Welcome to the Two Down Press golf newsletter!

Short intro this week as we need to get this newsletter out! In this week’s 2DP, we have Stephen Edwards returning to share his 2025 composite course from new courses he played this year (this guy gets around!). We also have a Golf Biz profile on a local rising star in the golf YouTube space. Let’s dive right in.

THIS WEEK’S HEADLINE

Given my love of architecture and seeing new golf courses across the the region, I’ve committed to this exercise the last couple of years. The 2025 edition was a lot easier to put together given the lousy weather outside - hoping for warmer days to come!

The goal is to create a par 72 routing using only Carolinas courses I played for the first time this past year. This is by no means the best hole of its respective number in the state, but one that fits nicely in to the composite routing and serves as a fun way to document memories from the season. I am extremely grateful for the way golf helps foster community and fellowship in my life - here’s to a bunch more walks with this crew in 2026!

Course Stats: Par 72 (36/36), 6,521 yards (using 1-up tees)

#1 – Cabarrus CC – Par 5, 530 yards

The starting hole at this underrated George Cobb design gave me 2 things I absolutely love in golf - a left to right par 5 (comfy fade off the first) and new friends on the tee box! Thanks Rob Grosskopf for hosting some TGC board members for a 2026 event scouting mission.

#2 – Maple Chase – Par 3, 211 yards

MCGC in Winston-Salem is an Ellis Maples classic that underwent a renovation in 2024, so it was fun to see it with fresh eyes earlier this year. The 2nd hole embodies one of the primary changes of made by Brad Luebchow and team - extremely thoughtful youth tee boxes that keep the course interesting and playable for kids!

#3 – Blowing Rock CC – Par 5, 485 yards

What else is there to say about "The Rock"?! I had the opportunity to play BRCC over Fall Break with Golf Crusade and see some of Kris Spence’s recent work post-Hurricane Helene, most notably on the 3rd hole, a reachable par 5 with all sorts of trouble around this green. Raynor would be proud!

#4 – Woodlake CC – Par 3, 166 yards

Woodlake has come back in a big way after being closed for a long time, and this par 3 has an awesome view of the old lake (rumor has it the lake is coming back…). Fun birthday round for my brother David with best bud Luke Johnson and son Griffin, plus an E9 on The Cradle and Thistle Dhu never hurt anyone.

#5 – Balsam Mountain Preserve – Par 4, 379 yards

Probably the most scenic golf course I have ever played, and almost any hole on this course could make your composite. Just banger after banger on this Palmer Signature, but the first true long range view of The King's work comes on #5!

#6 – Charlotte CC – Par 4, 383 yards

With nearly 50 Donald Ross designs in North Carolina, it begs the question - is Charlotte the best not named No. 2? I got the chance to play it pre-Andrew Green reconstruction and thought the 6th reminded me of the opening hole at Old Town Club. The entire back section of property is downright perfect - I hope as many of the beautiful 100+ year old oaks are preserved as possible during the project!

#7 – Greensboro CC Farm Course – Par 5, 492 yards

Did you know that the GCC Farm Course is the PGA Tour back up for Sedgefield? No surprise as it is a true test of modern golf and an enormous piece of land that could definitely take on fans. The Par 5 7th would be a fun grandstand hole watching the pros go for a wildly interesting green in 2. Getting to play it in a SEARCH outing with friends Baysden, Geary and Perry was a blast.

#8 – Pinehurst No. 10 – Par 4, 385 yards

My first round of 2025 was at the newest course on this list - Tom Doak's No. 10 with friend and camera wizard Matt Gibson. The "Sandmines" is the name of Pinehurst’s newest property, which is more than fitting when you play the 8th hole. Set on a wild old dump site, it features a blind tee and approach shot to the green depending on result of your drive.

#9 – Grove Park Inn – Par 3, 200 yards

I will keep this simple - keep supporting Asheville and WNC. They still need visitors to help things build back, and this 6,100 yard Donald Ross gem is a blast. Fun par 3 closer to the side - settle your Nassau, snag some local craft beers on the walk to 10 tee... and press!

