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One door closes and another door opens…

It’s a bit sad when a story you’ve been following for 2+ years comes to a close, but that’s exactly what’s happening this week! Charlotte Country Club is back open after its recent project, so it’s time to close that chapter and let Andrew Green get on to his next project over at Myers Park.

In today’s 2DP, we’re breaking down 3 prominent course changes from Charlotte’s restoration. We also have results from one of our favorite tournaments of the year - the Carolinas Invitational - which went down to the wire last weekend at Broomsedge. Get up to speed on the biggest happenings from this week in Charlotte and Carolinas golf below and make sure to subscribe if you haven’t already!

THIS WEEK’S HEADLINE

Charlotte Country Club reopened its golf course on October 15th after a roughly year-long closure. The project, led by architect Andrew Green, leaned heavily on a 1938 aerial photograph and aimed to push the design closer to Donald Ross’s original intent. With multiple USGA championships headed to CCC in the coming years, Green was dealt a multi-faceted hand, tasked with preparing the course for championship golf while also enhancing playability for the everyday member.

Play will be relatively limited for a period of time as the young turf beds in, but here are a few notable things visitors can expect when they do get a chance to return to the course:

The biggest design changes from the project are on display in Northeast corner of the property, the home of holes 14-18. Charlotte’s closing stretch has tweaked significantly over the years, as the driving range expansion in the 1950s/60s caused several holes to move. Green, taking inspiration from the 1938 aerial, set out to reinstate some of the key features of the original Ross holes while creating a dynamic finish for tournament play.

The 14th hole has been shortened to play as a truly drivable par 4, with the most common men’s tee now set up around 280 yards. Players will look to carry the reworked fairway bunkers and run the ball up through a new opening on the front-left of the green.

On 15, Green looked to recapture the more severe dogleg seen on the historical aerial by moving the putting surface back and left. The hole appears to retain much of its previous strategy, as long hitters will be tempted to carry the fairway bunker on the left to gain a shorter downhill approach shot.

16 is a par 5 again after years as a long par 4. The green was moved back and left toward the property line, giving the hole a double dogleg feel. This change brings the course’s par to 72 for all players - a welcome sight for members, as it previously played as a different par for men (71) and women (73).

More on 17 later, but small tweaks to 18 bookend this revised closing stretch. It remains a stout finisher that requires players to close their round with a pair of solid strikes. Viewed in totality, these changes seem like they will add consequence, volatility, and excitement to the back 9, elements that will no doubt enhance the upcoming USGA championships at the Club.

Those familiar with the old 3rd, 11th, and 17th will remember holes that all frequently played in the 160–180-yard range for men and 100-120 for women, meaning players would often hit similar clubs on all 3. While the 3rd will still play around its traditional yardage, both the 11th and 17th have been altered significantly to introduce variety and interest into the trio of 1-shotters.

The 11th will now play as a much shorter hole from a tee location that was previously used as the back box on 16. This new angle was actually utilized by the USGA during the 2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur to give players a new look during the match play rounds.

The 17th hole, which played as a much longer hole at points in its history, now features a back tee box stretching to 235 yards. The green and surrounds have also been redesigned, with an opening in front intended to accommodate longer, lower trajectory approach shots.

While it’s more fun to talk about golf features in the ground, it’s hard to comment on this project and not mention the tree work that was done! While the property was already relatively open, new vistas have been opened up, allowing players to see across sections of the course where views were previously restricted.

Players will immediately notice that the grove of trees left of the first hole has been cleared, creating a sweeping view of the front 9. “Once you clear the Pro Shop you get this amazing sightline down into the valley,” Green said in Oak Stump Strategy’s restoration film. This change sets the tone for the day and immediately drives home one of Green’s obvious goals for the project - creating visibility and connectivity across the course.

Some amateur before-and-after sleuthing on Google Earth also revealed that notable oaks have been removed left of 5, between 7 and 8, and between 10 tee and 18 green. These changes will 100% create spectacular views and support turf health, but they will certainly be jarring upon one’s first return visit to the course.

PRESENTED BY TWILIGHT GOLF CLUB

TGC is a CGA member club that supports equitable access to golf in North Carolina. With an active chapter in Charlotte, it’s a great way to meet other passionate golfers in town and play some competitive golf in a casual setting. Annual dues are $60 per year giving members access to:

TOURNAMENTS

View Final Leaderboard (GGID: 2026BROOM)

Robb Kinder and Cole Baldwin won last weekend’s Carolinas Invitational at Broomsedge Golf Club with rounds of 65-64 (-13). Playing in the final group alongside Round 1 leaders Jake McGlone and Jeremy Grab, the winning team nearly let the tournament slip away with a double bogey on 16. They were able to bounce back, however, as Baldwin buried a left-to-right slider for birdie on 18 to secure a 1-shot victory in regulation.

This was the second iteration of this event held at Broomsedge Golf Club, which opened in Rembert, South Carolina in 2024. Players were greeted with some of the firmest and fastest conditions in the course’s young history, and the traditional October breeze made making birdies no guarantee in the four-ball format.

The victory caps off a notable season for South Carolina’s Kinder, who was the co-medalist at U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifying earlier this summer at Columbia Country Club. He made match play as the 22-seed at Sand Valley before falling in the Round of 64.

STORIES TO TRACK

Paul Simson To Captain East-West Matches: CGA legend Simson will Captain the East team in the upcoming Mid-Am/Senior team event at Maridoe Golf Club. This year’s matches feature some of the biggest names in Mid-Am golf, including Stewart Hagestad, Christian Cavaliere, and recent U.S. Mid-Am champion Andrew Bailey. View lineups.

Davis Weil Wins Inaugural Tree Farm Invitational: Weil fired a 64 to earn 51 Stableford points in the final round. This brought his 2-day total to 89, which left him 3 points clear of Jesse Bull and Michael Blackham.

This event was originally scheduled for January 2026, but poor weather forced organizers to move their new Mid-Am tournament to the fall. Regardless of when it ends up being held, it’s great to have another high-level Mid-Am event on the Carolinas golf calendar. View full scoring.

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