Founded in 2007, Folds of Honor's mission is to provide educational scholarships to the spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service members. Their motto says it best: Honor their Sacrifice. Educate their Legacy.

To display McConnell Golf’s commitment to these families who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms, members of the golf professional staff at each of our properties will play a golf marathon from sun-up until sun-down beginning on Tuesday, June 1, and on select dates in June and July. Each golf professional has committed to playing at least 100 holes!

To learn more about what your club is doing to get involved and raise money for Folds of Honor, click on your club's link from the list below.

Brook Valley Country Club (June 1)

The Cardinal by Pete Dye (June 1)

Country Club of Asheville (June 1)

Grande Dunes Members Club (June 21)

Holston Hills Country Club (June 1)

Musgrove Mill Golf Club (June 15)

Old North State Club (June 1)

Porters Neck Country Club (June 1)

Providence Country Club (June 1)

Raleigh Country Club (June 1)

Raleigh Golf Association (June 14)

The Reserve Golf Club (June 1)

Sedgefield Country Club (June 1)

Treyburn Country Club (June 7)

The Water's Edge Golf Club (June 1)

The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation (July 5)

Read More

Once is Not Enough for Liam King

Junior golfer shoots two holes-in-one in 2020

It wasn’t all bad – indeed, 2020 was a banner year for Wakefield Plantation junior golfer Liam King.

On January 1, 2020, Liam started the year with a hole-in-one on #8 at Camelback Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. From 113 yards out, the then-8-year-old struck the ball with his 3-wood for his first-ever ace. However, once was not enough for young Liam. While playing in the Wakefield Plantation Junior Club Championship on Sunday, October 18, Liam hit his second hole-in-one on #11 with his 4-hybrid from 127 yards out.

In addition to his two aces, Liam also qualified for and played in the U.S. Kids World Championship in Pinehurst last summer. This 9-year-old had a great golf season and we look forward to many more ahead from Liam!

 

2020 McConnell Golf Hole-in-One Club

Hitting a hole-in-one is a special feat for golfers of all ages. The chances of an average PGA Tour player making an ace are 3,000 to 1; a low-handicapper’s chances are 5,000 to 1, and an average player’s chances are 12,000 to 1. On average overall, a hole-in-one is scored once every 3,500 golf rounds.

In 2020 alone, 124 holes-in-one were made by members at McConnell Golf properties. Nine members made two holes-in-one last year: Bob Beasley, Thomas Bonney, Stanley Griffin, Denny Hattersley, Carolyn Hopper, Tim Massie, Don Troutman, Tony Villa and Daniel Wright. Three of them made their double aces on the same hole: Carolyn Hopper on #2 at The Cardinal by Pete Dye, Tim Massie on #4 at Holston Hills, and Thomas Bonney on #16 at Sedgefield Country Club. Bob Beasley, a member at Sedgefield Country Club, made both of his holes-in-one while playing at The Cardinal; all told, 17 members made their aces while visiting other McConnell Golf clubs.

McConnell Golf’s 2020 Hole-in-One Club members – listed with their home club, hole-in-one and date they achieved it – include:

Scott Saunders, MM: #12 at Musgrove Mill (1/5)

Laurie Jennings, RES: #3 at The Reserve (1/5)

Dr. James Foster, HH: #14 at Holston Hills (1/6)

Thomas Bonney, SCC: #16 at Sedgefield (1/17)

Denny Hattersley, HH: #8 at Holston Hills (1/19)

John Zhang, PCC: #2 at Providence (1/19)

Michael Kennedy, PCC: #6 at Providence (1/26)

John Elder, HH: #8 at Holston Hills (2/5)

Patrick Reynolds, PCC: #6 at Providence (3/7)

Bill Winkler, CCA: #6 at Asheville (3/15)

Bill Paone, RES: #12 at The Reserve (3/15)

Bill Hoyle, RES: #3 at The Reserve (3/16)

Kevin O’Connor, CCA: #6 at Asheville (3/18)

Charles Capps, CCA: #13 at Asheville (3/18)

