Welcome to the Two Down Press golf newsletter!

Another week, another morning golf weather update from your favorite local blogger (man, I bore myself sometimes…). It seems like the rain is behind us and we’ve settled into our traditional October dry stretch. Seriously though, the weather this week has been absurd and the forecast looks great - I’m expecting to see some firm and fast course conditions across the Carolinas in the coming weeks!

Our lead story this week comes from High Side Golf Club, a new golf facility being built just outside of Charlotte. We also have updates on another simulator facility coming to the heart of South End, plus tournament and golf course news from across the region. Let’s jump right into this week’s newsletter.

PRESENTED BY

THIS WEEK’S HEADLINE

High Side Golf Club Breaks Ground at Kannapolis Site

Site plans and design renderings on display at the groundbreaking ceremony

High Side Golf Club, a new public golf facility being developed in Kannapolis, hosted a Groundbreaking Ceremony to celebrate its progress to date, which includes much of the planning process and some early site work/tree clearing.

The event, hosted by the father/son team of Phil and Scott Hamel, brought together a small group founders, investors, and partners who have helped bring HSGC to life. The group included the teams from Kris Spence Golf Design (architect), Golf Course Services of North Carolina (contractor), numerous other firms involved in the planning process, and the City of Kannapolis.

Proceedings kicked off with welcomes and thank yous from Scott and Phil before Kris Spence said a few words about the design. “[The property] is ideally suited for the kind of golf we’re going to be putting on the ground here,” Spence said of the land. “It’ll be unlike any golf experience in the Charlotte area.”

The Mayor of Kannapolis was also on hand and spoke briefly to show his support. The City of Kannapolis posted a nice recap on Instagram and really seem to be embracing what will be a great asset for their local area.

Co-founders Phil Hamel, Scott Hamel, and JD Downey addressing the crowd

After the High Side team hit their ceremonial opening tee shots, I had a chance to walk the site and get my eyes on part of the planned routing. As Spence noted, the property has some really nice land movement and elevation change. In his 13 Principles of Golf Course Design, the great Alister Mackenzie said, “the greens and fairways should be sufficiently undulating, but there should be no hill climbing.” This fits High Side perfectly, as the scale of the terrain is well suited for golf.

JD Downey, founder of Golf Course Services of NC and a member of the High Side founding team, also noted that the property has create soils for construction, as it is not rocky and should be relatively easy to manipulate. While parts of the site are still heavily wooded, clearing work to date has already revealed some of the future course’s natural characteristics, including select mature hardwoods and a creek that bisects the property.

My main takeaway after leaving High Side? They’ve assembled a heck of a team, and while the design and construction selections usually get all the headlines (they’ve nailed these too!), I was impressed to see the quality of the partners they’ve selected across the board. From the superintendent to the marketing team and everything in between, they are not cutting any corners at High Side, and I can’t wait to see this group’s work come to fruition.

PRESENTED BY CAROLINA GOLF GEAR

Carolina Golf Gear was founded by a local player who saw an opportunity to make high-quality golf gloves and sell them directly to other golfers. Bypassing middlemen, minimizing marketing costs, and being focused on making the highest-performing golf gloves allows Carolina Golf Gear to sell premium gloves at better prices.

CGG’s AccuFeel and DuraSoft gloves are shipping now! Visit the website to find your size and try them out. Use the code “first” for free shipping on your first order, and shipping is free on all orders $50 or more.

GOLF BIZ

New Private Simulator Facility Aureum Golf Set for November 9th Opening Date

Jake Green has played golf his whole life. His dad, a businessman, emphasized the importance of learning the game, and while he never played competitively, he always loved hitting balls at the range. “You stripe one and it feels so good. You just want to do it again,” said Green of that fleeting feeling we’re all chasing.

When Green moved to Charlotte from New York in 2020, he was immediately drawn to the local golf scene, which bore little resemblance to that with which he grew up.

“It’s affordable to play down here,” Green said. “There are so many public courses compared to New York City, where you’re either driving an hour or taking the train to go play golf.” He jumped right in and became a regular at Sifford, where he has logged “more rounds than [he] can count.”

