Revisiting Charlotte Golf

Welcome to the Two Down Press golf newsletter!

I hope some of you were able to take advantage of fake fall and play some golf in cooler temps during the last week - a nice taste of what we have to look forward to, even if it’s not here to stay.

This week, we’re returning to a topic we broached back in May during PGA week - is Charlotte a good golf town? This series got put on the back burner as golf season well and truly cranked up post-Memorial Day, but the time is now to continue our thorough assessment of the Queen City’s standing in the world of golf.

THIS WEEK’S HEADLINE

Is Charlotte a Good Golf Town? Part 2: Passing

During a PGA Championship week filled with Charlotte discourse, we posed a simple yet thought-provoking question - is Charlotte a good golf town? As subjective and unanswerable as the query may be, we’re diving back into the topic to continue fleshing out the arguments for and against.

This week, we’re taking a look at elements of Charlotte golf that fall between B and C on the grading curve - they won’t offend or disgrace, but they’re not quite making the first page of the leaderboard.

Passing

Practice Facilities

Leatherman’s, Sifford, and the Pineville duo of the First Tee/Golf Village did a good job carrying the brunt of the public practice load for many years, but it always felt like we were one range short. With new indoor venues popping up frequently, ongoing renovations at the Charlotte municipal courses, and a new range potentially opening right next to Uptown, this category could soon be getting an upgrade.

Public Course Quality

Folks may quibble with this one, but if I’m looking strictly at the quality of the public golf courses in and around Charlotte, I’m giving a passing grade. The feature that draws frequent ire from the golfing public is the location of said courses, which typically require lengthy commutes for a solid weekend round.

When I step back and look at the Charlotte public golf landscape, there are two glaring factors that jump out:

1. Charlotte has lost several golf courses within the 485 beltway this millennium, which has caused a lack of supply of quality, affordable golf close to the city.

2. Charlotte has become a big city! In big cities, people drive 30-45 minutes to play golf.

I’m not sure there is a solution to either of these issues, so I’d say the driving is here to stay. Luckily, when you get out of your car at places like Mooresville, Monroe Country Club, Rocky River, or any of B-Man’s other top recs, you’ll typically find the courses to be worth the trip.

Top-Tier Courses

A world-class golf course can put a city or a region on the map, and if we're being honest, we don't have one here in Charlotte. We have several very good courses, including great tournament venues and architecturally-significant designs, but nothing on the latest U.S. Top 100 list or receiving a score higher than 7 in Tom Doak’s Confidential Guide. Andrew Green’s upcoming work at Charlotte Country Club could certainly shift this dynamic.

Weather

If you moved to Charlotte from a colder climate, you’ll probably hate this take. Yes - we have a year-round golf season, and the spring and fall are hard to beat, but the last couple summers have delivered the kind of heat that makes you dread being outside. Tough to give the highest marks when “peak golf season” features daily thunderstorms and highs in the 90s. Maybe I’m just getting soft…

Want to weigh in on the Charlotte golf debate? Send your thoughts here.

STORIES TO TRACK

8 Players Remain at U.S. Women’s Amateur: We’re down to the Quarterfinals at Bandon Dunes after Thursday’s 36-hole marathon. While the remaining field is lacking for Carolinas golf stories, there were a few notable performances from players on the 2DP radar:

• Emilia Doran: The broadcaster, Charlottean, and former 2DP guest did double-duty on Wednesday, winning her round-of-64 match against in 20 holes over Reagan Zibilski before broadcasting the afternoon wave for Golf Channel. Doran, the only Mid-Am to qualify for match play, bowed out in the round of 32.

• Carolina Lopez-Chacarra: The recent Wake Forest grad looked primed for a deep run after a 6 and 5 victory in the round of 32, but she ran into a buzzsaw in China’s Arianna Lau, who also knocked out Doran and defending champion Rianne Malixi.

• Pinky Chaisilprungruang: The rising sophomore at UNC Charlotte has had a strong summer with wins at the Carolinas Women’s Four-Ball and Southwestern Amateur, but lost in the round of 32 to fellow Thai international Eila Galitsky.

Follow the remaining matches here and check the broadcast schedule for weekend viewing times - sign me up for a spot on the couch and some West Coast links golf.

Warren, Beasley Capture North Carolina Match Play Championships: Both the Men’s and Women’s tournaments wrapped up at Rock Barn last weekend.

• On the Men’s side, UNC Charlotte’s Connor Warren outlasted Joe Kastelic to win the final match in 19 holes. Warren was 1 of 3 UNC Charlotte players to make the Quarterfinals, as teammates Daniel Boone and Eli Schmidly also had good showings.

• In the Women’s event, University of Richmond’s Maya Beasley won 4&3 against Ella Spence to secure her first CGA title. None of Beasley’s matches from the Quarterfinals onward made it to the 18th hole.

Pinehurst No. 4 Reopens after Surprise Greens Restoration: After making the tough decision to close the course back in May, the resort announced this week that No. 4 is back open for play. The greens, which never fully reemerged this spring after a challenging winter, appear to have been fully rebuilt and regrassed during what was nearly a 3-month closure.

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