Michael Carlisto, PCC: #6 at Providence (3/20)

Becca McKinney, RCC: #14 at Wakefield (3/21)

Ted Broering, RCC: #14 at Wakefield (3/27)

Carolyn Hopper, CARD: #2 at The Cardinal (4/5)

Garrett Greene, CCA: #6 at Asheville (4/5)

Randy Kiser, ONS: #7 at Old North State (4/10)

Paul Urben, RCC: #2 at Treyburn (4/12)

Callum Chadwick, RCC: #5 at Wakefield Plantation (4/13)

Arnold Neal, CARD: #2 at The Cardinal (4/17)

Tony Villa, GD: #13 at Grande Dunes Members Club (4/17)

Don Troutman, SCC: #2 at The Cardinal (4/18)

Josh Minor, TCC: #7 at Treyburn (4/25)

Brian Seay, PCC: #6 at Providence (4/25)

Rachel Delcampo, WE: #7 at The Water’s Edge (4/26)

Scott Ruerup, RCC: #7 at Treyburn (4/26)

Wayne Dicastri, CCA: #13 at Asheville (4/26)

Bob Beasley, SCC: #2 at The Cardinal (4/29)

Kirk Patterson, SCC: #3 at Sedgefield (5/2)

Ella Perna, TCC: #3 at Treyburn (5/3)

Kathleen Riordan, WE: #7 at The Water’s Edge (5/14)

Dr. Bill Young, CCA: #6 at Asheville (5/15)

Andy White, CCA: #13 at Asheville (5/16)

Carolyn Hopper, CARD: #2 at The Cardinal (5/16)

Greg Seamster, RCC: #14 at Old North State (5/22)

Matt Lindley, RCC: #3 at Old North State (5/23)

Tom Hickman, HH: #11 at Holston Hills (5/25)

John Chaplin, PCC: #4 at Providence (5/25)

Sue Elwell, WE: #7 at The Water’s Edge (5/31)

David Acomb, RCC: #2 at Treyburn (6/6)

Curtis Collins, SCC: #16 at Sedgefield (6/6)

Drew Brown, SCC: #16 at Sedgefield (6/8)

Bob Huie, PN: #6 at Porters Neck (6/11)

Tim Massie, HH: #4 at Holston Hills (6/19)

Ron Koksal, HH: #14 at Holston Hills (6/20)

Sylvia Beale, PCC: #16 at Providence (6/26)

Jeff Gibson, BV: #5 at Brook Valley (6/27)

Mack Braxton, PN: #11 at Porters Neck (6/27)

Daniel Wright, PCC: #6 at Providence (6/28)

Stanley Griffin, HH: #11 at Holston Hills (7/1)

Jackson Slayton, PCC: #6 at Providence (7/1)

Patti Haslett, WE: #15 at The Water’s Edge (7/2)

Chris Davis, HH: #8 at Holston Hills (7/2)

Art Graepel, BV: #8 at Brook Valley (7/4)

Jack Paynter, RCC: #7 at Treyburn (7/5)

Landon Harper, RCC: #3 at Wakefield (7/10)

Bill Wolcott, CCA: #3 at Asheville (7/11)

Ed Hann, HH: #14 at Holston Hills (7/12)

Timbs Jones, HH: #14 at Holston Hills (7/12)

John Sanford, HH: #11 at Holston Hills (7/14)

Scott Krasner, PCC: #16 at Providence  (7/17)

Tony Cortiglio, PN: #11 at Porters Neck (7/18)

Avery Barnes, CARD: #12 at The Cardinal (7/23)

Wendie Waddell, WE: #7 at The Water’s Edge (7/26)

Matthew Mardjanov, PCC: #2 at Providence (7/30)

Ric Goodman, CCA: #3 at Asheville (8/2)

Dan Schisler, BV: #5 at Brook Valley (8/12)

Kevin Teeters, HH: #11 at Holston Hills (8/14)

Thomas Bonney, SCC: #16 at Sedgefield (8/20)

Tim Hansen, SCC: #8 at The Cardinal (8/22)

