Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe

This cookie was one of our family’s favorites. Grandma would always serve them after dinner, crispy on the outside with cinnamon, sugar and a warm fluffy center.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Cup Shortening
• 1/4 Cup Salted Butter, softened
• 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 TSP Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour, sifted
• 1/4 TSP Cinnamon
• 1 TSP Cream of Tartar
• 1/2 TSP Baking Soda
• 1/8 TSP Sea Salt

Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

• 2 TBSP Granulated Sugar
• 1½ TSP Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons sugar and 1½ teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Sift flour into a medium bowl. Add cinnamon, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and stir to combine. Set aside.
4. Cream together butter, shortening and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer). Add egg and vanilla and beat again until smooth. Add dry ingredients and stir until combined.
5. Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to measure dough, then roll into balls.
6. Roll each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture until it’s evenly coated.
7. Place cookies on a baking sheet, either ungreased or lined with parchment paper.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until puffed and mostly set, but still soft.
9. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool.

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Raleigh-based McConnell Golf’s vast portfolio of private golf clubs around the southeast continues to stand out among the best of the best in a wide range of prestigious golf course rankings. In North Carolina’s Top 100 in the April issue of Business North Carolina magazine, McConnell Golf once again rose to the top.

In golfing circles, the state of North Carolina is renowned for boasting “50 Top 10 courses.” And in 2023, led by perennial stalwarts Sedgefield Country Club, Old North State Club, Raleigh Country Club and Treyburn Country Club, Raleigh-based McConnell Golf once again dominated North Carolina Golf Panel’s Top 100 courses.

For the third consecutive year, all 10 of McConnell Golf’s North Carolina-based layouts were included among the state’s Top 100 rankings, including a trio of layouts ranked in the state’s Top 20. The N.C. Golf Panel presented its 28th annual report on the state’s 100 best courses in the April issue of Business North Carolina magazine.

McConnell Golf CEO John McConnell, who founded the company 20 years ago, was also recognized in Business North Carolina’s April issue in a separate article about the state’s 15 most influential golf industry titans.

Greensboro’s Sedgefield CC, a Donald Ross design that annually challenges the world’s best golfers during the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship, ranked No. 9 in the state again in 2023, followed by McConnell Golf’s perennial state Top 10 — Old North State Club, a Tom Fazio masterpiece along Badin Lake’s Uwharrie Point near New London — which stayed at No. 10 in this year’s rankings.

Ross’s historic final design and McConnell Golf’s first club, Raleigh CC, also made the state Top 20 again in 2023, remaining at No. 19. Raleigh CC will enjoy the return of professional golf this year from June 1-4, when the club will host the Korn Ferry Tour’s UNC Health Championship presented by STITCH after 18 years at another McConnell Golf venue, The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation in North Raleigh.

In 2020, McConnell Golf completed a $5.5-million renovation at Raleigh CC, a modern-day reimagining overseen by architect Kyle Franz. The layout lends itself to an excellent fan experience, with each hole in close proximity, giving spectators the privilege of watching multiple holes from expansive and convenient viewing areas.

The Fazio-designed gem at Treyburn CC in Durham was ranked No. 33 among North Carolina’s finest while another Ross design, Country Club of Asheville, remained in the state’s Top 50 at No. 50, following a 2016 McConnell Golf renovation spearheaded by Richard Mandell of Pinehurst. McConnell’s popular semi-private property, The Cardinal by Pete Dye in Greensboro, checked in at No. 52 in the state, up three spots from 2022.

Another Fazio design, Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington, a Tom Fazio creation that McConnell Golf bought in 2020, made the biggest jump in the 2023 rankings, up 11 spots to No. 64 in the state, followed at No. 81 by Charlotte’s Providence Country Club. McConnell Golf added Providence CC to its portfolio in 2016 and hired Greensboro architect Kris Spence to renovate the course two years later.

In Raleigh, Hale Irwin’s design of The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation stood at No. 89 — further demonstrating how strong golf is across North Carolina. Meanwhile, McConnell Golf’s Brook Valley Country Club in Greenville remained a part of the state’s coveted Top 100 at No. 99.

McConnell Golf, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, is the region’s largest owner of premier private clubs with a portfolio across North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, including 13 18-hole, private golf courses, two semi-private courses and one 27-hole public course. The organization was built upon the concept of “pure golf for the true golfer,” focusing on enhancing both the individual clubs and its company’s overall membership value.