Speaking of the turn - the best hospitality I experienced all year was at Tot Hill Farm! They hosted the inaugural "Hatchet" event with Restoration Club and TGC, and they make it so easy to have fun at their Strantz playground.

#10 – CCNC Cardinal – Par 4, 383 yards

The Cardinal at CCNC doesn’t get a ton of love from pundits, but that certainly has more to do with the quality of its neighbors in the Sandhills. The 10th follows an old school halfway house and is a risk/reward dogleg amongst the pines.

#11 – Camden CC – Par 4, 406 yards

Time to make a trip south (and back in time) as Camden CC was objectively the coolest place I played all year. From scorecard to tee names, poker room to great logo, the First Tee Charlotte outing with Mark Lathan and Coastal Golfaway was a hit! Are you ever going to play a Par 4 with horse track OB right and train tracks OB long!? VIBES.

#12 – Old Barnwell – Par 5, 470 yards

Old Barnwell probably represents my favorite golf day and shot of the year! #12 at OB is a reachable Par 5 that I hit in 2 and made the putt, which helped Garrett Andersson and I finish in 2nd at our first ever Golfer’s Journal event. The best part though? The epic Kids Course with new friends - the father/son duo of the Corrigans from New England.

#13 – CCNC Dogwood – Par 3, 178 yards

After a 2-hole excursion in South Carolina, we are back at CCNC. The "championship" Dogwood Course is fantastic. Hole 11 has a really neat waterfall that is your first interaction with the beautiful lake, and provides your first real peek at the downhill par 3 13th. Make a par and run to the next tee!

#14 – HPCC Willow Creek – Par 4, 400 yards

Willow Creek is wildly underrated in the Triad, and we were honored to host our 5th Twilight Invitational there in the Spring. The namesake creek meanders throughout the 6-hole loop across the street, and the 14th is a unique par 4 that is almost shaped like the creek. If I was a member I would walk this little loop a lot!

#15 – Bryan Park, Players Course – Par 4 396 yards

Bryan Park Champions is well documented as a top muni in the state, but I think the Players course is just as much fun. The TGC Match Play final four site was a 36-hole day in partnership with our friends at PGA Carolinas, and getting to caddy (OK, play alongside) my friend Michael Shepherd and watch Adam Witten take the title was FUN.

#16 – High Meadows – Par 5, 486 yards

Since COVID a group of Winston buddies started a golf weekend where we play ~100 holes in ~50 hours, and the last 3 years had High Meadows as Winston Cup HQ. The back 9 at HM is a favorite of mine, especially holes 36+ on Saturday that our group plays as Scotch Foursomes. This par 5 is a perfect match play hole, as you can go over the monster pine trees to give yourself a great chance at reaching the green in 2.

#17 – Finley GC – Par 3, 157 yards

My birthday round this year was with dear friend Patrick Beyerle and my brother Hayes Wauford. As a proud Demon Deacon, I really wrestled with including UNC's home course in my composite, but what they have at Finley is awesome. The 17th is a great short par 3 with exciting pin locations - if you can’t close out your match here, they have a SPECIAL putting course to settle your bet!

#18 – Mid South Club – Par 4, 399 yards

I think any good golf course should have tough finishing hole, and the cape-style par 4 at Mid South is no exception. I got a chance to play a round here with Palmetto and Pine, and we had already won 2&1 standing on that tee box! P.S. - secret 19th hole green by the clubhouse if you need a playoff...

BONUS CONTENT

Best 19th hole: Waynesville Inn & Golf Club’s putting course under the lights! TGC Ryder Cup vibes were at an all-time high until much past the group's bedtime…

Best E9: After 36 holes at Waynesville, some of us TGC sickos needed 9 more and Laurel Ridge provided a great twilight rate, interesting shots, and epic long range views.

