Taking Dead Aim At A Charlotte Classic
Over the years, I’ve been afforded the opportunity to play some fantastic golf courses. And whether they are public or private, I find something to appreciate about each one.
Also, I’m not one that doesn’t have favorites, I do. And this is definitely one of them. Carolina Golf Club came about in 1929 when, upon the passing of her husband, Mrs. H.J. Dunavant was inspired to transform the family farm into a championship golf course.
She was able to hire famed architect, Donald Ross, to design what would become the first 18-hole public course in Charlotte.
Carolina Golf Club went private in 1958 when a group of regulars acquired the ownership rights. For the better part of the next 50 years, CGC operated with relatively few changes to the course’s design.
2004 saw the beginning of a 4-phase renovation of the facility that culminated with the closing of the course for 11 months in 2008 as architect Kris Spence transformed the 6,228 yard/Par 70 layout to the 7,068/Par 71 track that the members enjoy to this day.
It has been the host of several City Amateurs, qualifiers for the Wells Fargo Championship, The CGA Mid-Amateur Championship, The North Carolina Amateur Championship, and last summer hosted round one of The USGA Mid-Amateur Championship.
To me, this course is reminiscent of two of my favorite places. As it is on a defined piece of land, with rolling hills and elevation changes, minimal trees, and ZERO home sites, it honestly reminds me of Augusta National and its neighbor, Augusta Country Club.
Also, with the natural “scrub” grasses that populate the perimeter of some of the holes, images of the best courses in the Sandhills come to mind immediately (Mid-Pines, Pinehurst #2 and #4).
Playing this magnificent course with my son was a real treat last week. Should you ever have the opportunity to tee it up at Carolina Golf Club, “no” is not an option.
