Welcome to the Two Down Press golf newsletter!

The City Am (aka our Super Bowl) is now squarely in the rearview mirror - sad. There are a lot of new faces around here that jumped on board during our tournament coverage, so if you’re one of those folks, I hope you stick around and enjoy our weekly updates on local golf courses, tournaments, players, and more.

In today’s 2DP, we have a course review focused on a mountain club often overshadowed by its big-name neighbors. Hound Ears Club, just outside of Boone, has been on a decade-long renovation journey that has taken the course from overlooked to a rising star in Western North Carolina golf.

We also have the latest updates on preview play at Candyroot Lodge and tournament news and results from around the region. Read it all below and have a great weekend!

COURSE REVIEW

When discussing mountain golf in North Carolina, Charlotte golfers are quick to rattle off the list of top names. Grandfather, Linville, Diamond Creek, Mountaintop, and the like come to mind quickly, but there is one name I rarely hear mentioned - Hound Ears Club.

In my opinion, until recently, HEC’s exclusion from the list was totally justified. The course, which is relatively short by modern standards, has always featured high-quality playing conditions and a beautiful setting, but left something to be desired for those seeking strategic design and interesting architecture.

For years, the course lacked that special something that makes a course stick with you long after your round concludes. Much of this can be attributed to the land, which, for a High Country club, is relatively flat for significant stretches. The holes sitting at the bottom of the valley were forgettable and repetitive, while those on the severe terrain at the property’s edges bordered on too quirky or felt like afterthoughts squeezed in late in the construction process.

Around 10 years ago, Hound Ears engaged architect Kris Spence to start making incremental improvements to the course. The changes were modest and gradual, with a few projects getting checked off the list each winter. The most significant update during this time was the reworking of holes 12 and 17, where Spence moved the green on the short par 5 12th and added a new teeing area for the par 4 17th. These changes significantly enhanced the flow and playing characteristics of this section of the routing, demonstrating Spence’s ability to create interest and intrigue when solutions were not immediately obvious.

Fast-forward to 2024, and Hound Ears (and surrounding areas) was significantly impacted by the flooding associated with Hurricane Helene. Slow, incremental progress was no longer an option, as significant sections of the course needed repaired from the storm damage.

~24 months post-Helene, it’s safe to say that Hound Ears is the best it’s ever been, with Spence’s recent work methodically addressing the course’s key shortcomings. Building on the success that was tweaking 12 and 17, the most prominent recent change was to rework holes 4-6 - a stretch that climbs from the valley floor up into a narrow valley. Spence moved and redesigned the green at the 5th, a blind, uphill par 3 wedged into a corner that always felt like a bit of an afterthought. This move allowed him to add interest to the green and surrounds while making room for a new back tee on the par 5 6th. Both holes benefit significantly from the changes.

Around the greens, Spence has looked for opportunities to create more short game variety. In the past, almost every green at Hound Ears was surrounded by rough and greenside bunkers, but new chipping areas at holes like the 2nd and 11th now create interest and accentuate strategy. At the 11th (pictured below), players bailing left away from the water now face the prospect of seeing their shots kick down and away from the green thanks to a tightly mown runoff.

In addition to these design changes, the rebuilding of bunkers and addition of a few new back tees have gone a long way to enhancing the course’s appeal. Spence’s bunker work added some flair to the bunkers on the front 9, allowing the more jagged edges and interesting shapes to grab your attention and create visual interest on the flattest part of the course. The new tees force players to use every club in the bag and require strategic thought on the longer par 4s and par 3s. For years, playing golf at HEC truly felt like a vacation - it was relaxing and enjoyable, but great golf courses are usually not characterized by allowing you to turn your brain off and chill. Today, if you’re going to play the tips, you better show up ready to execute.

The most striking thing about the course’s transformation over the years? They’ve been open every summer. Hound Ears has been committed to pursuing incremental improvement, and as a family club with a short season, they’ve held on strongly to their commitment to remain open for their members during high season. No need for a flashy price tag on a massive project to feel like they are moving in the right direction, just slow, steady progress every winter for a decade-plus. Credit is due to club leadership for their long-term approach - it’s finally paying off.

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.

LOCAL BEAT

Staring on Tuesday, September 8th, members of the general public will be able to sign up for a chance to visit the newest golf resort in the Carolinas. Visitors will have a chance to purchase a limited number of all-day passes for $175, with visitor dates beginning in late October. Registration will be available on the Candyroot website - mark your calendars and get your clicking fingers ready!

The course, which is set in the Carolinas Sandhills just over an hour from Charlotte, appears to be growing in nicely per the latest published photos. Designed by Architect Mike Koprowski, who co-designed Broomsedge with Kyle Franz, it will be the first of 4 planned courses at the resort.

STORIES TO TRACK

U.S. Women’s Mid-Am Begins Saturday: The tournament is headed to Montclair Golf Club in New Jersey and gets going Saturday morning at 7:30 AM (full tee sheet). Charlotte’s Emilia Doran, who made the Quarterfinals in last year’s event and recently qualified for the U.S. Women’s Four-Ball with former Stanford star Rachel Heck, is paired with CGA legend Brenda Corrie Kuehn for the stroke play rounds.

Qualifying Underway for North Carolina Mid-Am: 2 of 3 Charlotte-area qualifiers are in the books for September’s tournament at North Ridge Country Club in Raleigh. At Warrior Golf Club on August 11th, Kevin Melville took medalist honors at 68 (-3) while +1 was enough to get through (view Warrior results). 72 (E) was the number at Skybrook on August 25th, with Austin Adams and Scott Klein leading the way at 70 (-2) (view Skybrook results). The final qualifier takes place at Red Bridge Golf Club on September 1st.

Deadline for Carolinas Invitational Applications Approaching: The application period closes Monday, August 31st for one of the region’s premier four-ball tournaments. $1000 per team gets you food, drinks, tee gifts, and 54 holes at Broomsedge (36 holes + a practice round). Getting in is no small feat as the event attracts a strong national field annually, so sharpen your pencils and get to updating your golf resumes.

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