Tillery Tradition already boasts a maturity that belies its infancy: the result of an ambitious routing through dense hardwood forests on the halcyonic western edge of the Uwharrie Mountains.

Tillery Tradition 214 Tradition Drive Mount Gilead, NC 27306 910-439-5578 Web: www.tillerytradition.com Location: NC 73; east of Albemarle. Course opened: 2000 Architect: J.T. Russell and Sons Construction Head Professional: David Sykes Teaching Professional: Gus Ulrich Course Superintendent: Mark Harris Type of Course: Semi-Private Walking Policy: After 1:00 pm; not recommended. Greens Fees (including cart): Monday –Friday: $38. Weekends/Holidays: $46. Metal spikes policy: Non-metal spikes only. Greens: Crenshaw Bent Fairways and rough: 419 bermudagrass. Clubhouse: under construction Yardage: 6930; 6380; 5698; 4668 Slope: 132; 125; 117; 114. Course Rating: 73.6; 70.3; 67.0; 66.4.

By SCOTT MARTIN

Wedged between the metropolis of Charlotte, with its abundance of new courses, and Pinehurst, with its abundance of old courses, few would describe the southern Piedmont of North Carolina as the state’s most sensational golf destination. Players from Greensboro, Winston-Salem and the Queen City looking for a break from ‘urban’ golf typically drive directly to the Sandhills or beach.

However, some fine clubs sit peacefully among the pine trees, ancient forests, and fertile cornfields near the proudly blue-collar towns of Asheboro, Rockingham and Albemarle. Few will have visited Richmond Pines, yet Donald Ross designed the first nine holes there in 1926. Ellis Maples improved Stanly County Country Club in 1966. Since the recent redesign of its green complexes, Piney Point in Norwood compares favorably to many middle-tier clubs in the Triad or Triangle, yet monthly dues are just $75. In Asheboro, the effervescent Mike Stranz went wild in the country with the enigmatic Tot Hill Farm, a few miles from the state zoo. Pride of the region, however, must be the Old North State Club, a well-publicized Tom Fazio design that routinely ranks among the top 10 in the state.

The most recent addition to this area’s portfolio is The Tillery Tradition Country Club in Mount Gilead. Opened in summer last year, the course already boasts a maturity that belies its infancy: the result of an ambitious routing through dense hardwood forests on the halcyonic western edge of the Uwharrie Mountains.

Course owners and developers J.T. Russell and Sons Construction decided to eschew the services of a golf course architect: the family trade is grading. Their first-born is the centerpiece of what will ultimately be one of the most significant residential developments in the area, with close to 350 lots, some adjacent to fairways, others just a lob wedge from Lake Tillery.

The Tillery Tradition proves that employing a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects is not always a necessity. The course is challenging and solidly built yet there are no truly poor holes; the architects should be commended for competently constructing a course on such a challenging site.

Uniquely, both the front and back nines begin with blind tee shots; with their fairways sculpted out of a broad slope, these holes set the tone for the driving challenges at The Tillery Tradition. On many of the two and three shot holes, the best play with the driver might be to aim towards the high banking on the upslope of the fairway: shots that drift towards the low side may scurry towards woods or hazards. Wild drivers could find the course a hair claustrophobic and may wish to throttle back to fairway woods on the tighter holes.

Green complexes at The Tillery Tradition vary in size and scope, but none of the putting surfaces could be described as over-undulated. In lieu of bunker overkill, the architects opted for grass hollows - a design feature rarely seen on new courses in the Carolinas. Left unmanicured, these can be much less escapable than their sandy cousins: the coarse bermudagrass that typically gets between the ball and the face of the wedge negates spin and reduces control.

Many greens have been built along slopes; a good example is the exciting 7th, a downhill 457-yard par-4. Even a moderately struck drive will find a bank to the left of the fairway that slingshots the ball down a quasi-cliff leaving a short iron into the green. The approach must find the green or bogey awaits: a bunker left will catch the slight mis-hit but anything left of the hazard will tumble down to the high weeds; shots to the right could catch the slope and feed to the putting surface.

Other memorable holes include the par-3 8th, 205 from the tips, but severely downhill to a large green: an exciting hole that requires a good tee shot. The most muscular of the par-5s is the second at 565 yards; because the second shot is downgrade, the hole is reachable in two but the drive must thread a gauntlet of trees and fairway bunkers.

The Tillery Tradition’s finishing trifecta could provide some excitement if the game is close after the 15th: each hole could be birdied, beginning with the par-4 16th, 368 yards from the tips; a good drive followed by a pitch could set up a crucial three. The par-3 17th says 140 on the card but plays a great deal shorter, requiring just a sand wedge to a long, thin putting surface fronted by sand.

Then the best hole on the course might be the 540-yard par-5 18th. A good drive here catches a bounce off the bank to the left of the fairway, cuts the dogleg, and leaves about 240 yards to one of the largest greens on the course. With a stream jutting into the fairway at about 100 yards from the middle of the green, laying up is not an easy option. The 18th could produce anything from an eagle to a snowman.

Local golfers looking for a good game in their backyard will need to visit The Tillery Tradition. Members should also enjoy their rounds here and will undoubtedly learn how to steer away from the trouble and maximize their scoring opportunities as they get to know the land.

Perhaps players from the Triad looking for some mountain-style golf will make the short drive or even detour on their way to Pinehurst. With the addition of The Tillery Tradition, they’ll find that golf in the southern piedmont of North Carolina continues to improve.