Welcome to the Two Down Press golf newsletter!

If there is one thing we learned from our recent subscriber survey, it’s that you guys are serious about the game! 75% of respondents are 10 handicaps or lower, and 49% play 30 rounds or more per year. Huge thanks to all who participated.

In this week’s newsletter, we have updates from the Charlotte golf scene, with clubs across the city continuing to make investments in both on and off-course renovation projects. We also have some tips for those looking to get into tournament golf, plus news from a couple local pros making noise on the professional tours. Read it all below and if you’re enjoying 2DP, make sure to tell your golf buddies.

THIS WEEK’S HEADLINE

The golf market remains hot in the Queen City, with growing population and strong demand driving long private club waitlists and making public tee times difficult to secure. From this position of strength, clubs across the city are striking while the iron is hot, leveraging their current state of financial security to reinvest in course and facility upgrades.

The biggest active project this winter is taking place at Charlotte Country Club, where Andrew Green, fresh off winning Renovation of the Year for his work at Chevy Chase Club, is updating the Donald Ross layout ahead of a pair of USGA championships. Key components of Green’s plan include reworking the closing stretch of 14-18 and installing hydronics, a heating/cooling system that will allow bentgrass greens to thrive even on the hottest summer days. We’ve also heard rumblings about significant tree removal, which is sure to draw a wide variety of reactions when the course reopens in fall 2026.

After he wraps up his work at CCC, Green will make a short jaunt over to Myers Park Country Club to begin another local project. Green will be the latest in a long line of architects to work on the course, with Rees Jones, Bobby Weed, Kris Spence, and Richard Mandell all having updated Ross’ original work over the years. The course will close in December 2026 for putting green and irrigation renovations, with Green set to make minor architectural changes in conjunction with the other work. The likely reopening date is sometime during fall 2027.

Cedarwood Country Club may be the next local course to pull the trigger on a major project. The South Charlotte club is currently working with architect Andy Staples to develop a master plan for an expected renovation of its 1963 Ellis Maples design. Staples is less of a known quantity in the Carolinas, but has done excellent work across the U.S. at courses like Meadowbrook Country Club outside of Detroit.

Off the course, Carolina Golf Club is now underway with its clubhouse renovation, with demolition of the previous building complete and excavation of the new basement and underground cart storage facility underway. With the lawsuit previously holding up progress now out of the way, the club is moving quickly to make up for lost time.

The renovation wave seems likely to continue without a significant shift in local golf market dynamics, so we’ll continue tracking all the ongoings here at 2DP. Heard of other active renovation projects in Charlotte? Let us know!

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

We talk a lot about amateur golf in this newsletter, and hopefully it has inspired some of you to take interest in the competitive side of the game. But making that jump can be intimidating, especially when everyone who has ever signed a scorecard will tell you that tournament golf feels like a “totally different sport.”

While there is some truth to these types of warnings, it might be less complicated than folks make it out to be. Here are a few key steps and words of advice for someone looking to start playing tournament golf:

Not all tournament golf is created equal. There are events for players of every level, from one-day scrambles and corporate outings to USGA qualifiers and the state amateur. Playing tournament golf is all about testing yourself in a field and setting appropriate for your skill level, so selecting the right forum for competition is crucial to setting yourself up for an enjoyable experience.

You don’t need to be Slugger White out there, but one of the biggest differences between casual and competitive golf is having to card a score and follow the letter of the law. Most events will provide some resource, whether a rules official or club professional, you can use in the event of a rules question, but knowing how to handle basic, common rules issues (like dropping from a penalty area or cart path) will save you time and help you feel confident in a tournament setting.

Another often overlooked competitive golf detail that can be jarring for the average player - putting out EVERYTHING. This is less relevant in a match play format, but if you’re signing up for a stroke play event, make sure you’ve had some reps at cleaning up your 3-footers. Don’t hold up the course on a Saturday morning grinding over your tap-ins, but make sure to layer in some faux pressure to your casual golf to simulate that tournament feeling and get comfortable holing short putts.

We love to laugh at Tiger Woods and his need for “tournament reps,” but its true - there is no substitute for playing golf under the gun. Before you dive headfirst into your big event, try finding a smaller competition to get your feet wet. The Carolinas Golf Association has a great One-Day Tournament schedule, which allow players a chance to experience great courses across the region in a low-stakes competitive setting. Your local city or town also probably has some sort of amateur tour or even an annual charity tournament that will help you start getting comfortable carrying a scorecard without feeling like you have too much on the line.

Once you get the itch for tournament golf, it’s hard to ever view your casual rounds the same way. If you’re thinking about making the leap - DO IT - and please reach out if you have questions about getting started.

STORIES TO TRACK

Taylor Dickson Wins The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island: Dickson made 26 starts on the PGA TOUR during the 2025 season but is back for his 5th stint on the Korn Ferry Tour after finishing 176th in the FedEx Fall. The Gastonia native and long-time Gaston Country Club member fired a final round 65 last week to finish 3 shots clear of the field at -27, claiming his second KFT victory.

Raleigh’s Michael La Sasso Joins LIV Golf: The 2025 NCAA individual champion will join Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC, foregoing his senior season at Ole Miss and passing up a chance to play in the Masters this April.

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