Forest Creek opened their 2nd Tom Fazio course The North Course early this past year. The North is a bit sterner than the original South Course.

John Fought did a wonderful job with the renovation of Pine Needles which re-opened during the past year.

Pinehurst put the new #9 Course on the back burner for the time being. I think Nicklaus was designing the course.

Sedgefield CC here in Greensboro is voting soon on a restoration by Kris Spence.

There are two new projects going on that are nearing completion, both by Tom Fazio.  Bright's Creek is located between Hendersonville and Spartanburg, SC that may be partially open in the Fall. The other project is Moutaintop Golf & Lake Club in Cashiers that will open in May, 2006.  I have toured the Mountaintop construction site and it is going to be spectacular.

Wilmington, N.C. – Golf architect and restoration specialist Kris Spence has been selected by the membership of Cape Fear Country Club to restore the club’s Donald Ross-designed golf course.


Kris Spencewill restore the Donald Ross-designed Cape Fear Country Club in Wilmington, N.C.
The history of Cape Fear dates back to 1896, making it one of the state’s oldest country clubs. In 1922, Ross redesigned the golf course, and tweaked it again in 1946, two years before his death. It is Spence’s intention to reclaim the classic Ross design that has been lost over the years.

Spence is one of the top restorers of Donald Ross courses, having rejuvenated Ross layouts in North Carolina such as: Grove Park Inn in Asheville, Mimosa Hills in Morganton, Greensboro Country Club and Roaring Gap Club in Roaring Gap. He’s also working a current project at Carolina Golf & Country Club in Charlotte.

Spence is excited about Cape Fear, especially since he’ll be using the original detailed plans drawn up by Ross, which are not always available. In addition to the design work, Spence’s company, Spence Golf Inc., will handle the construction portion of the project.

“We consider it a special honor to be put in charge of such sacred golfing ground,” says Spence. “Cape Fear Country Club sits on a great piece of land with a variety of topographic characteristics that Mr. Ross recognized would be ideal for golf. We’re going to restore the look, feel, playability and strategy intended by Mr. Ross while updating the course for modern play.”

The project begins Nov. 1 and is expected to be completed by mid July 2006. The $2.7 million project includes the revamping of greens, tee boxes, bunkers, cart paths and the irrigation system. Spence also will make drainage improvements.

The project will undo many changes put in place during a 1986 renovation project that eliminated most of the Ross traits.

“We are going to reinstate it as a Ross course and that has an extra special meaning to me,” Spence says. “In essence, we’re bringing back a course that disappeared over time.”

from golfcoursenews.com

The Cliffs at Walnut Cove near Asheville opened in April (designed by Nicklaus & Co). Here is a link to the website: http://www.cliffscommunities.com/golf/cliffs/page/49/section/38

I played Walnut Grove last week when I was in South Carolina. I enjoyed it a great deal.  It was routed very well for being on suchhilly ground.  The conditoion was impeccable.  Everything was sodded.  It is a fun driving course as Nicklaus gives you options off the tee.  There is some controversy about the grteens complexes.  I liked them.  The greens were relatively small and bunkered well.  All in all it was one of Nicklaus' better efforts.

I played Walnut Grove last week when I was in South Carolina. I enjoyed it a great deal.

Tommy did you sneak down to Musgrove without telling me???  I am probably playing in the one day Member Guest on Wed you arent coming back down are you?   How was the conditioning by the way?  I bet it is firm and fast with the fact that we havent had any rain in about 3 weeks.

If Will is not the best super in the country he is close to the
best.

No arguement here.  Especially if we really knew what kind of budget he probably works with.

I believe he goes down and helps out on the groundscrew at The Masters each year.  I have heard that anyway.

Any guys playing in the Musgrove Invitational in Nov. If so maybe we can get together.

Lawrence

I hadnt planned on it, I assume you are.   Where are you from Lawrence?   Who are you playing with?

I just dont know that far in advance if I am even going to be around.  What are the exact dates like 11-12 of Nov?

Revisiting this thread.

Has anyone been to the new Fazio courses in the NC mountains?

Brights Creek is one that has had a course opened for several months now.  It is near Hendersonville and was done by the folks that developed Forest Creek in Pinehurst. There will be at least one more Fazio course.

Mountaintop in Cashiers is the other one.  Very near Wade Hampton.  Another Discovery Land (kukio, estancia, etc) development where all courses are Fazio.

There are only a few NC mountain developments going on and Fazio seems to be doing most of the highend ones.  Some Nicklaus (Cliffs), a Palmer, and a Kite(?) at a Ginn development in Boone.

I wish a Coore, Hanse, Doak, etc would get one of these projects...

Some of you might have heard, The Cardinal here in Greensboro is closed for renovation/restoration.  Kris Spence is doing the work, and the owners indicated the integrity of the Pete Dye (Bill Coore) routing would remain -- just the tees, bunkers and greens are being redone and some drainage issues are being fixed.

Also, Spence will start a restoration of Sedgefield CC (D.Ross) this winter.  The drawings look great!

We were exploring for public courses in Western NC just the other night. Noticed several had LOWERED their greens fees. Have noticed quite a bit of that trend around here [Cincy], as well as closing of a few 'low end' publics.

Yet there are high end course, private and public, still springing up. What do you think this potends?