Golf tournament returns to Sedgefield
Thirty-one years is a long time between anything. High school reunions. A glass of wine. Even a golf tournament. So when Wyndham Championship officials announced earlier this year that Greensboro's professional golf tournament was returning to Sedgefield Country Club after a 31-year absence, more than a few old-school golf fans were delighted.
Steve Mitchem grew up watching the world's best golfers gather at Sedgefield every spring as a prelude to the Masters. He and his father strolled the course watching Lee Trevino, Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead and other players. Mitchem is now a member at Sedgefield.
"It's great for Sedgefield and it's great for Greensboro," he said of the tournament's return to its roots after an extended stay at Forest Oaks Country Club. "I really feel this is going to be the start of something great" for the Wyndham, Mitchem said.
Tournament officials are hoping he's right. With its return in August to Sedgefield, an old, tree-lined neighborhood in southwest Greensboro, the Wyndham Championship is aiming to parlay its new address into a stronger field.
The Wyndham will be the PGA Tour's only regular-season tournament played on a Donald Ross original course. Ross is considered the pre-eminent golf-course architect in the United States.
When the tournament began in 1938 as the Greater Greensboro Open, it was played at both Starmount Forest and Sedgefield Country Clubs. After alternating between the two courses for many years and being contested at Sedgefield from 1961 through '76, the tournament moved to Forest Oaks Country Club in 1977 and remained at the southeast Greensboro course through last year.
After several disappointing years at Forest Oaks, tournament officials felt a change was needed. In 2006 they began talking with Sedgefield officials about the possibility of returning the tournament to its original home. At the same time, members of the Piedmont Triad Charitable Foundation, the nonprofit group that runs the golf tournament, began talking to Forest Oaks officials about buying out the remaining 15 years of their contract.
That deal ultimately came together earlier this year. The Wyndham, which starts with a pro-am and practice rounds, will run from Aug. 11-17.
"We appreciate the willingness of ... everyone at Forest Oaks to work with us in our efforts to move the Wyndham Championship to Sedgefield," said Bobby Long, chairman of the foundation. "This process had a lot of moving parts, which is why it took more than four months to make it happen. At the end of the day, we want to do anything we can to make the Wyndham Championship 'A-plus-plus' in every way, and the move to Sedgefield is the latest step in that process."
Long said the move makes sense because Sedgefield is closer to the center of the Piedmont Triad, making it more appealing to fans and potential corporate sponsors.
To prepare for the big move, Sedgefield members hired Greensboro architect Kris Spence to lead a $2.7 million restoration process that took the Sedgefield course back to its original Donald Ross design. The course re-opened to rave reviews last fall.
"The beauty of Sedgefield is the realm of the restoration," said Spence, who specializes in restoring Ross-designed courses. "I am careful not to say we put the course exactly how Donald Ross had it. We try to reinstate the thought process that he intended while making some minor adjustments to bring it in line with the modern player. Ross thought about golf shots; he wanted his courses to be playable, but wanted the player to hit a certain shot to get to a pin or an area of the fairway. We brought that back."
Contact Robert Bell at 373-7055 or robert.bell@news-record.com
Golf Courses in the Triad
ALAMANCE COUNTY
Alamance Country Club, 2402 Pineway Drive, Burlington. 584-1326
The Challenge at Hideaway Farm, 1335 Townbranch Road, Graham. 578-5070
Mill Creek Golf Club, 1700 St. Andrews Drive, Mebane. (919) 563-4653
Shamrock Golf Club, 1722 Shamrock Drive, Burlington. 227-8566
Sourwood Forest Golf Course, 8055 Pleasant Hill Church Road, Snow Camp. 376-8166