Jim Walsh, WE: #7 at The Water’s Edge (8/26)

Russ Lamkins, SCC: #2 at The Cardinal (8/29)

Steve Ackels, PCC: #4 at Providence (8/30)

Mike Rugg, GD: #6 at Grande Dunes Members Club (8/31)

Craig Meck, PN: #6 at Porters Neck (9/1)

Joel Book, PCC: #2 at Providence (9/1)

Lucie Tonon, PCC: #6 at Providence (9/2)

Kyle Perry, PCC: #11 at Providence (9/3)

Brady Blackburn, CCA: #13 at Asheville (9/4)

Nancy Steinauer, WP: #3 at Wakefield (9/6)

Gates Grainger, PCC: #2 at Providence  (9/6)

Genie Leonard, GD: #4 at Grande Dunes Members Club (9/7)

Tom Buis, GD: #4 at Grande Dunes Members Club (9/11)

Dave Pitaro, TCC: #13 at Treyburn (9/13)

Chris John, WE: #7 at The Water’s Edge (9/16)

Dan Sanderoff, WP: #14 at Wakefield (9/18)

Daniel Wright, PCC: #16 at Providence (9/18)

Jeff Carr, HH: #4 at Holston Hills (9/19)

Michael Maher, WP: #11 at Wakefield (9/22)

Bob Boyer, PN: #11 at Porters Neck (9/23)

Don Troutman, SCC: #7 at Sedgefield (9/23)

Jack Sowisdral, WP: #3 at Wakefield (9/27)

Rich De Ruiter, RES: #7 at The Reserve (9/27)

Ron Hickman, SCC: #7 at Sedgefield (9/29)

Will Johnston, BV: #12 at Brook Valley (10/4)

Nadine Hooks, SCC: #8 at The Cardinal (10/6)

Hugh Holman, GD: #8 at Grande Dunes Members Club (10/16)

Clyde Dunn, HH: #8 at Holston Hills (10/16)

Mike Hayes, CCA: #6 at Asheville (10/17)

Liam King, WP: #11 at Wakefield (10/18)

Jeff Orlando, RCC: #13 at Treyburn (10/21)

Joey Calderazzo, TCC: #17 at Treyburn (10/22)

Todd Reynolds, PCC: #16 at Providence (10/24)

Rick Hakes, WP: #7 at Wakefield (10/31)

Jeff Fiorello, SCC: #7 at Sedgefield (11/1)

Tom Smith, ONS: #14 at Old North State (11/5)

Phil Butler, ONS: #14 at Old North State (11/5)

Karen Buckley, RES: #7 at The Reserve (11/10)

Eileen Johnson, GD: #6 at Grande Dunes Members Club (11/13)

Stanley Griffin, HH: #8 at Holston Hills (11/15)

Tim Massie, HH: #4 at Holston Hills (11/15)

Roger Williams, RES: #17 at The Reserve (11/17)

Michael Spillars, RCC: #3 at Wakefield (11/19)

Denny Hattersley, HH: #4 at Holston Hills (11/24)

Bob Beasley, SCC: #8 at The Cardinal (11/25)

Graham Chase, PCC: #4 at Providence (12/4)

Michael Adams, CCA: #13 at Asheville (12/6)

Jimmy Henderson, MM: #2 at Musgrove Mill (12/9)

Tony Villa, GD: #16 at Grande Dunes Members Club (12/10)

Larry Chiappetta, RES: #12 at The Reserve (12/15)

Tim Cunneen, TCC: #13 at Treyburn (12/19)

 

CLUB KEY:

BV: Brook Valley Country Club

CARD: The Cardinal by Pete Dye

CCA: Country Club of Asheville

GD: Grand Dunes Members Club

HH: Holston Hills Country Club

MM: Musgrove Mill Golf Club

ONS: Old North State Club

PCC: Providence Country Club

PN: Porters Neck Country Club

RCC: Raleigh Country Club

RES: The Reserve Golf Club

SCC: Sedgefield Country Club

TCC: Treyburn Country Club

WE: The Water’s Edge Country Club

WP: The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation

Read More

Making Practice Perfect

McConnell Golf emphasizes short-game practice facilities

While gathered for the 2020 Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, the PGA Tour competitors raved about the club’s new short-game practice area.

