Welcome to the Two Down Press golf newsletter!

It’s always a blast watching the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this time of year, but did you know its predecessor event, the famed “Crosby Clambake,” left Pebble Beach in 1985 to be played at Bermuda Run Country Club outside of Winston-Salem? Me neither.

In this week’s newsletter, we’re throwing out some opinions on a topic sure to get the golf community riled up - the best and worst logos in Charlotte golf! We also have updates on the UNC Charlotte golf team, a group with big expectations for 2026 after beginning their season last weekend. We close by recapping a recent event hosted by our presenting sponsor and looking ahead to the weekend’s action. Enjoy the newsletter and, as always, thank you for reading!

LOCAL BEAT

What makes a good logo? Like any art form, it’s completely subjective, but avid golfers know one when they see one. With clubs devoting more resources than ever to branding and merchandising, it seems an appropriate time to take stock of the good, bad, and ugly of the local logo landscape.

This is one man’s subjective ranking and not meant to be an exhaustive list. Bring on the takes and feel free to tell me why I’m wrong - the point system is completely arbitrary, and I reserve the right to contradict myself!

Without further ado, here is our inaugural Charlotte golf logo tier ranking:

In the Elite bucket we have Charlotte Country Club and Gaston Country Club’s alternate logo. Most intertwined letter logos blend together and end up in the “forgettable” bucket, but there is something about that CCC font that makes it look old and distinguished. GCC’s airplane is everything that is right about an alternate logo - shut up and take my money!

Cedarwood’s old-school 3 C’s logo leads off the Very Good tier - amazing how a cool font and a touch of creativity can spice up an otherwise mundane concept. Carolina Golf Club’s Ross logo and that of Doc’s Hill’s, the wild putting course at The Pine, are a package deal - both strong logos that get docked a few points for slightly lacking in originality (add Raleigh Country Club to the list of clubs following a similar motif).

Providence Country Club is absolutely Solid (simple, local touch, kind of getting Nairn vibes), as is Myers Park Country Club (another cool font making simple letters stand out). We also have to give some love to Charlie Sifford and his signature cigar - can’t let the munis go unrepresented, and shoutout to Troon for seriously upping the merchandise game in the Sifford pro shop.

Can we all just admit that the Quail Hollow member logo is a little weird? What are those birds doing?! I have to separate the club from the logo here and put this one in the Prestigious, but Mediocre bucket. The Red Jacket logo from Charlotte Country Club’s Member-Guest fits in here too - a rare and intriguing logo to spot in public, but just a red blob from a distance.

Cowans Ford (squirrel) and Verdict Ridge (gavel) both get high marks for the concept, but the end product skews a little too “clip art” for my taste. Carmel Country Club also lands in the Good Idea, Poor Execution bucket - I think the lamppost has potential, but any logo that ends up looking like a vertical line probably has room for improvement.

Not much to say about the Forgettable and Just Plain Bad categories. A series of generic trees and outdated crests make up the bottom tiers - at least TPC Piper Glen has its parent company to blame for its uninspired design! Time for these clubs to go back to the drawing board.

What logos did we miss?! Reach out and tell us why your club’s logo needs to be higher on the list.

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:

Want to get involved? Visit the website for more details.

TOURNAMENTS

The 49ers may not have played to their standards in the opening event of the spring season, but a 5th place finish in a field loaded with with top 25 programs and national powerhouses was a solid start for the team currently ranked #20 in the country. While Charlotte fell well short of the likes of Florida, Auburn, and Oklahoma State in last weekend’s event, there is plenty to be optimistic about for the upcoming season.

Charlotte won the American Conference championship last year in a playoff over South Florida to secure a spot in NCAA regionals. While the team’s season ended after an 8th place finish at the Bremerton Regional, a strong roster of returning veteran talent has the team primed for a big 2026 season.

Leading the team is Senior Justin Matthews, an All-Region selection in 2025. His scoring average of 71.03 in 2025 was the 4th best in program history, and his round of 64 at last year’s Gators Invitational tied a program record.

The English duo of Seb Cave and Frazer Jones are also names to watch during the upcoming season. Both players qualified for the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, with Cave leading the 49ers in scoring average in 2025 at 70.67.

Rounding out the crew of upperclassmen is Daniel Boone Jr., who was also an All-Conference selection last season. A native of Fuquay-Varina, he filled out his summer schedule in 2025 with top 4 finishes at the Carolinian Amateur and North Carolina Match Play.

Add in a couple talented young players, and the 49ers could truly have what it takes to give it a go in 2026. It’s exciting to have a local team to track as golf season heats up - dare I say a stealth national championship contender?! We’ll have to wait and see.

STORIES TO TRACK

Team Winston-Salem Takes Twilight Golf Club Presidents Cup at Cabarrus Country Club: Team WS nipped Team CLT in the 3rd installment of the annual team competition, taking the outright lead in the series with a 2-1 record. Cabarrus Country Club held up incredibly well to last weekend’s heavy rain and provided a stern test - congratulations to Captain JT Warren and team for getting it done!

Gasparilla Invitational Begins Today at Renovated Palma Ceia: One of the biggest events in Mid-Am golf starts today in Tampa on the recently renovated Donald Ross/Tom Bendelow layout. 3-time Charlotte City Amateur champion John Eades looks to build on a strong T22 finish from last year, while Carolina Golf Club member and reigning Georgia Mid-Am champion Hayes Brown should have a real chance to contend.

Other notable Carolinians in the field include 2018 U.S. Mid-Am champion Kevin O’Connell, 2022 U.S. Four-Ball winners Chad Wilfong and Davis Womble, 2025 Carolinas Amateur champion Chandler Mulkey, and Jon Weiss Jr., who won the 2025 Carolinas Invitational with Cody Sundberg.

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