*As of March, 1999 - pricing subject to change Stoney Creek Golf Club 911 Golf House Road East Stoney Creek, NC 27377 336-449-5688 Location: Off Exit 135 on I-85 Course Opened: 1992 Architect: Tom Jackson Director of Golf: Deva Reece Head Professional: David Hardison Teaching Professional: Mary Beth McGirr Course Superintendent: Terry Cook Type of Course: Semi-private Walking Policy: Walking allowed Monday through Friday Greens Fees: $25/$35 (weekday/weekend). Senior rates available Monday through Thursday Cart Fees: $14 per person Metal Spikes Policy: Non-metal spikes only Greens: Bentgrass Fairways: 419 Bermuda Rough: Bermuda Clubhouse: 8,000-square-foot facility, with golf shop, restaurant, meeting room, men’s and women’s lockers Practice Facilities: Driving range, two putting greens Yardage: 7,000; 6,635; 6,235; 5,190; 4,737 Slope: 144; 132; 129; 109; 123 Course Rating: 74.1; 70.7; 68.8; 64.4; 69.8

Stoney Creek: A "Real" Golfing Value

When you pass through the stone entrance of Stoney Creek, you can’t help but think of the old real estate adage: location, location, location. Situated less than one mile off Exit 135 on Interstate 85, Stoney Creek is, as similar real estate clichés would declare, convenient to everything. It’s a stone’s throw (no pun intended) from Greensboro and less than an hour from Durham and the rest of the Triangle. Pinehurst is just a quick drive down U.S. 421. Plus, the 625-home development has a "mini village" fronting its boundaries, offering residents many of the conveniences of a small town without leaving their subdivision.

Stoney Creek is more than a residential development, however; it’s a golf club. And in golf, unlike real estate in some areas, the value of a course is not measured solely by a ZIP code. If a course is to be successful, it should combine elements of sound design with careful maintenance. It should be spearheaded by a competent, professional staff that treats guests as well as it does members. And the course should be playable for golfers of all levels, as well as affordable – a feature not always endorsed in real estate.

Indeed, there are numerous variables – some alike, others dissimilar – that factor into a successful real estate development or golf course equation. But at Stoney Creek, the two concepts have been keenly blended into a thriving, 521-acre residential golf community.

At the core of Stoney Creek Golf Club is the course, a 7,100-yard layout designed by Tom Jackson. The par-72 tract opened to rave reviews in 1992 and in 1993 was voted the No. 1 new public course in North Carolina by Golf Digest. The same publication named Stoney Creek one of the top 25 public courses in the country as well.

Although the course received numerous accolades once it opened, actually getting it open was a labor of love – and an exercise in perseverance. "When we started building Stoney Creek, we were in an unusual situation because the state had recently passed a law prohibiting developments in watersheds from disturbing more than 20 acres at a time," explains Deva Reece, general manager. "The problem was we could only build two to two-and-a-half holes at a time, get an OK, then do two more.

"This was Jackson’s 72nd course, and it was a totally new experience for him." Needless to say, the project was completed late and over budget.

The construction delays and postponed openings have long been forgotten, but Stoney Creek isn’t easy to forget. Carved from prime woodland in Guilford County, Stoney Creek’s rolling topography produces a "mountain feel" in the heart of Carolina. The natural, serene setting is further enhanced by tree-lined fairways and unobtrusive placement of homes.

"One of the things I’m most proud of is that the residential developer (Weaver Investment Co.) did not push the homes too close to the course," Reece notes. "All of the homes along the course are a minimum of 40 to 50 feet from the property line (of the course)."

Actually, Stoney Creek has a lot more to be proud of than its boundaries. Jackson took great pains creating a course that can challenge the best players while remaining fair for the average golfer. Superintendent Terry Cook has gone to equally great lengths to ensure golfers – whether they be members or guests – reap the most joy possible from Jackson’s jewel. And, most importantly, it’s an ongoing commitment.

"We’re always working to improve the level of the course," Reece says. "Just this past year, we finished reshaping the first green and plan to reshape three or four more greens to reduce some of the severe undulations and make them more golfer-friendly. One of the things we’re going to do is upgrading the condition of the bunkers. We will be finished by spring."

