In 2001, Roaring Gap's golf course needed some professional attention and care. Brad Klein and Michael Fay, long-time Executive Director of the Ross Society, provided a list of architects to help us recapture our Ross traditions. One of those architects was Kris Spence from nearby Greensboro. At the time, Kris was an upstart restoration enthusiast, who was eager to do a good job and theoretically could spend more time and pay more attention to the golf course being located only 65-miles from his home. Roaring Gap became the beneficiary of that hands-on approach, and a lot more. Kris is one of Donald Ross's great ambassadors, and he truly cares how Roaring Gap has looked and played long after he completed the spadework in May of 2014.
As a result, Roaring Gap just debuted in Golfweek Magazine's Top 100 "Classic" designs (No. 82) in America. Roaring Gap was also featured as one of architect Tom Doak's "Gourmets Choice" selections in the renewal of his classic book entitled "The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses." A "Gourmet's Choice" is given to those select golf courses that tend to present something out of the ordinary, "stir the soul" and one where you would most like "to take a good friend to play." Roaring Gap was chosen to represent all summer destination Ross courses in North America, which must be a big feather in Spence's cap and something he is proud of.
Spence also has the distinction of restoring Sedgefield's Ross design in 2007, which once again hosts the Wyndham Championship, formerly the Greater Greensboro Open (GGO). Reclaiming Ross's distinctive architecture has many benefits, like improved course rankings and membership levels, but rarely does it unfold to help lure home an old-line PGA Tour event after a 31-year hiatus. (Sedgefield hosted the GGO periodically between 1938 - 1976). Hats off to Kris for playing a critical early role in rejuvenating an historic golf tournament as a renewed regional attraction.
It was certainly nice of Kris to single me out in his interview. I'm sure he has worked with a lot of valuable contributors. At Roaring Gap, it was a big team effort though. Everyone contributed….starting with Kris himself and shapers Nathan Cashwell and Jim Harbin, and superintendent Erik Guinther, who were on site daily. Barnes Hauptfuherer spearheaded it from the Board level. Green Committee members Walker Poole and D-Dog Edwards were also huge. Golf Pro Bill Glenn too.
The most important thing to glean from Roaring Gap was our meticulous green restoration methodology, which produced putting surfaces far better than we ever imagined.
Cheers!