Historic Blair Park Course Better Than Ever 
By JIM PETTIT 

HIGH POINT -- For more than 70 years, Blair Park has been a cornerstone of Piedmont Triad golf.

The oldest of High Point’s two municipally owned courses (Oak Hollow is the other), Blair Park was a gift to the city from descendants of Solomon Blair, one of the pioneer names in the history of the community. The Blairs were dairy farmers and, as city expansion moved closer, they donated part of their property on what is now South Main Street to the city with the stipulation that it be used as a park.

A nine-hole golf course was constructed and opened for play on July 4, 1931, the ceremonies delayed one day by thunderstorms. High Point Mayor C.S. Grayson struck the first ball. Blair Park’s clubhouse was constructed a few years later, the distinctive, white, two-story house officially opening on Nov. 5, 1937.  A second nine was added across Nathan Hunt Drive in the mid-1940s, replacing three baseball fields that were part of the original Blair Park recreation area.

Dugan Aycock, who went on establish himself as Mr. Golf in North Carolina during an outstanding Carolinas PGA career, was Blair Park’s first professional. Over the years, the course has drawn many outstanding players.

“Sam Snead played an exhibition at Blair Park about 1948,’’ said former Blair Park caddie and two-time High Point city champion Marvin Boggs. “He shot 65 the first time he saw the place and that was the course record for many years. (Pro golfer) Johnny Bulla’s father was a minister in Archdale and Johnny played at Blair a lot when he came home. We caddies hated carrying for him because he had a really big bag. Tony Manero, who won a U.S. Open, played here and so did Henry Picard. Several good ones have played here.’’

Blair Park measures 6,449 yards from the championship tees and plays to a par of 72. It’s a bit unusual in that it opens with two par-5s, then tests the golfer with a par-4 that is the course’s No. 1-handicap hole. The 7th hole is also a par-5. Only one par-5 is on the back nine, the 18th hole.

The layout also offers men’s regular (6,009), senior (5,737) and women’s (5,171) tees.

Blair Park is traversed by creeks that can come into play on more than half of the 18 holes. Bunkering is modest but strategic. Most of the bentgrass greens have open fronts, a favorite of players who like bump and run shots. The course offers numerous opportunities to go-for-broke but will punish the errant gamble. Gentle mounding around many of the greens demands a good touch in chipping.

But no one who plays Blair Park ever forgets its man-made “monuments.’’ Tall electrical towers divide several fairways on the front nine. Local rules offer swing relief from a steel tower, but not sight relief. A ball that strikes a power wire must be replayed, the original stroke not counted, but a ball that smashes into one of the towers must be played as it lies. No one ever forgets the mournful clang of a golf ball striking a distant tower.

Blair Park has encountered numerous changes over the years, but most have either been restored or are of minor nature. A golfer from the 1940s would have no trouble recognizing the course, with the exception of the clubhouse. The old clubhouse was damaged by fire in the late 1980s and a subsequent inspection also revealed substantial termite damage. A new brick clubhouse and pro shop opened in 1992.

The biggest change, however, is in course condition. The City of High Point approved a full-course irrigation system, and it was installed last year at a cost of more than $335,000, giving course superintendent Rick Briley the tool he needed to upgrade the layout.

“”That’s made all the difference in the world,’’ says Johnny Carroll, head professional at Blair Park since 1989. “The course is playing longer than it ever has, and there is grass everywhere. Until now, we just had greens and tees irrigation. That left us at the mercy of Mother Nature when we over-seeded or when the bermuda (fairways) needed help when it get hot and dry like it’s been. Now we can help it along.’’

Storm flooding was once a problem at Blair Park, especially on the front nine, but additional drainage ditches on 1, 3, 6, 7 and 13 have been effective.

“We used to be closed for three or four days after a bad storm,’’ Carroll said, “but we haven’t lost a day since they were built.’’

Despite a number of golf course openings in the Triad in recent years, Blair Park continues to hold its own, attracting new fans as well as its loyal player base, the High Point Golf Association.

“We dropped down from 39,000 rounds a year to 29,000 when some new courses opened,’’ Carroll said, “but with the improvements, we’re sneaking back up to 35,000 now.’’