For all of the management’s attempts to make Stoney Creek "golfer-friendly," it can be brutal if you’re not on your game. Tee it up from the Panthers, and you’re staring at nearly 7,100 yards of fairways and rolling greens between you and the final hole – not to mention a mind-numbing slope rating of 144, one of the highest in the state. Because of its difficulty, Stoney Creek has held Monday qualifying for the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic during the last two years. The Powerbilt Tour and the Southern Conference have also hosted events at Stoney Creek.

Playing from one of the courses four other sets of tees takes some of the bite out of the Panther, although they can be just as challenging. Yardages from these tees measure between and 4,700 and 6,635, and slopes range from 123 to 132.

To strengthen the foundation established by Stoney Creek’s course, Reece is now focusing his efforts on the club’s nucleus: the clubhouse and its membership. Until January, Stoney Creek remained public and shunned the pretensions of a private club. Reece intends to keep it that way as the club begins offering memberships and moving toward semi-private status.

"You can’t be everything to everyone," Reece proclaims. "You have to find your niche and depend on satisfying the customer.

"We wanted to create a semi-private club that has low dues, but is as private as possible on the weekends for the members," he adds. "But it is not our goal to go all private." Because of Reece’s unique philosophy, initiations are just $3,000 – considerably less than $10,000 and up charged by most private clubs with courses of comparable quality. Monthly fees range from $100 to $125, contain no food minimums and are non-assessable.

This spring, the Stoney Creek clubhouse will open, unveiling the latest element of Reece’s master plan. The 8,000-square-foot facility – which was designed by Independent Design and Consulting and is being constructed by Renaissance Group Inc. – will house administrative offices, men’s and women’s locker areas, a meeting room that can accommodate 30 to 35 people, a members’ lounge and a full service restaurant. Tentatively named Fairway Bar and Grill at Stoney Creek, the restaurant will feature a dining room that seats up to 76 people, three large-screen TVs, patio seating and a view of the 18th hole. The restaurant will be open to the public and serve an eclectic menu with entrees priced between $9 and $14.

Also included in Stoney Creek’s clubhouse will be the new pro shop. Head Pro David Hardison will have more than 1,000 square feet of retail space to house his wares and oversee the flow of traffic on the course. And considering Design Masters – the same operation that outfits all of the Tournament Player’s Clubs pro shops – is overseeing design and fixtures, the pro shop alone should be an attraction.

Once the clubhouse opens, Stoney Creek will feature yet another amenity that establishes the club as a viable real estate investment. But better still, it will boast a state-of-the-art facility to complement its championship course and upscale development. Just another reason to hop on I-85 and make that all-too-easy exit on mile marker 135.

*Pricing as of March 1999 - subject to change Crescent Golf Club 220 Laurel Valley Way Salisbury, NC 28144 Pro Shop Phone: 704-647-0025 Directions from major highway: I-85 to exit 75; 5.5 miles west through Salisbury; course is on the right. Course Opened: Fall 1998 Course Architect: John LaFoy Director of Golf: Bo Bowden Head Professional: Bo Bowden Course Superintendent: Newt Billingsley Private or Public: Semi-private Green Fees (including cart): $30 weekdays; $30 Friday; $37 weekends Membership Fees: Begin at $1,250 single per year with no initiation fee. Metal Spikes Policy: Non-metal spikes required Walking Policy: Weekdays anytime; after 2:00 pm on weekends for non-members. Members may walk at anytime. Course is walkable. Greens: Bentgrass Fairways: Bermudagrass Clubhouse: Fully stocked pro shop. Practice facilities: Putting green, Chipping green with Bunker, Range: Grass Par: 72 Tees Yardage Course Rating Slope Rating Blue 6822 72.9 129 White 6331 70.4 125 Gold 5767 67.9 116 Red 5163 65.1 111

Crescent Golf Club

It’s hard to imagine a friendlier head pro than Bo Bowden. He greets and grins, chatting amiably with everyone in the sensible yet well-appointed pro shop at his new baby, Crescent Golf Club. Having just turned 42 the day before, he is justifiably perky, spending his day off from being a golf professional – playing golf.

"My last job was in Florida and I spent too much time sitting behind a desk," said the Georgia Tech grad and former teammate of Larry Mize, "I like to be busy. I like to be active." Life at Crescent is fulfilling these desires.

Even though Crescent opened in mid-fall 1998, activity at the club is brisk on this unseasonably warm day in early February, the sky utterly cloudless, the temperature hovering around 70. The practice tee boasts swatters, the practice green is a hive of concentration and there’s a contented queue at the first tee. Thus we decide to start on 10, a mid-length par-3 slightly uphill to a shallow hourglass green.