“A-plus-plus,” says longtime Wyndham Championship Tournament Director Mark Brazil, grading the new facility, which is adjacent to Sedgefield’s stately, Tudor-style clubhouse.

The two-acre practice area — designed by Steve Wenzloff, Senior Vice President of Design Services for the PGA Tour — made its debut during the spectator-free Wyndham event in August. Wenzloff, who also updated the short-game area at TPC Sawgrass in 2016, incorporated ShotLink technology to review data from every Sedgefield green complex.

Providing Sedgefield with five times more practice space, the new area features two Ultradwarf Bermuda greens that measure about 3,600 square feet apiece, along with a trio of bunkers, giving players the option of working on greenside bunker shots as well as 30- to 40-yard bunker shots.

The expanded space also features closely mowed areas off the greenside slopes and shoulders, where players can focus on putting the ball up the hill or practice a pitch shot up the embankment to a tight pin. The addition gives Sedgefield about 15,000 square feet of short-grass area, allowing a dozen or more players to hit shots from a variety of locations.

Brazil calls the new short-game practice area, which was financed by the tournament, “a huge upgrade for the Tour pros one week a year and for the Sedgefield members 51 weeks a year.”

“This upgrade will definitely help us attract and retain new members,” says Sedgefield’s PGA Director of Golf Rocky Brooks. “The layout and size of our new short-game area afford us the opportunity to work with multiple students [men, women or juniors] at the same time. This is a luxury most clubs don’t have the space for.”

The new amenity is a tremendous asset for Sedgefield Country Club as well as visiting members from other McConnell Golf properties.

“Anytime you give members time to improve their golf games, they’re much more likely to play golf and spend time at the club,” Brooks says.

Sedgefield’s PGA Head Professional Eric Ferguson agrees. “From beginners to advanced players, we’ll now be able to help players execute just about any shot they will see on the golf course,” he says. “For our junior golf programs, it is almost like we have our own two-hole golf course for them to learn on.”

The ability to improve one’s game is crucial to the pure golf experience. Sedgefield’s comprehensive practice facility, including TrackMan radar technology swing analysis, complements the club’s expert instruction from its Class A PGA Professionals.

McConnell Golf has overseen numerous enhancements to its stable of short-game and practice areas at more than two dozen clubs around the Southeast.

“One of the areas McConnell Golf will always focus on is the short game,” says Brian Kittler, McConnell’s VP of Golf Operations. “If you’re playing a McConnell Golf property and you don’t have a good short game, you might be in for a long day.”

Sedgefield’s new upgrade “is about as good as it comes,” Kittler says. “It enhances what we provide, the quality of the venue, not only from the golf course, and service at the clubhouse with food, etc., but practice facilities. Working with John (McConnell), you know that in time, when there’s opportunities to do some upgrades, he’s been willing to invest in the practice and short-game areas at the facilities.”

McConnell Golf performed a significant expansion to the Raleigh Country Club practice area in 2005-06, and golf course architect Kyle Franz has sketched additional plans for potential future upgrades to RCC’s short-game area.

In 2012, McConnell Golf completely redesigned the range and short-game area at the Country Club at Wakefield Plantation in Raleigh, North Carolina — while also modernizing the entire clubhouse — completing McConnell Golf’s trifecta of upgrades to its three Triangle practice facilities, including RCC and Durham’s Treyburn Country Club.

Wakefield’s golf learning center is 1,600 square feet, and includes two indoor-outdoor hitting bays, an indoor putting studio and the latest in game-improvement technology. Each hitting bay is outfitted with video technology and multiple flat-screen TVs, allowing players to monitor their improvement during private instruction. The Wakefield staff uses a Flightscope launch monitor to help members find the right equipment.    