“Our courses continue to merge history, beauty and opportunity for our avid golfing membership and their guests,” said McConnell. “With numerous recent enhancements at McConnell Golf courses and other projects planned, I am proud of what we have accomplished and eager to see how the rankings play out in the future.”

McConnell Golf is the only individual golf course proprietor in the world that owns four Ross-designed courses. Its impressive stable of clubs also includes Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tenn., and its highly regarded 1927 Ross-designed golf course — current host of the Korn Ferry Tour’s Visit Knoxville Open and a fixture in Golfweek’s Best Classic Courses. McConnell Golf purchased Holston Hills in late 2015 and has invested heavily in capital improvements including a new fitness center, locker room upgrades, and a banquet and dining room renovation.

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Peanut Butter Fudge Cookie Recipe

Over the past several years, I’ve noticed I'm becoming more and more like my father. I can recall that he had a passion for peanut butter and chocolate, typically a peanut butter chocolate milkshake. Below is a recipe that blends the two together perfectly. While you’re at it, a glass of milk or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two of these cookies might be just the thing to satisfy your sweet and salty cravings.

Add in some pretzel pieces or chopped nuts to take these cookies to the next level.

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Cup Dark Cocoa Powder
• 1 TSP Baking Soda
• 1/4 TSP Salt
• 1 Cup Butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 Cup JIF Peanut Butter
• 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
• 2 Large Eggs
• 2 TSP Vanilla Extract
• 4oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
• 2/3 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips
• 2/3 Cup Peanut Butter Chips

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, peanut butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, beat to combine. Add melted chocolate and beat until combined. Fold in milk chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.
3. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap, wrap it up and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
5. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a 1½-inch ball and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake until cookies are set in center and begin to crack, about 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets for 2 minutes before transferring cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

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Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

As a child, one of my best friend’s mothers would make these cookies for us. I loved them and always ate my fair share. Then, I am sure, we drove her crazy and she would send us outside to play.

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 TSP Baking Powder
• 1 Scant TSP Baking Soda
• 1/2 TSP Ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 Pound Unsalted Butter
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Milk
• 1 TSP Vanilla Extract
• Colored Sugar or Cookie Decorations (optional)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg.
2. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender until it resembles a coarse meal.
3. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Add sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat well to dissolve the sugar. Add to the dough and mix very well until smooth.
4. Wrap dough in film wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes or overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 375°F.
6. Roll out dough to about 2-inch thickness and cut into shapes with cookie cutter.
7. Place on baking sheet and bake until lightly browned; 8 to 10 minutes.

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Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

My grandma, Betty Collins, was a cafeteria lady for most of her career. She worked at Matthews Elementary School in the 1980s and 1990s. Her kitchen counter was always filled with sweets she’d bake at home in her free time. Cinnamon rolls, chocolate cream pies, crumbly apple pies, and my favorite, her oatmeal raisin cookies. Every time we’d go to visit her, she’d always have these cookies as well as cartons of chocolate milk for me from the school.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Butter, melted, then cooled
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 TSP Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour, sifted
• 1 TSP Baking Soda
• 1 TSP Cinnamon
• 1/2 TSP Salt
• 3 Cups Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 Cup Raisins

Directions:

1. Cream butter, and both sugars until smooth and creamy in a bowl of an electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix well.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
3. Turn the mixer on low, add flour mixture, oats, and raisins. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl down.
4. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Form dough balls measuring roughly 1½ Tablespoons.
6. Place on sheet tray 2 inches apart and bake 12 to 14 minutes, depending on how hot your oven runs.

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Decanting the story behind a star-studded series of wine dinners

Pairing wine is an art form — one that can delight the novice diner and still surprise the most seasoned sommelier. Pinot and duck? Classic. Champagne and potato chips? Deliciously fun. And the most perfect match of all? A passion for handcrafted wines and the sport we love: golf.

This epicurean alchemy made for a star-studded series of wine dinners that could only have happened at McConnell Golf. In early March, three properties and their chefs teamed up with LPGA Champion and awarded Vintner Cristie Kerr of Napa Valley’s Kerr Cellars to produce Beyond Rare Vintages, a series of three wine dinners that invited members to experience some of Kerr’s most exquisite, top-rated wines paired with multiple creative courses.

