Holly Ridge Finds Niche in Randolph County  

By STEVE HUFFMAN 

ARCHDALE – The downturn in the economy may have hurt some Triad-area golf courses, but don’t include Holly Ridge Golf Links on the list.

At the 160-acre tract, located off U.S. 311 about three miles south of Archdale, play is booming much as it has boomed since the facility opened in December 1994.

“Our business has been normal, and maybe even a little above normal (in recent months),” said Phil Ridge, who owns Holly Ridge along with Dale Hollingsworth and Bob Myers. “We have not been slow.”

There are a number of reasons that Holly Ridge hasn’t been affected by any economic hardships of late.

One of those reasons stems from the course’s location only about four miles south of Interstate 85. Though Holly Ridge is situated in northwestern Randolph County, it’s easily accessed by golfers wishing to make the trip from Guilford County, Forsyth County or any number of points beyond.

For instance, on a recent weekday morning, a group of golfers had made the pilgrimage from Salisbury to play the course, which plays to 6,579 yards from the back tees.

Ridge said that while the course pulls in a large number of local golfers, many patrons tell him they travel a number of miles to play there.

Another reason business at the course remains brisk owes to Holly Ridge’s fine condition. An irrigation system that was installed before the course opened helps ensure that the fairway and greens remain plush. Employees also dedicate more than their share of sweat equity toward the course’s upkeep.

Around the Triad, the word is out: Holly Ridge is among the nicest public golf courses you’ll find.

“We try to offer a good product,” Ridge said. “And word-of-mouth advertising helps a lot.”

The story of Holly Ridge’s creation is an interesting one.

Ridge and Hollingsworth are both golfers, though neither of them were ever much of a threat to shoot par golf. Even at their best, neither was capable of shooting much better than the mid-80s.

Ridge and Hollingsworth were both dairy farmers prior to opening Holly Ridge. Myers, who didn’t even play golf, ran a machine shop in nearby Sophia.

Ridge said a friend of theirs, Jerry Davis, first gave them the idea of opening a golf course. The trio, Ridge said, initially looked into buying a neighboring nine-hole course. When those plans failed to materialize, they opted to build Holly Ridge on land that had served as a dairy farm for Ridge’s uncle, John Ridge.

Jim Bivins, a civil engineer from Asheboro, designed the course. All of the ponds on the course are man-made, with water coming into play on 15 of Holly Ridge’s 18 holes.

“We moved quite a bit of dirt,” Ridge said of the work that went into designing Holly Ridge’s ponds and fairways.

The group that runs the course remains a tight-knit bunch.

While Myers is largely a hands-off owner, Ridge and Hollingsworth are at the course almost every day.

Hollingsworth’s son, Luke, who has a degree in turf and grass management from N.C. State, is the course’s superintendent.

Davis, the friend who first suggested to the trio that they consider owning their own course, has worked in the clubhouse at Holly Ridge since the day it opened.

He jokes that the trio has never forgiven him for planting in their minds the idea for a course.

“They’ve been mad at me ever since,” Davis said, laughing as he spoke.

Ridge said he, Hollingsworth and Myers went into the project believing it would succeed. A demographic study they paid for prior to beginning construction confirmed as much.

In addition to the irrigation system, they also completed cart paths before the course opened.

“We tried to do it right with our greens construction and irrigation,” Ridge said. “And we strive to keep things up-to-date. We repair and replace as needed.”

In recent years, they’ve added rock walls on holes number 3 and 18, and built another pond along the 18th fairway.

A huge picnic shelter at the course is capable of handling just about any size gathering. Ridge said plans are to build a new clubhouse at the course in the not-too-distant future.

Meanwhile, locals say Holly Ridge’s owners do what they can to be good corporate citizens.

Mike Liner, the founder of Archdale’s Pioneer Restaurant and general man about town, said he often takes his 82-year-old father, Jere, to Holly Ridge for a round of golf.

He said his father usually isn’t up to playing much more than nine holes, but on occasion he’ll feel like tackling a few more once the front nine is through.

Mike Liner said that on those occasions, the workers in the pro shop at Holly Ridge merely wave he and his father on to the back nine.

“They’re good guys,” he said of Ridge, Hollingsworth, Myers and company. “They’re interested in giving back to the community.”