Quite quickly, it’s clear that Crescent isn’t the typical late 20th century overbuilt overpriced "sausage links" exclusive golf course community that 90 percent of golfers can’t handle. Crescent’s owners, including architect John LaFoy, found a fine piece of a former dairy farm. LaFoy’s job was to keep the budget under control and not move too much dirt.

LaFoy had worked as an associate of the wonderful and under-appreciated George Cobb for several years and Triad golfers may be most familiar with his work in the Triangle at Devil’s Ridge and The Neuse, two typical late 20th century overbuilt overpriced "sausage links" exclusive golf course communities that 90 percent of golfers can’t handle.

LaFoy’s work here Crescent is much more sensible and thus much more playable and enjoyable. The fairways are wide enough for just about anyone, the elevation changes are reasonable, the greens fair and the routing borderline superb. Far too many golf communities route the course through valleys and hollows between housing lots – turning the course into a glorified drainage ditch. This isn’t the case at Crescent, where the owners clearly placed a premium on good golf holes while still providing room enough for pleasant home sites and decent width off the tee. And you can walk at Crescent anytime outside weekend mornings – a true rarity at new golf communities.

Crescent offers one solid hole after another. There aren’t any jaw-droppers, but there were ample challenges and enough strategy to satiate the low-handicapper without making life too difficult for those whose handicap begins with a two or a three.

Noteworthy on the back nine is the par-5 14th, 529 from the tips, quite severely downhill with a semi-blind tee shot. With the fairways firm, even the medium-length golfer will find himself with a chance to go for it with a fairway wood, albeit from a downhill lie. Solid execution will leave a chance for a birdie, while the imperfect finds a watery grave. Two holes later, the golfer finds himself in the mountains of North Carolina, facing a drive between a hazard on the left and a severe slope on the right; the approach on this 410-yard challenge is significantly uphill to a green perched precariously on the side of a hill; anything left of this green is DOA. Five is not a bad number here.

The number one handicap hole comes on the front nine, early in the round, the third, a 453-yard par-4 with the most difficult drive on the course, downhill between two large fairway bunkers. The perfect tee ball finds a slope and gathers some steam, leaving a long iron or fairway wood to the smallish green set at 45° to the fairway. Par here is a fine effort.

The ensuing five holes follow a valley floor and will undoubtedly be the most scenic on the course. The narrow par-3 fifth at 194 yards requires absolute precision but the par-5 sixth at just 430 yards from the regular tees offers just about everyone a chance to get a shot back providing they avoid the large pond to the right of one of the largest greens on the course.

The final two holes on the front might be the best pair on the course. The eighth is just 149 from the tips, most of it over water to a long green. It’s just a short iron on most days, but should the wind pick up, three will be a welcome sight on the scorecard. The ninth is just 381 from the tips, but the right-handed hooker will surely have the large pond to the left of the fairway in mind as he stands over the ball. The successful drive leaves a short iron to an elevated green. While the ninth isn’t as muscular as the 420-yard 18th, it’s still a fine finishing hole for those who started on ten.

Part of the ownership at Crescent is a group of landscaping experts and their influence is already on display: for a course this young, Crescent’s greens are in top shape and already roll extremely well. Come spring, the bermudagrass looks like it should grow in well and thus the course should enjoy fine conditions for the remainder of 1999 and beyond.

Having kept John LaFoy on a tight leash and building a small but functional clubhouse means that money has been spent on conditioning. It also means that the cost to play Crescent is sensible. Prime time weekend morning rates are in the $35 range, while it’s just $19 on the weekday if you walk. Significant breaks are provided for juniors and seniors outside peak play.

But the best deal of all might be the annual membership, which is available without any initiation fee. A single annual subscription is available for $1,250: add spouse plus child for $800. Members can reserve tee times three days in advance, can walk at any time and receive free handicap service.

Members and non-members can also employ the instructional services of Bo Bowden who is already helping a number of students improve their game – keeping him busy and away from too much time behind that desk in his office.

Seeing that there’s not a great deal to offer the public golfer in Salisbury, and certainly little in the way of golf course communities, there must have been a temptation to over-build and "overdo" the project, raising Crescent’s greens fees and lot prices to those found in Charlotte or Greensboro, but the powers-that-are at Crescent resisted that temptation and the course and the community are headed for success. They certainly found the right head pro in Bo Bowden and avid golfers in Salisbury should be thankful that their town has been blessed with a solid all-around facility that won’t blow their budgets or inhibit their enthusiasm for good golf.

