More Carolinas USGA Events + A Tale of 3 Nines

Welcome to the Two Down Press golf newsletter!

The pollen is absolutely hitting this week and we’re officially two weeks away from a little tournament down in Augusta, Georgia. April has become my favorite golf month in Charlotte - half-dormant conditions and dry, low-70s weather is a great recipe for firm and fast golf.

This week, we have news of more USGA events heading our way, a few quick stories to track, and last but not least - some semi-coherent history and golf course architecture ramblings about three of our favorite local public courses! Talk about a niche market.

Quick plug - it’s not too late to register for the CLT Putting Championship benefitting the First Tee - Greater Charlotte. Saturday, April 5th at 6 PM. Hope to see all of you there.

THIS WEEK’S HEADLINE

USGA Set to Return to Country Club of Charleston for 2028 U.S. Mid-Amateur

Charleston’s prominent pair of Seth Raynor courses will share hosting duties for the prestigious 25-and-up tournament. Country Club of Charleston, known for its bold template green complexes and fast conditions, will serve as primary host and site of the match play portion, while Yeamans Hall Club will co-host the stroke play rounds. This will be the third USGA event hosted at Country Club of Charleston.

Elite slate: This announcement adds another big name to an already stacked list of future Mid-Am host sites. Country Club of Charleston joins Sand Valley’s The Lido (2026), Jupiter Hills Club (2027), and Bel-Air Country Club (2030) as future venues already scheduled.

Guys being dudes: This will be the first men’s USGA event for the host of the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur and 2019 U.S. Women’s Open. While the club holds the annual Azalea Invitational (an elite men’s amateur event taking place this weekend), it will be interesting to see how our nation’s best Mid-Ams fair on the 6,800 yard layout.

2DP STORIES

A Tale of 3 Nines: The Oddity of Charlotte’s Public Ross (or Half-Ross) Courses

If you’ve made the turn at Mooresville Golf Club, Monroe Country Club, or Fort Mill Golf Club (Charlotte’s three public Donald Ross designs), you’ve probably asked yourself a common question on hole 10 or 11 - is this the same golf course?

The answer is yes, and no. Each of these courses features a Ross 9 and one added later to complete the 18-hole routing. Seems like a weird coincidence… or is it?

Today, we’ll explore some of the factors behind this strange design phenomenon, analyze the impact it had on the golf courses, and make the case for why the Ross holes stand the test of time.

Why 9 and 9?

When first built between 1936 and 1948, these 9-hole courses were likely more than enough to meet the needs of their communities. The entire Charlotte Metro Area had less than 150,000 residents in 1950, so we can safely assume the 9-hole offering was sufficient for these small, rural towns.

But why, blessed with functional Ross 9-holers, did these towns decide to add more and muddy the design legacies of their beloved courses?

The answer is simply supply and demand. Driven by the post-World War II economic boom, the number of golfers in the United States grew from 3.5 million to 11.2 million from 1950 to 1970, with Charlotte’s population roughly doubling during the same period. Recent history has shown how this type of growth (comparable to Charlotte’s from 2005 until today) can stretch a city’s resources and infrastructure, so it makes sense these courses were looking to expand to accommodate more play. While the timing differed across the three courses (beginning with Fort Mill in 1959 and culminating with Monroe in 1985), each ultimately succumbed to the pressure to grow their golf footprint.

Routing Results

Comparing the original holes to the later additions provides a case study for how golf architecture, specifically routing, changed in the intervening period. Ross, a key figure in golf architecture’s Golden Age, was known for routing highly walkable, compact golf courses that maximized the property’s natural features. This was partly out of necessity given lack of access to modern construction equipment, but it was also driven by principles he developed studying the great courses of his home country of Scotland.

The art of routing evolved in the post-War period, as new technologies and new incentives drove architects to abandon many of the Golden Age principles. Modern earth-moving equipment allowed designers to bend land to their will, while the rise of the golf cart and real estate-driven development led to the lengthening and broadening of courses to leave room for homes and cart paths.

The difference between these two routing styles is on full display at Mooresville Golf Club, who added a second 9 in 1978. While the front 9 features closely connected holes and sweeping views, the back 9 processes through a densely housed and forested area where each hole occupies its own corridor. The aerial photo above helps show how much more land was needed to construct the back 9, and how much room was left between holes for housing development.

The contrast between Monroe Country Club’s front 9 (1936) and back 9 (1985) is more subtle, especially given they are both core routings with no homes visible. The primary difference, however, is the scale. The short, sporty front 9 occupies only 45 acres (!), while the back 9 covers 63 acres and features what might be considered a more “championship” layout. There are other more intricate differences related to shaping and style, but the pure length difference between the two jumps off the scorecard (3,111 vs. 3,412).

Crunched for Time? Play the Front

I’ve heard it said a great routing explores a property in the same fashion you might if simply taking a walk. There is something about the way Ross routed his courses that gives them a sense of place and keeps me coming back, but the appeal is more than just an intangible feeling - it results in great golf holes. These courses are destinations worth seeing for any keen Carolinas golfer or Ross enthusiast, even if (or especially if) you only have time for 9 holes.

STORIES TO TRACK

Banks Steele Prevails at HV3 Invitational: The Lancaster, South Carolina native shot -5 over two rounds at Cramer Mountain Club and Gaston Country Club to take a 2-shot victory over Cary’s Andrew Neal.

• Mind blown: Steele (17) only started playing tournament golf two years ago per his post-round interview! In an era where it seems like kids are starting younger and younger, it’s impressive to see a relative newcomer win a big-time junior event.

North Carolina Amateur Registration Opens: Registration for this year’s event at The Cardinal by Pete Dye (June 11th-14th) opened earlier this week. Charlotte-area qualifying is at Mooresville Golf Course on June 3rd.

Architect Jeff Lawrence Shares Perspectives on Pine Lake Renovation: In a recent interview, Lawrence opened up about the renovation process, the project goals, and some of the design elements that will be on display when the course reopens in September. All pretty consistent with current renovation trends (i.e. bunker renovation, green expansion and redesign, and tree removal), but I’m really bullish on the potential impact for PLCC.

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