Charlotte Needs a Ryder Cup-Style Team Event (and other Grievances)

Welcome to the Two Down Press golf newsletter!

Happy Festivus to all who celebrate! Everyone knows the Airing of Grievances is a critical component of any good Festivus celebration, so let’s close out the year by getting those complaints off your chest so you can start 2025 fresh. I’ll kick us off by sharing my current #1 Charlotte golf grievance, then we’ll share some reader submissions. We also have a spotlight on a local golf business for those doing (very) last minute holiday shopping. Happy Holidays to all and thanks for reading!

PRESENTED BY

THE BIG GRIEVANCE

Charlotte Needs a Ryder Cup-Style Team Event

I have a confession to make - I just got around to watching Full Swing Season 2. The show is… fine, but the last two episodes on the 2023 Ryder Cup had me ready to run through a brick wall.

We all know team golf is the best kind of golf, so why don’t we have a true team match play competition between Charlotte clubs? There are some existing interclub competitions, but the formats are all over the place - some stroke play, some season-long, some with four or more clubs competing at once. I’m talking 12-player teams, foursomes/fourball/singles, all packed into one weekend for a trophy and club bragging rights. Let’s not stop at one either - Charlotte’s club scene is large enough to support several of these events. Here are some matchups I’d like to see:

The Ross Cup - Charlotte vs. Myers Park vs. Carolina

OK - this violates one of my mini-rules above about more than two clubs competing, but this idea is too cool to leave out. Charlotte is home to three Donald Ross courses in close proximity to the city, and this competition would be an annual marker of which club has most thoroughly mastered his designs.

Worried about adding another event to busy club calendars? Part of the charm of this event would be spreading the competition across all three courses, so each club would only have to commit to hosting one round.

The Fight for 51 - Cedarwood vs. Raintree

It just seems logical these cross-the-street neighbors have a head-to-head match play. My favorite element of this matchup is the contrast in golf courses, as it pits the wide-open layout of Cedarwood against the narrower corridors of Raintree (both courses more or less fit this description). I’d be intrigued to see how these styles mesh in a competition across both courses.

The Pinewood Derby - Pine Lake vs. Pine Island

East vs. West. The names. This one speaks for itself and needs to exist. Enough said.

READER GRIEVANCES

Playing through - we should encourage letting groups play through, even when they’re walking! Also pitch marks - just fix ‘em. I don’t understand how people don’t do this. -David E.

A couple classics here from David. We’ve heard these before, but never a bad time to try to stamp out this behavior!

The quote “if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball” applies to the Sifford short game area in the summer. It’s not surprising to see folks working on 50 yard bunker shots with their full “tube” dumped in the sand. -Andrew F.

I must admit I’ve been guilty of this myself (I thought this was one of the perks of the Sifford short game area…). I’ll keep the distance wedge practice confined to the range going forward.

The lack of grass and/or a flat lie on the Sifford range -Alex E.

More Sifford shots fired! Many people consider uneven lies to be the best element of a little course called Augusta National, but it’s all about perspective. I can agree on the grass though - a bit more would be nice.

GOLF BIZ

Charlotte-based Eureka Golf Products Ships Thousands of Holiday Orders from West Charlotte HQ

Looking for a last minute golf gift? Already prepping for Father’s Day 2025? Procrastinators and over-achievers alike need look no further than Eureka Golf Products, a local golf memorabilia company located just off Freedom Drive.

Background: Eureka was founded in 2002 and is now owned and operated by Mercer Langley. The company goes to market via three golf related websites/sub-brands (Great Golf Memories, National Hole-In-One Registry, and Golf Trophies & More) and has seven full-time employees.

Focus: “Our main lanes are collectible displays, personalized golf gifts, and hole-in-one trophies,” said Patrick Ronan, Director of Marketing at Eureka.

Growth: “Like any retail business, buying trends come and go, so we’re always looking for new products and product tweaks to better serve the golf community. With the uptick in golf popularity in recent years, we’re focused on connecting with the masses that have recently picked up golf or caught the golf bug.”

My two cents: I had no idea this company existed until earlier this year - another awesome example of the depth and diversity of the Charlotte golf community. They have a huge selection of products, and browsing their websites has inspired me to get more creative with my gift-giving. My wife gave me a framed scorecard to commemorate my first hole-in-one a few years ago (not to brag), so I can speak impact and memorability of this type of gift. And if you’re going this route, why not support a local business at the same time?

HOUSEKEEPING

Two Down Press is shutting it down for a few weeks but will return in January with some exciting content. Stay tuned for:

• Part 3 of our Charlotte Municipal Golf series,

• Coverage of the 2025 CGA tournament schedule release,

• The launch of our Day Trips series,

• Our second Q&A,

• and much more!

Merry Christmas and see you in 2025!

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