Scott Martin is co-author of The Insiders’ Guide to Golf in the Carolinas and has seen or played over 250 courses in North and South Carolina. He lives in Charlotte where he is married with an infant son, a slothful rat terrier, an anarchic retired greyhound and an absurdly expensive driver.

As we went to press we received notification that the East and West courses at Foxfire had been renamed. The East Course will be called Gray Fox and the West Course will be called Red Fox Foxfire Resort and Country Club 9 Foxfire Blvd. Foxfire Village, NC 27281 Pro Shop Phone: 910-295-5555 Directions from major highway: From U.S. 220 south, take N.C. 211 east toward Pinehurst. Approximately two miles east of West End, turn right on Hoffman Road. Go approximately four miles, signs for resort on right. Turn right on Foxfire Blvd. Course Opened: 1968; East course reopened Sept. 1998, West course reopened April, 1999 Course Architect: Gene Hamm Director of Golf: Tom Graber Head Professional: Tom Graber, PGA professional Course Superintendent: Doug Walter Private or Public: Semi-private Green Fees (including cart): In spring – Monday through Thursday: $49; Friday through Sunday and holidays: $59. Other rates at other seasons Membership Fees: $1,500 initiation fee plus monthly dues Metal Spikes Policy: Non-metal spikes required Walking Policy: Members may walk anytime except during peak months: March, April, May and October. Organized teams may also walk. Greens: Bentgrass on East; G-6 bentgrass on West Fairways: Bermudagrass, overseeded with rye in winter Clubhouse: Fully stocked pro shop (currently in temporary quarters) Practice facilities: Under construction. Should be ready by late spring Par: 72 West Tees Yardage Course Rating Slope Rating Blue 6742 72.7 128 White 6333 70.8 124 Yellow 5574 66.4 120 Red 5208 70.3 119 East Tees Yardage Course Rating Slope Rating Blue 6834 73.0 129 White 6286 70.3 127 Yellow 5864 68.4 119 Red 5256 70.8 122

Changes at Foxfire are Pleasing Everyone

Tom Graber really hasn’t been at Foxfire Resort and Country Club since it opened. It just seems that way

Graber has been one of the few constants at Foxfire for 17 years. While owners and lawsuits and bankruptcies have come and gone, Graber has been the man in the golf shop, the head professional who has kept his head – and job – at times when it seemed all around him were losing theirs.

But times have changed at Foxfire since the property was purchased by GolfSouth almost two years ago. And it’s safe to say that no one appreciates those changes more than Tom Graber.

"I don’t know if I can describe it," Graber said, "but I come to work a happier person and I go home a happier person.

"This is such a beautiful area and now to have someone like GolfSouth come in has really been exciting. They’re the first owners we’ve had since I’ve been here that were in the golf course management business. These are people with course management experience who know the direction they’re going.

"Right after I got here, the ownership changed and it seemed for a while as if we had a different owner every year. But nobody really had deep enough pockets to take it to the place where it needed to go.

"People have always enjoyed the atmosphere and the golf experience here. Even though there have been some difficult periods, the golf operation has always been successful and profitable. People have never not wanted to come here.

"I always said there was so much potential here, and now to see it happening is special. I have to pinch myself every day when I come to work.

"There’s a stability here now, not only for the people who work and live here, but with the community. There’s a lot of excitement among the members and they’re bending over backwards to help any way they can. You can even see the difference in our maintenance crews. They just feel so much better and take real pride in their jobs."

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement at Foxfire. GolfSouth, which owns 18 courses, including nearby Beacon Ridge Country Club, has quickly made its presence felt with major renovations, both on the 36 holes of golf and in the construction of a new clubhouse.

The East Course has undergone extensive renovation and has drawn rave reviews since reopening last fall. The West Course is currently closed for a similar face-lifting and the new clubhouse is rapidly taking shape. Both members and daily fee players are eagerly awaiting the grand opening this spring.

Phil Wiggins, vice-president and regional manager of GolfSouth, is enjoying watching that anticipation grow.

"We closed the back nine on the East Course in March," he said. "We installed a completely new irrigation system, built new cart paths and put new drains and sand in the bunkers. We could have opened the East Course earlier, but we wanted it to be ready. We wanted it to make a statement. What golfers see on that 18 is what they’re going to have on all 36 holes when the project is completed."

