after considering all options decided that the sale to…