Best Par 3 course: I am biased, but be on the lookout for Old Field in 2026! Incredible work by Smyers, Craig, and Coyne!

GOLF BIZ

If you’ve been following the local Mid-Am circuit or the Charlotte City Am in recent years, you’re probably familiar with the name Jerell Fields. Fields, who played college golf at Winston-Salem State and is a former club champion at Raintree Country Club, has been a consistent presence in the Charlotte and Carolinas amateur scene in recent years.

6 months ago, however, Fields’ name, or his alias “The CharLit Golfer,” started popping up somewhere new - on YouTube. Despite the rapid growth of his channel, which recently eclipsed 5K subscribers and focuses on showcasing his tournament rounds, building a social media empire was not his primary objective.

"My dad used to come to a lot of my golf tournaments," Fields explained. "As he got older, his knees started to give him a lot of trouble, so I was really just recording so he could watch."

After posting his first video with modest engagement, Fields recorded his North Carolina Amateur qualifier at Mooresville Golf Club in June. The video quickly rose to over 11K views and became the first indicator there may be a bigger audience for his content than just family and friends.

First-time viewers of Fields’ content will immediately be struck by the production quality. After putting out a call for videographer recommendations earlier this year, Fields got connected with Ernie Pierce of Creators Collab and quickly struck up a partnership. The pair have landed on an uncluttered content recipe that stands out in a crowded YouTube golf landscape - crisp audio, a variety of camera angles, and simple graphics that help tell the story.

Fields’ focus on tournament golf is also unique, as it offers viewers an inside look at qualifiers and tournaments that often go by with little media coverage or fanfare. "I think people are so used to [social media personalities] having a gimmick," Fields said. "I didn't have a gimmick - I was just playing golf."

While the channel has more than accomplished the initial goal of creating a viewing experience for his father, Fields is also proud of the channel’s impact on other African-American golfers. "A lot of my comments say, 'Hey man, I didn't even know a lot of us were out here playing competitive golf. It's so cool to see somebody that looks like me competing and playing well.'" The account’s growth has also spawned unexpected benefits for Fields personally, such as invites to tournaments and connections in the golf industry.

As the season winds down, Fields is excited about the new purpose YouTube has given him during the typically dormant winter months. Instead of putting his clubs away from November to March, he now has reason to battle the cold and stay engaged with the game. He has been filling the tournament void with different types of videos, including matches against NBA star Seth Curry and Evan Thompson, one of the top creators in YouTube golf.

The plan for 2026 is more tournament coverage while looking for ways to continue elevating the product. Filming with Evan Thompson opened his eyes to the inner workings of the content creation game for those that do it for a living.

"He showed me there are levels to this YouTube space," Fields said. "Everything he does - from not walking in front of the imaginary tracer to pressing record as soon as he gets in the cart. I don't pay attention to things like that because I'm a tournament golfer. The YouTube stuff is just extra."

That balance - being a tournament golfer who creates content, not the other way around - might be the real secret to Fields' success. He's not trying to manufacture clicks or chase viral moments - he's just documenting good golf at meaningful tournaments, giving his dad a way to watch, and letting the authenticity speak for itself.

Follow Jerell Fields on Instagram and subscribe to his YouTube channel

STORIES TO TRACK

Pinehurst Shares Construction Updates from Course No. 11: The resort shared a slew of construction photos over the weekend, which show off some of the funky shaping going on at Coore & Crenshaw’s new build at the Sandmines. Golf Club Atlas co-founder Ran Morrissett also chimed in after visiting the site, sharing that Coore predicts No. 11 will be his most “English” feeling course because of its quirky features.

New Holland Golf Club Featured on The Golfer’s Journal Podcast: Jeff Warne, a top 100 instructor and former Director of Golf at The Bridge on Long Island, jumped on with Tom Coyne to discuss his new Aiken-area project. Highlights include “a UK-inspired access model, no cabins in sight, and a damn good hot dog bar” - don’t forget architecture from Brian Schneider. Color me intrigued…

HOUSEKEEPING

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