GolfMatrix has become a major player in the golfing world that is the Sandhills.

The Scottsdale, Arizona, company, which recently purchased Foxfire and Beacon Ridge golf clubs, has added two properties that include three more Pinehurst-area courses to its management portfolio. The courses are The Carolina and the two at Woodlake Resort, giving GolfMatrix six courses in the Sandhills.

Both Woodlake and The Carolina are owned by German investors, directed by Dr. Ingolf Boex, a merger and acquisition attorney.

The addition of the three courses gives GolfMatrix control of 126 holes of golf in the Sandhills, second only to industry giant ClubCorp, which owns and operates 144 holes at the famed Pinehurst Resort and Country Club.

"The tremendous marketing synergies and GolfMatrix’s in-depth understanding and experience with high-end golf operations in the Sandhills region, made them the obvious choice to help our properties realize their full potential in the years ahead," Boex said in a prepared statement.

The 36-hole Woodlake property features designs by Ellis Maples and Arnold Palmer. The Maples Course opened in 1971 under the name of Lake Surf, while the Palmer Course was opened for play in 1996.

The Carolina, which was also designed by Palmer and Ed Seay, was opened in 1997.

Both properties are members of the Sandhills Golf Association, a regional marketing consortium, as are Foxfire and Beacon Ridge.

"We are enthusiastic about the future of golf in the Sandhills region," said GolfMatrix President of Club Operations Scott Van Newkirk. "We’re very excited to add courses the caliber of Woodlake and The Carolina to our management portfolio.

"The marketing opportunities that exist by managing so many quality courses in an internationally recognized golf destination market are endless. And we plan to take full advantage of that opportunity."

The management contract calls for a three-year deal with a renewal option for an additional three years. GolfMatrix officially took responsibility for the management of the courses on Oct. 1.

The deal also calls for current General Manager of The Carolina and Woodlake, Vic Aliprando, to remain in that position. He will work closely with Phil Wiggins, GolfMatrix Regional Manager in the Carolinas.

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With each passing year, golf course architect Ellis Maples’ work draws more acclaim.

Like many artists in painting, music and sculpture, Maples, who died in 1984 after designing more than 70 courses, is being recognized for his creations more since his death than he ever was while he was alive.

Maples built some of the best golf courses in the Carolinas, Georgia and Virginia. He left his legacy in the mountains, the Piedmont and the Sandhills. He built courses that were great when he completed them and are recognized as classics now.

For the past three years, Maples has been honored by an invitational pro-am held at one of his son Dan Maples’ courses. And last month he was honored in a special ceremony held at the Country Club of Whispering Pines, which features two of his designs.

Whispering Pines members dedicated a garden to the memory of Ellis Maples on September as the Maples family and friends gathered. Peggy Kirk Bell, another golfing legend, gave a brief but stirring talk about her old friend.

"Ellis never got the credit he deserved," Mrs. Bell said. "He not only designed more than 70 golf courses, but he was also a good player and teacher of the game. Ellis was a real pioneer in the game and was very helpful to my husband, Bullet, and me during our early days at Pine Needles. Dedicating this garden to him is a great idea by the Whispering Pines people."

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Pine Needles Resort and Golf Club, which hosts the 2001 U.S. Women’s Open, is doing a lot more than just sprucing up its Donald Ross-designed course.

General Manager Kelly Miller and Dave Fruchte, director of golf course and grounds have designed and built four practice holes on the property that will be used in conjunction with the resort’s ever-growing golf schools as well as for some fun activities.

Also being added are two buildings. One is an addition to the Reception Center, which was built prior to the 1996 Women’s Open Championship and served as the media center. The building will house offices for sales and marketing, headed by Holly Bell.

The other is a new lodge, which features eight rooms, bringing the total at the resort to 83. Plans are to remodel some of the other lodges and eventually expand the total of rooms to 100, according to Miller.

Pine Needles has also initiated a caddie program, using students from the Golf Management Program at Methodist College in nearby Fayetteville as caddies.

"We wanted to present our guests with more options than just taking a cart," said assistant golf professional Rob Pilewski. "We call the program ‘Walk with the Legends,’ in honor of Donald Ross and Mrs. Bell."