Rock Barn Is Rock-Solid Addition to N.C. Golf

By JAY ALLRED 

CONOVER – When Rock Barn first opened for play in 1969, it was known around the area as a good golf course. Five years ago Don Beaver purchased Rock Barn and began to rebuild the club.

The addition of the Robert Trent Jones Jr. course makes it a 36-hole complex, and the new 18 is getting plaudits from all who have played it.

The course offers challenging well-bunkered holes for the best golfers. The dramatic elevation changes feature good views of the green complexes on most every hole and scenic streams and lakes come into play on 12 holes.

“Rock Barn Golf and Country Club represents my first design in the Carolinas and it is one of the finest courses of the over 200 that I have designed. North Carolina is a special place in the golf world,” said Jones.

The course is nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. “The elevation changes we had to work with offered a unique challenge and utilizing this feature to its fullest give Rock Barn its dramatic feel and character. There were nine holes previously here, we rerouted and rebunkered the course with a resistance to scoring. We wanted to build a course that can get your respect. The pars are yours and the bogeys are mine,” said Jones.

And get your respect it does, with 86 large bunkers around the 7,126-yard course. The course plays over and around Lyle Creek as well as several lakes strategically built on the course. The par-3 holes hold a lot of character and play over water and ravines. In addition, several waterfalls frame greens, including the par-3 ninth hole. The ninth plays over a waterfall to a green just 150 yards away.

The course is very strategic in design. An emphasis is placed on positioning tee shots and a person’s ability to work the ball would add to their ability to score on the course. The greens are large, bringing into play the distinct possibility of three-putts. There are many unnoticeable breaks that make holing a long putt difficult. Although the course is extremely playable, pin placements could be made to provide an excellent venue for one of the state’s top amateur or professional tournaments.

Beaver is president and CEO of Beaver Sports Properties. He owns and operates five minor league professional baseball teams, including Charlotte, New Orleans, Knoxville, Winston-Salem and Hickory. He also is a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates and operates a number of healthcare facilities in the Southeast in addition to other real estate and business interests. His name became a household word when he sought to bring major league baseball to North Carolina.

It is not difficult to notice the changes since he took over ownership of the club. First, a stately 25,000-square-foot clubhouse was opened in 2000. The facility is richly decorated and features an indoor waterfall, banquet rooms and a cigar lounge that doubles as a billiards room. Next was the renovation of the golf building, which occupies 14,000 square feet and includes a pro shop, men’s and women’s locker rooms as well as a grill. A tennis facility was added, plus an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

But Beaver isn’t stopping there. Next on the agenda is a 20,000-square-foot health spa and a lodge for overnight guests. In addition, the original 18 holes are being renovated by Tom Jackson and will reopen in the spring. The courses will be referred to as “The Jones Course” and “The Jackson Course”.