Top 100 News + Charlotte Municipal Golf Part 1

Welcome to the Two Down Press golf newsletter!

Golf season is coming to an end but we’re just getting started here at 2DP. This week, we’ll look at the latest Top 100 rankings through a Charlotte lens, circle back on the municipal golf news from our last newsletter, and catch up on local golfers making a splash at USGA qualifying. Let’s dive in.

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THIS WEEK’S HEADLINE

Winston-Salem’s Old Town Club Rises to 32nd in Latest Golf.com U.S. Top 100 Ranking

The crown jewel of Triad golf jumped up six spots in this year’s ranking, coming in ahead of widely lauded courses like Peachtree, Sleepy Hollow, Bethpage Black, and Ballyneal. The raters clearly approved of Old Town’s recent renovation work, which featured a switch from bentgrass to bermudagrass greens and the addition of a few new bunkers and tees. If you get the chance to make the 80-mile drive up I-85 to tee it up at OTC - drop what you’re doing and hit the road.

Home bias: It’s awesome to see my hometown represented in the Top 100 rankings, but Old Town is far from the only area course worth seeing. The Triad is sneaky loaded with high quality and affordable golf options.

NC represent: Three other North Carolina courses made the Top 100. Traditional stalwarts Pinehurst No. 2 and Wade Hampton checked in at 13th and 63rd, respectively, while Tom Doak’s Pinehurst No. 10, which opened earlier this year, ranked 88th in an impressive debut.

Driving distance: Four South Carolina courses appeared in the Top 100. Resort powerhouses Kiawah Island Ocean (37th) and Harbour Town (69th) were not surprise inclusions, nor was Seth Raynor’s Yeamans Hall (47th) in Charleston. More eye-catching was Old Barnwell (51st), the Brian Schneider and Blake Conant designed, 2023 vintage course in Aiken, SC. Only 8 courses built since 2000 rank higher than OB.

No Charlotte courses?!: Outrage would be disingenuous, though two of our top courses have had dalliances with Top 100 lists in the past. Quail Hollow’s George Cobb/Tom Fazio architecture seems to have fallen out of favor with modern course raters, while Charlotte Country Club will seek to reclaim it’s national standing with it’s upcoming Andrew Green renovation. Both courses sit comfortably within the 100-200 category on most lists today.

Who else made the list?: Check out the full Top 100

IMPROVING MUNICIPAL GOLF

Part 1: Why $550K Budget Allocation Doesn’t Move the Needle

Last week, I highlighted the County’s recent decision to spend $550K on renovations at four local courses. Nice headline for sure, but don’t get your hopes up that noticeable, lasting improvements are on the horizon.

It’s going to take a lot more than $550K to make a significant impact on these city facilities (Sifford, Harry Jones, Charles T Myers, and Sunset Hills). The post-COVID golf development boom has driven construction prices up across the industry, resulting in seemingly small projects taking on larger than expected price tags. Looking at the figures being quoted for renovation projects across the country, it’s hard to see this recent funding as anything more than kicking the can down the road - spending the minimum amount required to maintain the status quo.

Ironically, a USGA article from earlier this year cited a $550K price tag as an example of a modest bunker renovation at one course. Meanwhile, Charlotte is allocating a comparable amount for updates spread across four courses ($137.5K each) on costly items like bunkers, cart paths, and irrigation repairs.

My two cents: I haven’t seen the line-by-line budget or all the details of the proposal, but knowing what I know about the golf construction landscape today, let’s just say I’m skeptical this project will deliver us from the muni doldrums (Sifford excluded, of course). And I’m not mad, just disappointed, as Charlotte golf deserves better.

The rest of the story: Keep an eye out for Parts 2 and 3 of this series on Charlotte municipal golf in future newsletters. Part 2 will cover some of my ideas for enhancing our city’s golf facilities, while Part 3 will make the case for why investment in these courses might actually pay off.

TOURNAMENTS

Charlotte Golfers Qualify for 2025 U.S. Four Ball

The Queen City will be well represented at the 10th U.S. Four Ball being held next May at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey.

The group is headlined by Charlotte Catholic Senior and Vanderbilt University commit Will Hartman, who qualified with partner Tyler Mawhinney at Oasis Golf Club in Ohio back in August. Hartman was named to the inaugural U.S. National Junior Team earlier this year.

The local team of Andrew Furr and Timothy Barto shot 64 to earn medalist honors at Edgewood Country Club in West Virginia. Both players will be participating in their first USGA championship.

Rounding out the group is Sam Jenkins, who qualified with partner Kevin Gately at Connecticut National Golf Club in September. Sound familiar? These two finished second in the Carolina Invitational earlier this month.

Alternates: Two other Charlotte teams nearly missed out on next year’s championship. John Eades (2019 N.C. Amateur and 3x Charlotte City Amateur champion) and Matt Schall took first alternate at Country Club of Petersburg in Virginia, while Roy Dixon and William Register (2023 Charlotte City Amateur champion) earned second alternate at Finley Golf Club in Chapel Hill.

Full qualifying results: Click here

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