Variety Marks Tough Cross Creek Layout 

By ED DUPREE

MT. AIRY--It may be a Surry County secret now, but Triad golfers who have discovered Cross Creek Country Club are letting the cat out of the bag.  Cross Creek is a gem located at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

“There’s people in Winston-Salem to this day who don’t realize this place even exists,” says head pro Todd Hutcherson, himself a Winston-Salem native and a PGA Class A pro since 1990. “We’ve had people come who didn’t know it was here. It’s a secret. It’s in excellent shape.”

Cross Creek was designed by Florida architect Joe Lee in 1973. It’s one of only two North Carolina courses designed by Lee, whose credits include Bay Hill in Florida; Stonehenge in Tennessee; Cog Hill No. 4 (site of the Western Open) and Pine Meadows in Illinois; and Heritage Hills and LaCosta in California.

Cross Creek is located on the north side of Mount Airy. It’s a semi-private course that is open to outside play Monday through Friday with tee times recommended.

The par-72 course plays to 6,424 yards from the blue tees, 6,157 from the whites and 5,084 from the golds. For ladies, it’s a 4,806-yard par-73. Doglegs are abundant, making placement off the tee crucial to scoring. Creeks and ponds can come into play on many of the holes. There are approximately 70 greenside and fairway bunkers.

There’s also an impressive contrast of a flat front nine in a scenic valley with a view of the mountains, followed by seven holes in hilly terrain, located across Greenhill Road, with several elevated tees. The final two holes are back on the flat side adjacent to a modern clubhouse, completed in September of 1998, which replaced the original barn on the same site.

“The front side sort of lays down in the valley. It’s a little open and basically flat,” said Hutcherson. “When you go to the back side, you go through the residential area. You go through some holes (Nos. 10-16) where there are some elevation changes.

“This course reminds me a lot of Pine Brook (Country Club) in Winston-Salem, where the front side sort of lays down next to the creeks and the back side sort of goes through the residential area as well as being a little tight with elevation changes.”

The well-bunkered first 14 holes offer their share of challenges, but Hutcherson points out that the final four holes are as difficult as you will find, doglegs where distance and position off the tee are important. The dogleg left par-4 15th and 16th play to more than 420 yards from the back tees, then the par-5 17th plays to a maximum of 517 yards with water in play on the left side and in front of the green. The No. 1 handicap hole is the par-4 18th,  a dogleg right that can play as long as 428 yards.

“I think this golf course has four excellent finishing holes. I think what it’s really known for is a real demanding last four holes. On 15 (Hutcherson’s favorite) you need to hit a pretty good drive and then the next shot is slightly downhill to a bunkered green. No. 16 is about the same distance, but plays actually a little longer, because you need to hit it at least probably 230 to 240 to get to the corner. Then you’ve got to hit back across the pond to an undulated green. No. 17 is a gentle double dogleg with two ponds. The ponds come into play off the tee ball and on your second shot. It takes three good shots. The 18th is probably the best par-4 on the course. You need to hit it good off the tee, then it’s going to leave you anywhere from 165 to 220. It depends on the angle that you come in from the tee to a well-bunkered green. It’s got water on the left on the drive and the second shot,” explained the pro.

The course record is held by Reidsville professional David Thore, who shot an 11-under 61 in a pro-am.

“It sort of holds its own,” said Hutcherson. “It’s not a cakewalk. It’s a good test. We had a qualifier for the North Carolina Amateur last year. I believe there was one round in the 60s, and he was a doctor from the club.”

The pro credits veteran greens superintendent Brack Boyd with keeping Cross Creek in excellent shape. “He’s been here for 25 years. He does an excellent job,” said Hutcherson.

The medium-sized Penncross bentgrass greens are among the best you’ll find.

“What the course is really known for is its greens. In the fall they get real fast. They’re real smooth,” said Hutcherson.

The most challenging green is probably the par-3 14th, which plays to about 150 yards. A tee shot left above the hole on the back-to-front sloping, two-tiered green can make for a difficult downhill putt. It’s best to be below the hole.

There are complete practice facilities, including a driving range, putting and chipping greens and sand bunker.

The clubhouse, which has undergone renovations and additions through the years, accommodates a membership of approximately 580. It includes the pro shop, a ballroom, casual and formal dining areas, a sports bar and formal bar, men’s and ladies’ locker rooms, a kitchen, storage areas and administrative offices. Four tennis courts and an Olympic-sized swimming pool are across the street from the clubhouse.

General manager Vickie Snow oversees the operations of the club and points out that the new ballroom “has the capacity to seat 350 people and can accommodate wedding receptions or gatherings up to 700.”