Has anyone out there played Old Chatham GC in Durham, NC? The club is hosting the USGA Senior Amateur at the end of this month. A good friend of mine qualified and we were both wondering what is was like. Just perusing the club's website it looks like a fairly new club with a modern style Rees Jones golf course. Thanks in advance.
-John
I am going to walk on a razor's edge here, since nobody else has responded.
You are correct that Old Chatham is fairly new, and it is indeed a Rees Jones design. They converted their greens to Champion Bermuda within the last couple of years, and your friend will find course conditions to be immaculate. The club gets relatively little play, as it is a golf-only club with a relatively small membership, even for a very private club. Most of the members came originally from older clubs in the area; Chapel Hill Country Club, Hope Valley, etc. Whether due to high fees or competition in the area or other factors, the club has had some struggles attracting and retainingmembers, and therefore financial struggles, thru the years.
I am trying to be fair here, but I don't think you will find Old Chatham on any Top 10 (or 20?) list for the state, and not many who play it come away wildly impressed. I think typically a guest would comment on the conditions more than on the golf course itself. It is a truly beautiful piece of land for Piedmont NC, but I think it is also fair to say that the choice of Old Chatham for a tournament of this level was at least a little bit surprising. Maybe more than a little bit...
I'll say no more.