We all love a good story. It’s why we flip over the bottle to read the back of the label, or lean in to hear how the underdog player fought their way to the top. And the best part of this story began long before the wines were poured, the tables were set or the dishes plated.

“It all started when I received a beautiful handwritten note from Cristie,” reflects Christian Anastasiadis, COO at McConnell Golf. “It said, ‘hello, I’m watching what your team is doing, and it’s awesome. Have you seen my wine collection?’ I knew that she’d won the Women’s Open Championship at Pinehurst in 2007, but hadn’t followed her career since that closely.”

It felt like no small coincidence that Anastasiadis had already started developing McConnell Fine Wines, a distributorship that solely focuses on partnering with boutique vineyards and winemakers to produce private labels for members. “When I looked Cristie and her winery up, I thought, ‘Wow! She’s so impressive—this could be the perfect match.’”

In fact, the first of these exclusive wines, called the M Signature Series, had only just been released—starting with a cabernet produced in partnership with Juslyn Vineyards, and followed by additional varietals that all proved to be a huge hit. Kerr Cellars couldn’t have come calling at a more perfect time.

“At only 4,500 cases a year, they’re a relatively small winery, with a really interesting and well-known winemaker, Helen Keplinger,” says Anastasiadis. “Her wines are hand-picked and beautifully crafted. Her passion for what she does mirrors ours, from a very selective sort of experience and approach.” Named a “Winery to Watch” in 2016, Kerr and Kerr Cellars were also featured on the October 2021 Wine Spectator cover—so it’s no surprise that her first M Signature Series red blend sold out quickly. “We only sell these private label wines to the members at our clubs. You won’t find them on shelves at grocery stores,” adds Anastasiadis.

Like sharpening your swing, when you find something that works well, you pursue it to perfection. “After the wine was such a great hit, I pitched the idea of a wine dinner to Cristie—bringing together other varietals she produces, and the talented chefs at three of our clubs—like a traveling event series. She said she’d love to,” says Anastasiadis, who oversaw the procession from Raleigh Country Club to Porters Neck Country Club, and finally to Providence Country Club. “We kept it fairly small in size, and Cristie was there to tell her story and introduce the wines. We’ve done wine dinners before, but never like this—with such a high-caliber, single winemaker as the focus, and on such a scale.”

The result? An opportunity to be part of something completely one-of-a-kind — and three memorable evenings that members are still talking about. “Nothing was spared. The Kerr wines lived up to expectations, and the cuisine was marvelous,” says Mike Rowe, a member at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation. “Cristie was so warm, welcoming and excited — her passion for wine was shining through. It was an extraordinary event to say the least.”

Hal Averette, a member at Raleigh Country Club, was just as impressed. “Cristie and Kelli Kuehne were very gracious with their time, chatting with members and discussing their wines. When you combine the excellent pairings of Kerr Cellars with the wonderful food from the McConnell chefs, you can’t have a better evening. We especially enjoyed the Kerr Cellars Pinot Noir paired with the duck breast as well as the Reserve Red paired with the beef short rib.”

Beyond the chic indigo tablecloths, fresh flowers and glittering glassware, the McConnell culinary team was making the most out of this rare opportunity in the kitchen. “My favorite part of the Kerr wine dinners was getting the chance to work with other executive chefs from McConnell Golf. We don’t get the opportunity to get together very often, but when we do, we all have a great time,” reflects John Crawford, Executive Chef at Raleigh Country Club. “Cristie Kerr and her team have done a tremendous job crafting exquisite wines, which makes it very easy for us chefs to create a nice dinner to pair with them.” Whether you’re reliving the moment from March or dreaming of the next event, you’re in luck: Kerr herself enjoyed the experience so much, she’ll be back for more dinners at three different clubs yet to be announced. “We loved sharing our wines and our story with members. The overall experience was truly unique, and it was fun traveling to three different McConnell Golf courses,” says the LPGA star. “The staff was wonderful with details and consistency from venue to venue, and the chef pairings were exceptional. We are looking forward to coming back to North Carolina and visiting additional McConnell Golf properties in the near future.”

“Working with McConnell Golf was wonderful! The members were fun and engaging,” adds Kelli Kuehne, Kerr Cellars’ Events Director, also on hand each night. “The staff was a pleasure to work with and the chefs paired the food and wines beautifully. Cristie and I genuinely enjoyed our time at each McConnell club.”

