Golf 🤝 Mental Health

Welcome to the Two Down Press golf newsletter!  

It’s officially twilight golf season! The longest day of the year arrives this weekend, so I hope you’re taking advantage of the extra daylight and indulging in some evening golf (you know we are).

Lots of variety in store this week here at 2DP - we have the return of Day Trips with my #1 Charlotte golf getaway, a special profile on a Charlottean using golf to raise awareness (in honor of Men’s Mental Health Month), public golf rankings, State Am news, and more! Check it all out below and if you’re enjoying what you’re reading, share this newsletter with a friend.

DAY TRIPS

Mimosa Hills Golf Club: My Favorite Charlotte Golf Day Trip

There is a lot of great golf in and around Charlotte, but if you told me I could grab a foursome and play anywhere within driving distance tomorrow, I’d probably settle on a trip to Morganton, NC and Mimosa Hills.

My judgement may be clouded by memories of low scores and quality time with close friends, but for me, this trip is more than the sum of it’s parts. Here’s a detailed itinerary breaking down one of my favorite days in golf (times are approximate - no pace of play shaming here!):

7:00 AM: Depart Charlotte.

8:15 AM: Enter the drive-through at Silver Creek Restaurant and order a breakfast sandwich. How are they making money on breakfast this cheap? The world will never know.

8:30 AM: Arrive at Mimosa Hills Golf Club, a 1929 Donald Ross course that presents the perfect blend of fun and challenge. Balance is the word that comes to mind when I think about Mimosa Hills. Great land, but an easy walk. Room off the tee, but thought required to navigate the sloped and speedy bent grass greens. Gettable par 5s, but strong par 3s. Par 4s of every shape and size.

8:40 AM: Check in at the pro shop of the classic, understated clubhouse, then head across the parking lot to the range.

9:30 AM: Roll a few putts and bomb driver down #1 fairway, which dives down into the flatter portion of the property occupied by the front 9.

10:15 AM: Walk to the 4th tee, just steps from the back patio and snack bar. Too early for a beer?

11:30 AM: Make the turn and start the back 9, which features more dramatic land movement and elevation change. This upper section of the course is home to the best of Mimosa Hills.

12:00 PM: Hit your approach long of the infinity green 12th (pictured above). Pick up and head to 13.

12:45 PM: Admire the mountain view from the 15th fairway.

1:15 PM: Stare longingly at the homes right of the par 3 17th. Consider moving to Morganton.

1:30 PM: Hole out on 18 and head straight to the car. The post-round hang is happening off-property today.

1:35 PM: Leave Mimosa Hills and head for a late lunch at Mountain Burrito - think Chipotle but with eclectic mountain flair and locally sourced ingredients. Grab a picnic table outside and enjoy Mexican food that feels out of place for its quality.

2:15 PM: Head downtown and stop by Catawba Fonta Flora Brewing, the OG location of what has become an Optimist Hall staple. Thank your playing partner who offered to drive home!

3:15 PM: Depart Morganton. Reflect on the birdies and explain away the bogeys.

4:30 PM: Arrive home.

One note on access - MHGC is a private club, but has always been extremely welcoming to visitors in my experience (something about that small town hospitality). If you can’t find a CGA event to play in at Mimosa (they host frequently) or get in their annual fall four-ball, see if you can snag a spot in one of the outside events listed on their golf calendar. If that doesn’t work, I have a feeling a friendly email emphasizing your interest and flexibility might just do the trick…

GOLF BIZ

Sean Bozzi Marries Charlotte Golf and Mental Health Awareness with Queen City Golf

After moving to Charlotte from New Jersey in 2020, 33-year-old Sean Bozzi, who works full-time in actuarial recruitment, created his @queencity_golfer Instagram account during a pivotal time in his life. "I developed a bit of a drinking problem during the pandemic," Bozzi shared openly. "I took a 10-month break, and during that I decided to create Queen City Golf. That opened my eyes to what I really wanted to do with the rest of my life."

The initial concept for the account was simple - Bozzi needed a place to post swing videos without "bothering friends and family." As his account began to grow, he identified an opportunity to use his platform to share a critical message with an often hard-to-reach audience. "I struggle with mental health, anxiety, depression, and I know men don't talk about it," Bozzi explained. "I got the confidence when I was sober for 10 months to make the page, start the LLC, and really dive into it. The response has been powerful. I've got guys coming to me with [paragraph-long messages] just full-on venting. They've never met me, never talked to me in my life, but they see a video on my page and it sparks them to want to bring it up."

Bozzi's approach to content has evolved significantly from his early posts as he's grown more comfortable in front of the camera. "It's night and day," he admits. "The videos early on were just swing videos. Now I'm starting to get more vulnerable, showcasing myself more, talking to the camera – which I still hate doing. I'm very reserved and shy, and I've got social anxiety." The vulnerability is clearly resonating with his audience, as the account now has over 22K followers.

Bozzi's ultimate goals extend beyond social media. "My whole thing when I started was that I wanted to do events to raise money for mental health charities," he said of his long-term mission. Recently, he has started working on a partnership with the Grayson Murray Foundation – established in memory of North Carolina native and PGA Tour player Grayson Murray, who tragically lost his battle with mental illness in 2024. "Grayson's passing hit me hard," Bozzi reflected. "Just a couple weeks before he passed, I had followed he and Webb Simpson for a practice round at the Wells Fargo. It was crazy." He intends to partner with the Foundation on an event in Charlotte next spring.

As for the future, the Bozzi family is expecting their first child later this year, and Sean is continuing to balance full-time work and advancing his mission with Queen City Golf. "My eventual dream is to do content stuff full-time, but right now it's just not possible. We'll see what happens a few years down the road."

STORIES TO TRACK

Axios Publishes Updated List of Charlotte Public Golf Courses: Chris Beeman, who curates Charlotte golf course reviews on his website B-Man’s Guide to Golf, published an updated top 10 list in this week’s Charlotte Axios newsletter.

• The irony: I haven’t played enough courses on this list to offer strong critiques, but one thing jumped off the page from these rankings - none of these courses are actually in Charlotte! We’ve explored this issue in past newsletters and may have more to say as we continue assessing Charlotte’s standing as a golf town.

Jackson Spires Snags U.S. Amateur Exemption with North Carolina Amateur Title: Another great result from an ECU golf alumnus, as Spires claimed a 2-shot victory at The Cardinal by Pete Dye with a four-day total of -9. The win, which came over a strong field of college players and former CGA champions, gives him a spot in the field for the U.S. Amateur at Olympic Club in August.

• View full scoring

Mississippi State’s Samantha Whateley Wins North Carolina Women’s Amateur at Cutter Creek: The South African and rising Junior Bulldog came from behind with the low round of the day (66) to secure a 3-shot victory in last weekend’s event.

• Phenom watch: 36-hole leader Juno Taino slid down the board with a final round 79, but what a showing from the 14-year-old from Pinehurst!

• View full scoring

14 Advance Through U.S. Amateur Local Qualifying at Mid Pines: Medalist honors were shared by Daniel McBrien and Keenan Royalty with rounds of 66 (-6), while 71 (-1) was good enough for entry into a 9 for 3 playoff.

• Proper: Mid Pines is a great venue for this event and I hope it becomes an annual staple - awesome tournament test of golf despite not being long by modern standards.

• View full scoring

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