Epic North Carolina Golf Course Set To Reopen
There are three things that I find depressing to see. One, I hate driving by and seeing a home abandoned and dilapidated. All I can think is, “You know, at some point, that was brand new. It was a family’s dream. I bet beautiful Christmases took place there.”
Two, I can’t stand seeing abandoned schools with windows boarded up and graffiti on the walls. There’s just such an elementary school that I pass going to and from Myrtle Beach that saddens me every time.
And, as a golfer, my soul aches when I see or hear about a once great golf course either falling into disrepair or closing altogether. Such is the case of Tot Hill Farm Golf Club in Asheboro. The picture you see above is from Tobacco Road Golf Club in Sanford, North Carolina. It is my son and I’s favorite golf course in the Carolinas. It’s hard, but fair and beautiful in its old-school rustic veneer. Playing Tobacco Road, you feel like you’re playing a golf course from early 20th century.
That course’s architect was Mike Strantz. Mike Strantz, to me, was as much an artist as an architect. Cancer took him from us all too soon with just a few golf courses to his credit. Among them are some of the finest in the Carolinas. Along with Tobacco Road, Myrtle Beach boasts Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue Golf Club. Also on that list? Tot Hill Farm.
I was upset to hear of a high school match that took place there in the spring. One of the participant’s fathers told me of how the course was just miserable. I’d known of some financial difficulties at Tot Hill Farm in recent years, and inevitably course neglect soon follows. Then, came the news that Tot Hill Farm had closed.
Oh, no. Mike Strantz’s art can’t die like that. Thankfully, I wasn’t alone in that feeling. It turns out that the course closed on May 15th for some much-needed renovation. According to Charlotte Business Journal, crews are laying Zoysia Prizm sod on the greens (and I imagine tee boxes as well) in recent days at the course. And it is scheduled to reopen in time for Labor Day. Zoysia Prism is a very durable/lower maintenance grass and should be just the facelift Tot Hill Farm deserves.
I can’t wait to return to Mike Strantz’s Tot Hill Farm Golf Club in the fall. No doubt he’ll be looking down and smiling.
Best Myrtle Beach Golf Courses For Your Buddies Trip
For the last 8-9 years, my best friend and I have been taking the last week of February and heading down to Myrtle Beach for a huge golf week. My definition of huge? This year we were gone 8 days and played 216 holes of golf at that time. Myrtle Beach, to me, is the golf capital of America, and perfect for that “escape the cold weather/buddies golf trip.”
Nowhere else in the country has a population of greater golf courses over such a relatively small area. Everyone has their favorites, but here is my list of 10 in no particular order.
Note, my friend has a condo down there and so worrying about where to sleep has never been an issue. Consequently, this list is based just off my thoughts about the golfing experience only. Accommodations, dining, etc. I leave to others.
