Area Insider

 By Jay Allred

It has been a bear of a year in golf.

Golf courses have noticed a turn around in the third quarter and feel that things are looking up for the future. But an extensive amount of rain – over five feet in the Triad – and a soft economy didn’t make for too many happy times in the first two quarters.

Even now when things are starting to turn, some courses are still battling the forces of nature.

Take Wildcat Cliffs Country Club in Highlands, N.C. for example. Head pro Jeff Davis reported an intrusion of three bears causing considerable damage.

 "We had three bears tear up three of our greens overnight, areas half the size of my office," Davis reported Nov. 4.

"We couldn't even play the golf course today. We've got a pretty bad bear problem here. There's very little natural for them to eat apparently. They're tearing down trees trying to get berries, digging up turf trying to get earthworms, getting into the garbage. My crew was out at dawn and we were less than an hour behind them. Their footprints were still there in the dew when our greensmowers went around this morning."

Perhaps Davis should leave some porridge – cooked just right – at the 19th hole.

The Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club located on the campus of Duke University in Durham, has announced a $25 million expansion and renovation to its entire facility and grounds, to be completed by spring 2005. The addition translates into an improved golfing experience for local patrons and hotel guests alike, and will reposition the Inn as one of the premier luxury hotels and executive conference centers in the country.

The golf course at the Inn was deemed as the second best university golf course in the nation in 2002 by Travel & Leisure magazine and it is the only course located in the Triangle and surrounding area listed in the Zagat Survey 2003: America's Top Golf Courses. The planned enhancements, however, will take the Inn's golfing facilities to the next level.

Beginning as early as spring 2004 and continuing through the fall of that year, golf guests can enjoy a new practice tee, renovated practice greens and driving range, a new golf shop and 19th Hole Snack Bar. The University's golf team facilities are also receiving a face-lift, securing the course's status as one of the best college courses in the country. A new state-of-the-art fitness studio and indoor swimming pool are also on the fitness facility expansion list. The golf course will remain open throughout the entire construction project.

The course was built in 1957 by Robert Trent Jones and Jones' son, Rees Jones, redesigned the course in 1993 and is returning to redesign the course's practice areas.

"Rees is known as the 'US Open Doctor' for his work in renovating and redesigning classic golf courses and preparing them to withstand the assault of the modern-era USGA championship golfer," stated Ed Ibarguen, General Manager and PGA Master Professional of the Duke University Golf Club. "We couldn't be happier to be working with him again."

Brian Wyles of Seagrove and Tim Hall of Thomasville, both from the management in the furniture industry, took out a lease-to-purchase option on Montgomery Country Club in Troy earlier this fall. Already they have added 25 new members and doubled the number of tournaments in past years. They modified the food service and menus to make it very appealing to the public. The new management focused on non-golf income to bring in more revenue by utilizing the ball room and other facilities.

The greens have made a comeback at Southwick Golf Course.

“The greens they lost earlier in the year have come back this fall. We have had a significant increase in play, and we had the first positive month in 13 months,” said head professional Mark Hopkins.

Tot Hill Farm Golf Course in Asheboro has reopened all 18 original holes as of November 15. Head professional Eddie Cox stated, “I am convinced the changes we have made to the damaged greens will give Tot Hill a more player-friendly course. The two par-3s are significantly less undulating and the par-5 green has been extended allowing a wider landing area for approaches.”

Tommy Patterson is the new head pro at the Mid South Club in Pinehurst. He replaces Matt Fields.

Phillipe Bureau, formerly of River Landing, has taken over as Director of Golf at Sea Trail in Sunset Beach.

Triad Golf Today will be giving a new look to its increasingly popular web site, www.triadgolf.com. This year the site consistently averaged 15,000 unique viewers a month and we felt it was time to offer our customers and readers more. Starting next year you will be able to get all of the articles and golf discounts offered in our print product online. We’ve partnered with a national leader in web development to bring you the reader an exceptional product right on your desktop.