Despite the many pluses of golf in the South, Green quickly ran into some of the challenges that Charlotte golfers have become acquainted with in a post-COVID world. Courses were packed, as the demand for golf had simply gone through the roof. “I tried to get into a country club. I could not afford it,” he said. “If you want to join anyone within a 20-minute driving distance, it’s what, $100,000?”

Like Your Buddy’s Basement Simulator, but at Scale

Green quickly developed conviction that there was a gap in Charlotte’s hot golf market - a conviction that ultimately led to him quitting his corporate job and going all-in on Aureum Golf. Dozens of simulators were opening around town, many of which were tailored to the happy hour crowd, but none of them quite scratched the itch that Green was looking to satisfy. The vision - a place for golfers to gather without outside noise and distraction. Green believes that being able to spend quality time with your group while deeply engrossed in a shared activity is part of golf’s secret sauce. “What’s the difference between a golf simulator facility and being out on the course with your friends? It’s that exclusivity piece,” he said.

His solution to the observed problem is a 6-bay simulator facility, each in its own soundproof studio, so no one hears the group next door. There is no bar and no kitchen by design - Aureum is a place where visitors can focus on playing and improving. “Who’s going to take care of the facility the best? Is it happy hour groups, or people who will become repeat customers?”

Green believes Aureum will become a go-to spot for dedicated golfers who can’t always make it out to the course, whether that be because of short winter days or the brutal Charlotte summers. “I can’t play golf in this heat,” Green said during our conversation back in August. “I go to the range and maybe get through 40 balls before I just can’t take it anymore.” Winter darkness and long workdays create the same problem, which is one reason the facility will be accessible 24/7 for those craving a few swings after sundown.

Pricing and Model

Hourly: $60 per room, with no per-guest charge. A foursome pays $15 apiece. Non-members can book from 7 AM to 10 PM.
Membership: $199 a month for the first 100 members, including up to 20 hours of play and 24/7 access. After that, memberships will run $249 a month.
Cap: 325 members, who get booking priority. Hourly slots stay open until the cap is reached.

What to Expect

Each room will come stocked with alignment sticks, weight transfer plates, bands, and turf wedges that will allow players to practice off uneven lies. In addition to the bays, there will be a hosting room with a conference table, couch, and TVs for league nights and events. A small pro shop is also in the works, with Nike and Travis Mathew apparel embroidered with the Aureum Golf logo.

The facility’s look and feel were shaped early by The Terra Collective, a Charlotte-based branding and media agency, and the renderings Aureum has posted on Instagram are the actual plans. “Anything you’ve seen advertised, we’ve officially ordered and it’s sitting in a warehouse right now,” Green said.

For Green, the goal is simple: “If you want to get better at golf, this is the place you will want to go for the best value.”

Aureum Golf opens November 9 at 2330 Toomey Avenue in South End, next door to Core 24. They are hosting an open house on Saturday, November 7, from 11 AM to 3 PM for anyone who wants to check out the space! Visit the website to learn more and snag a Founders Membership.

STORIES TO TRACK

Virginias Prevails in Captain’s Putter Matches: The home team took back the trophy with a narrow victory in the annual Carolinas vs. Virginias team matches at Cedar Point Club. Poor weather was a big part of the story on the final day, as Singles matches were shortened to 9 holes due to severe wind and rain.

CC of Whispering Pines Opens After Franz Renovation: The Pinehurst-area course was acquired by the Mid Pines Development Group in 2025 and recently underwent a major overhaul led by Kyle Franz. The Pines Course, originally designed by Ellis Maples, reopened this week, and now features the classic Sandhills aesthetic and artistic bunkering that Franz brought back at sister courses Mid Pines, Pine Needles, and Southern Pines. More to come on this project, which should be a great addition to the area’s already stacked lineup!

Carolinas Invitational Begins Saturday at Broomsedge: The annual four-ball competition is set for this coming weekend and should enjoy a perfect weekend of Fall weather. Expect a strong field as always comprised of many of Charlotte’s top players. Follow live scoring here.

Matt Everhart Wins Twilight Golf Club Championship: Everhart came out of the second flight to claim his first Club Championship on the 5th playoff hole! Congrats to Matt and shoutout to the whole TGC team on yet another amazing event out at Holly Ridge Golf Links.

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