Beyond Rare Vintages was just the beginning, and Anastasiadis’ team is already hard at work getting the next series ready to be poured and enjoyed. “This year, we’re coming out with the Artist Series, produced in partnership with Chris Corley’s Monticello Vineyards — look for beautiful labels inspired by Art Nouveau and Art Deco.” The exclusive line will only include 150 cases from the boutique winery, and three different varietals: cabernet, chardonnay and a Chris Corley 2006 caskaged red blend. “We’ll likely do a special wine dinner with Corley at some of our properties as well,” adds Anastasiadis. Every wine series, every bottle, every dinner to come intends to tell a unique story — one that members won’t find anywhere else. All good reasons to look for tastings and new
releases later this year and into next.

“These dinners are a great opportunity to find a new level of appreciation for wine. After an event like this, you almost have trouble going to a store and picking out a cheap bottle,” laughs Anastasiadis. “The private label wines McConnell is producing — from the M Signature Series to the new Artist Series — are truly fantastic. These winemakers, like artists or painters, can see the final product in ways that we can’t. They know how to blend wines to create something unparalleled — just like how our chefs pair ingredients to create an unforgettable menu. Collaborating with these boutique vineyards, seeing their ideas and their craft come to life… it’s led to fantastic experiences for our members, and we’ve all had fun.”

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Restored historic church at The Water’s Edge Country Club has become a wedding venue for many couples

When Virginia developer Ron Willard began clearing property around Smith Mountain Lake in 1985 for the course that would become The Water’s Edge Country Club, he had little idea he’d uncover a piece of history. It wasn’t until one of his crew came upon an old building that Willard knew they’d found something special.

“He got off the bulldozer and noticed it was an old church,” says Willard. “He refused to tear it down, because it was God’s house.”

The old church, now a beautifully restored chapel used for wedding ceremonies at The Water’s Edge, hadn’t shown up on the land survey when Willard purchased the property. Curious, he decided to dig into its history, and ultimately rerouted the course to avoid tearing down the church.

Having grown up in the area, Willard soon discovered the building was the old Rising Sun African American Church. After talking to his father, Walker Willard, Willard uncovered a wealth of stories about the church, including some Willard himself can remember. Off an old state gravel road, the church used to be surrounded by big trees with picnic tables spread out underneath the branches. Willard can remember driving down the road as a boy and catching sight of revivals at the church, with all the members gathering around the tables in the yard.

“My father can remember when it was a two-horse wagon road,” Willard says.

“They’d come that way before the lake was built, and people would have their horses tied up to the trees in front.”

After purchasing the church from the Rising Sun congregation, Willard used the building for storage until he was able to restore it in the late 1990s. After adding a copper roof and redwood siding, along with new floors, electricity, and some support, the old church transformed into a lovely chapel. Willard celebrated the restoration with a christening, inviting the grandchildren of the old Rising Sun congregation. And in 2010, his own daughter Heather was married there, complete with a gospel choir.

Since the church’s restoration, many have tied the knot at this beautiful venue. While the interior can be used for smaller ceremonies, couples tend to utilize the chapel as an altar background with guests seated outside on either side of the walkway. Kasey Outen, stepdaughter of McConnell Golf CEO John McConnell, and her husband, Stewart, held a destination wedding at The Water’s Edge in the fall of 2020. Outen grew up swimming at Smith Mountain Lake with her family, and as it quickly became a special place for the couple while they were dating, she knew the property would make an ideal spot for their wedding.

“Having a chapel on-site at a beautiful property with all of the other event amenities is rare,” Outen says. “This made our experience particularly special. The chapel is chic and rich in history, it’s such a neat addition to the property.”

A former country club employee, Crystal Dofflemyer worked at The Water’s Edge in high school and through college on her breaks. Hosting her wedding at the property was incredibly special for her.

“The chapel entrance was our altar, and the walkway to it was the aisle,” Dofflemeyer says. “Our family and friends sat on each side of the aisle under the shade provided by mature trees. There was a slight breeze coming off the water so despite having a late August wedding, it was absolutely perfect.”

The chapel continues to create special memories for countless newlyweds at The Water’s Edge Country Club. And to think it’s all thanks to a crew member in 1985 who refused to tear down an old church.

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