….about Roaring Gap's Pinehurst Legacy.
Bruce and Sean Arble, In 1925, Roaring Gap originated as a corporate venture for Pinehurst, Inc. and Leonard Tufts, who was interested in creating a mountain resort away from the summer heat of the Sandhills to serve as an alternative resort enticement for his mostly northern Pinehurst clientele, who were tiring of the trip back home every summer.
In the beginning, Roaring Gap was referred to as "the Pinehurst of the Hills". It was a "legitimate annex of Pinehurst". The Graystone Inn at Roaring Gap was built to function as the summer counterpart to The Carolina Hotel in Pinehurst. In theory, Roaring Gap would help Tufts solidify clientele year-round and stabilize a trained workforce year-round by avoiding off-season pitfalls inherent with an unsteady client-base and employee turn-over.
Pinehurst, their department heads, staff and clientele simply mobilized operations to the Roaring Gap annually when the season turned every summer. It's no coincidence that the golf course was designed by Donald Ross, and Tufts was the first President of Roaring Gap Club. Ross's good friend Alex Innis served dual roles at Roaring Gap and Pinehurst, along with a host of staff members, including Palmer Maples, and E.G. Fitzgerald the Manager of both hotels.
The historical entries and coverage of Roaring Gap in "The Pilot" newspaper is mindboggling -- the scope and magnitude of which leave little question about what Roaring Gap truly meant to the Tufts family magnate. The Roaring Gap advertisements demonstrate an exorbitant investment and commitment by Tufts in marketing Roaring Gap to the world.
The Ross-designed golf course was identified by Tufts in all ads as "The Aristocrat of Courses". Apparently, this was the golf course slogan!
In 1925, Ross designed and constructed 18 sand greens at Roaring Gap. In 1929, Roaring Gap converted all greens to grass. Hotel guests all noted that "it was a treat to play on grass greens for a change" following their winters in Pinehurst. Thus, Roaring Gap had grass greens before Pinehurst No. 2., which converted from sand just prior to the 1936 PGA Championshionship. Roaring Gap may have helped influence and encourage Tufts and Ross to make the necessary conversion at Pinehurst?
Richard Tufts actually held the course record at Roaring Gap through the 1930's…. firing a 68 in 1928.
Naturally, a layout so intimately tied to Donald Ross, Leonard Tufts and Pinehurst, Inc. had to be restored and taken seriously — even 90 years later.