GolfSouth, which came in well aware of the checkered history of Foxfire, is sparing no expense in making the complex a showplace. One of the first things the company did was to burn down the old clubhouse and begin construction of a new one.

"We had planned to spend $3 million on the renovations," Wiggins said, "and $2 million of that was to be on the golf courses. The other million was on the clubhouse. But we’re over budget by a million already. We’re spending more on this renovation than we paid for the property, but when it’s completed, we’ll have about $7 million in a 36-hole golf complex in the Pinehurst area. That’s a bargain. You can have that much in 18 holes."

The new watering system alone is going to promote an improvement in conditioning. Up to four rows of irrigation lines have been placed in the fairways, and Wiggins points out that watering that once took seven days can now be done in seven hours.

"Having the water available gives us a chance to grow turf," Wiggins said. "The difference is going to be obvious to the golfers."

So will some of the changes. Four holes on the East back nine were restructured under the guidance of Barton Tuck, chairman of GolfSouth. The original 18, as designed by Gene Hamm, was lauded as one of the finest courses in the area. But with the addition of 18 more holes, which required a rerouting of the original 18, the course seemed to lose some of its appeal

"We’re fortunate to have someone like Barton," Wiggins said. "He spent some time working with Tom Fazio and he has a real eye for hole design. He’s the kind of guy who can sit down at a table and draw up a hole on a napkin."

The fairway on No. 9 was recontoured to hold tee shots. "People are amazed at how level it looks now," Wiggins said. "Before, you stood on the tee feeling you had to hook the ball to keep it from going into the rough on the right."

On the par-5 13th, the hill on the left was cut down and the dirt moved to the low side of the lay-up area near the small lake, creating a much wider, level lay-up area. Two fairway bunkers on the left and one on the top of the hill were removed. Two new fairway bunkers were added to the left side of the new lay-up area.

The par-5 16th has also been reshaped. "We did some massive cutting and dirt moving on 16," Wiggins said. "No matter where you hit the ball on that hole before, it always seemed to end up in the woods."

The par-3 17th also got a face-lift, with the sand bunker on the right being replaced by a grass bunker.

"I really believe we’ve added to the aesthetics of the course and still made it more playable," Wiggins said. "The members were ecstatic when they played the East Course for the first time after the work. People who’ve played the course for years were amazed by the improvements."

The West Course was scheduled to be reopened in November, but as the work progressed, more improvements were added. The result is a magnificent layout that was well worth the wait and the extra million bucks.

Golfers who have played the West Course will miss a familiar sight when they reach the 11th hole. The periscope that had to be used to determine when groups ahead had completed play is gone. The fairway was lowered by four feet, allowing a view of carts or the heads and shoulders of players ahead.

"We’ve repaved the cart paths on all 36 holes and redone 145 bunkers with new sand," Wiggins said. "The parking lot is being remodeled to accommodate 175 cars instead of 58, and the old cart shed is being torn down with the carts to be stored beneath the new clubhouse.

"We’re really excited about the clubhouse," Wiggins said. "It’s going to be one of the most functional we’ve built. It’s really designed for golfers, not a country club."

One of the added projects was the building of a huge practice area.

"That was nice thing we were able to do that we hadn’t planned on," Wiggins said. "By using the material from all the cart paths we dug up, we were able to fill in a low area near the clubhouse and make it into a four-tier practice range. It’s going to be first-class when it’s finished, with one of the tiers utilizing synthetic turf.

"We’re looking at being done with everything in March and spend the rest of the time dressing it up. The West Course should be fully grown in by April 1 and we may open it to some member play then."

GolfSouth is banking on the improvements paying off in happier members and more outside play. The members are already smiling and the word is spreading about the condition of the East Course.

"People have always liked Foxfire," Wiggins said. "They see all the deer and fox while they’re playing and it’s away from things. But it really has changed. When we open the clubhouse on May 1, we’ll have 36 holes of really good golf and a nice clubhouse. Hopefully golfers and the market will recognize what we’ve done. Booking is already up and we’re looking at 1999 as our moving year. We’re earning a reputation for quality now and we have golfers who come and say ‘Wow! You really have done a good job. I’m going to tell people about this place.’ You can’t buy that.

"We feel we’re going from mediocrity to excellence."