Wakefield’s total practice facility measures approximately nine acres, with a teeing ground nearly an acre-and-a-half. The practice chipping green is 4,000 square feet, with a pair of practice bunkers around this green. There are five short-game pins between 75-125 yards for wedge game practice.

Several McConnell Golf properties boasted extensive practice facilities before joining the portfolio, including Old North State Club in New London, North Carolina; Musgrove Mill Golf Club in Clinton, South Carolina; and Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Other clubs had very minimal practice areas — and McConnell Golf has significantly enhanced these over the years.

“We upgraded The Reserve [Pawleys Island, South Carolina] about 10 years ago and added a short-game facility,” Kittler notes. “There was an open area by the practice facility that wasn't being utilized. Richard Mandell [golf course architect] went in there and created a short-game area, so you can work on your chipping and pitching, bunker shots, the whole nine yards. Just a neat little added touch.”

When the Country Club of Asheville was renovated several years ago, McConnell Golf added a short-game and chipping green to the left of the No. 10 fairway and to the right of the practice range.

“We acquired Providence Country Club in Charlotte and they had a really good short-game area out there behind the clubhouse by the 18 green,” Kittler says. “We converted them over to Bermuda greens. We did the same thing at Brook Valley [Country Club in Greenville, North Carolina], added a little putting green by the first tee and also a chipping green over by the practice facility. Even at the land-locked Cardinal [Greensboro, North Carolina], we were able to do a little bit of improvement there — adding a short-game green by the road.”

One of McConnell Golf’s recent acquisitions, Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington, North Carolina, possesses what might be the largest hitting tee of any club in the McConnell Golf collection.

“They have a really good, huge hitting tee, a short-game area and a big putting green,” Kittler says. “The neat thing is, there’s some land available. If we ever down the road want to upgrade that area, there’s room to do so. That’s the biggest thing – sometimes golf courses don't have the available land or areas to increase or improve their practice facilities and the short-game area. Luckily, the majority of the places that we’ve had, there’s been room and we’ve been able to make it work.”

McConnell Golf is also focused on incorporating technology and software to aid in teaching and club fittings.

“We’re good right now. We’re just looking to take it to another level,” Kittler says. “The goal is by having these tools, our members will get better and enjoy the game that much more. And because of that, they’ll play more golf. Everything we can do to help members out, is what we try to do.”

Read More

For the first time in its 17-year history, Raleigh-based McConnell Golf propelled all 10 of its North Carolina courses into the state’s top 100 rankings, including a trio of layouts ranked among the state’s top 20.

Those three — Old North State Club on the shores of Badin Lake, near New London, Greensboro’s Sedgefield Country Club and Raleigh Country Club — all remained in North Carolina’s top 20, while the other seven helped McConnell Golf maintain its status in the state’s top 100.

A perennial state top 10, Old North State Club was ranked No. 9 in North Carolina, while Sedgefield CC — which annually challenges the world’s best golfers during the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship — moved into the state top 10 at No. 10. Raleigh CC was ranked No. 20 in the state.

In 2020, along with the addition of Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington to its portfolio, McConnell Golf unveiled a $5.5 million restoration of Donald Ross’ last design at Raleigh CC, overseen by architect Kyle Franz. Architecture experts predict RCC will jump higher in the state rankings following the modern-day reimagining of the iconic course.

In December, McConnell Golf expanded its footprint across the southeast with the purchase of The Water’s Edge Country Club in Penhook, Va., on Smith Mountain Lake.

McConnell Golf is an owner and operator built upon the concept of “pure golf for the true golfer,” focusing on enhancing both the individual club’s and its company’s overall membership value. The McConnell Golf collection of clubs throughout the Carolinas, Tennessee and now Virginia includes courses designed by legends Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, Hale Irwin and Ellis Maples.

In the 2021 North Carolina Top 100 rankings, Durham’s Treyburn Country Club was ranked No. 31, followed by the Country Club of Asheville (48), The Cardinal by Pete Dye in Greensboro (52), Porters Neck Country Club (75), Charlotte’s Providence Country Club (79), The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation in Raleigh (81) and Brook Valley Country Club in Greenville (100).

The 2021 state rankings also included two specialty categories. Old North State Club was ranked No. 4 among the state’s “Fairest Courses to Play” (“regardless of overall difficulty, courses that best reward good shots and penalize poor ones in a manner that is reasonable”). Meanwhile, Sedgefield ranked No. 10 in the state for “Most Strategic Courses” (“the degree to which the course requires thoughtful planning and precise execution of shots from tee to green”).

“Our courses continue to merge history, beauty and opportunity for our avid golfing membership and their guests,” said McConnell Golf President & CEO John McConnell. “With the enhancements made at Raleigh Country Club and new projects planned at other McConnell Golf courses, I am proud of what we have accomplished in the past year and eager to see how the rankings play out in the future.”

Raleigh Country Club’s restoration project turned out to be a masterpiece and I cannot tell you how impressed I am with the new layout.

The N.C. Golf Panel presented its 26th annual report on the state’s 100 best courses in the April issue of Business North Carolina magazine.

Read More

Join us in fighting heart disease and stroke in millions of women across the country by showing your support and wearing red on Friday, February 5! McConnell Golf will serve a Heart Healthy Seared Ahi Tuna Salad in honor of American Heart Month and the Eat Seafood American Movement. A portion of proceeds will go to the American Heart Association.

Post your photos wearing red on social and tag McConnell Golf and your home club, in addition to using #EatSeafoodAmerica to show your support.

Read More

McConnell Golf is proud to support the athletes and the organization.

This past year, the warm smiles and genuine hearts of Special Olympics athletes brought McConnell Golf properties together.

Director of Tennis Operations Kyle Thortsen and The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation hosted the Wake County Special Olympics team at the tennis complex. Together, club staff and junior players led practices, games, and lessons to help Special Olympics athletes prepare for state competitions.

“We encouraged our juniors to get involved and see how rewarding it is to give back to the community,” says Thortsen. “Next year, our goal is to extend our commitment with this organization to our Sedgefield, Providence, and Asheville properties.”

Also at Wakefield, Director of Golf Adam McLaughlin hosted an invitational tournament at the nine-hole Plantation Course. It allowed athletes that did not get a chance to compete in the state championship an opportunity to play in a local tournament.

“We are humbled by their courage, contagious spirit, and eagerness to get better as individuals and teams alongside their family and their loved ones,” says Michael Thomas, club manager at Wakefield.

Over the past six years, members and staff from Treyburn CC, Wakefield, and Raleigh CC have volunteered for the Track and Field Spring Games in Raleigh. They’ve taken on roles to announce winners, organize races, and cheer on athletes throughout the games.

Nearby, Brook Valley CC welcomed all Special Olympic athletes from Greenville County to enjoy an end-of-year pool party celebration. East Carolina University Assistant Athletics Director Matt Maloney was in attendance and shared a little about the celebration with Brian Bailey of WNCT News.

“I started 21 years ago coaching these wonderful friends ... a few years later, we wanted to celebrate all the good things they do not only in the pool but also in the community,” said Maloney.

On a personal level, I have been involved with the Special Olympics in every stage of my life and am so proud of our clubs for continuing to engage with our community. I believe lending our facilities, our resources, and our time deepens our relationships with those we support and teaches us all of the power of giving.

 

Read More

With the 2016 additions of Providence Country Club and Holston Hills Country Club, McConnell Golf encompasses a dozen 18-hole, private golf courses throughout the Carolinas and Tennessee.

For those of you scoring at home, that’s a total of 225 golf holes in the McConnell Golf portfolio, and they are undoubtedly among the finest you’ll play anywhere. McConnell Golf properties feature courses designed by legends such as Donald Ross, Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, and Hale Irwin. In 2017, as they do year in and year out, McConnell Golf courses dominated the various state rankings.

So picking the 18 “very best” McConnell Golf holes is no easy task. But through nominations from pros and member votes, that’s exactly what we’ve done. We’re pleased to present the final course in the words of those whom know it best.

Head over to Facebook for photos, descriptions and tips on each hole >>

Read More