Arrowhead Golf Club, Mebane Oaks Road, Mebane. (919) 563-5255
Indian Valley Golf Course, 1005 Indian Valley Drive, Burlington. 584-7871
Quarry Hills Country Club, George Bason Road, Graham. 578-2602
Shillelagh Golf Course, 7102 Shoe Road, Burlington. 449-4882
Southwick Country Club, 3136 Southwick Drive, Graham. 227-2582
CASWELL COUNTY
Caswell Pines Golf Club, 2380 County Home Road, Yanceyville. 694-2255
DAVIDSON COUNTY
Colonial Country Club, 7047 Colonial Club Drive, Thomasville. 472-7501
Fairfield Golf Course, 6901 Appletree Road, High Point. 431-2913
High Point Country Club, 800 Country Club Road, High Point. 882-4312
Lakewood Par 3 Golf Course, 627 Old Thomasville Road, High Point. 882-2690
Lexington Golf Club, 200 Country Club Blvd., Lexington. 248-2770
Oak Hollow Golf Course, 3400 N. Centennial Road, High Point. 883-3260
Sapona Country Club, 439 Beaver Creek Road, Lexington. 956-6245
Willow Creek Golf Course, 916 Abbotts Creek Church Road, High Point. 869-2416
Winding Creek Golf Club, 458 Pine Woods Church Road, Thomasville. 476-8890
FORSYTH COUNTY
Forsyth Country Club, 3101 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem. 768-7559
Grandview Golf Course, 3401 Grandview Club Road, Pfafftown. 924-9146
Heather Hills Golf Course, 3801 Heathrow Drive, Winston-Salem. 788-5785
Hillcrest Golf Club - Hillside/Lakeside Course, 2450 S. Stratford Road, Winston-Salem. 765-5269
Homestead Golf Club, 4295 Wallburg Road, Winston-Salem. 769-1076
Long Creek Club, 5801 Bethania-Tobaccoville Road, Bethania. 924-5226
Maple Leaf Golf Club, 4070 Hastings Road, Kernersville. 769-9122
Old Town Club, 1375 Old Town Club Road, Winston-Salem. 722-1584
Par Three - Bistro, 3870 Bethania-Station Road, Winston-Salem. 924-5850
Pine Brook Country Club, 5475 Germanton Road, Winston-Salem. 667-0034
Pine Knolls Golf Course, 1100 Quail Hollow Road, Kernersville. 993-5478
Pine Tree Golf Club, 1680 Pine Tree Lane, Kernersville. 993-5598
Reynolds Park Golf Course, 2391 Reynolds Park Road, Winston-Salem. 650-7660
Salem Glen Country Club, 1000 Glen Day Drive, Clemmons. 712-1010
Tanglewood Championship, Reynolds, Highway 158 W. Clemmons. 778-6320
Wilshire Golf Club, 1570 Bridgeton Road, Winston-Salem. 788-7016
Winston Lake Golf Course, 3535 Winston Lake Road, Winston-Salem. 727-2703
GUILFORD COUNTY
Bel Aire Golf & Country Club, 1518 Pleasant Ridge Road, Greensboro. 668-2413
Blair Park Golf Course, 1901 S. Main St., High Point. 883-3497
Brookwood Golf Course, 1753 N.C. Highway 61 South, Whitsett. 449-5544
Bryan Park Golf Club, Champions Course, Players Course, 6275 Bryan Park Road, Browns Summit. 375-2200
The Cardinal Golf Club, 5700 Cardinal Way, Greensboro. 668-2749
Cedarcrest Golf Course, 340 Birch Creek Road, McLeansville. 697-8251
Dawn Acres Golf Club, 7712 N.C. Highway 68 North, Stokesdale. 643-5397
Fairfield Golf Course, 6901 Appletree Road, High Point. 431-2913
Forest Oaks Country Club, 4600 Forest Oaks Drive, Greensboro. 674-2241
Gillespie Golf Club, 306 E. Florida St., Greensboro. 373-5850
Greensboro Country Club, 410 Sunset Drive, Greensboro. 272-4364
Greensboro National Golf Club, 330 Niblick Drive, Summerfield. 342-1113
High Point Country Club, 800 Country Club Road, High Point. 882-4312
Holly Ridge Golf Links, 7933 U.S. Highway 311, Archdale. 861-4653
Jamestown Park Golf Course, 7041 E. Fork Road, Jamestown. 454-4912
Lakewood Par 3 Golf Course, 627 Old Thomasville Road, High Point. 882-2690
Crooked Tree Golf Course, 7665 Caber Road, Brown Summit. 656-3211
Oak Hollow Golf Course, 3400 N. Centennial Road, High Point. 883-3260
Riverlanding at Sandy Ridge, 2025 Sandy Ridge Road, Colfax. 668-1171
Sedgefield Country Club, 3201 Forsyth Drive, Greensboro. 299-4160
Starmount Forest Country Club, 1 Sam Snead Drive, Greensboro. 299-0427
Triad Golf Center, 1350 Tolar Drive, Greensboro. 852-2155
Walnut Wood Golf Course, 3172 Alamance Church Road, Julian. 697-8140
RANDOLPH COUNTY
Asheboro Country Club, 5105 Old Lexington Road, Asheboro. 625-6810
Asheboro Municipal Golf Course, 421 Country Club Drive, Asheboro. 625-4158
Ferguson Farms Golf, 5454 Whites Chapel Road, Staley. 622-1802
Green Acres Golf Course, 4376 Bowman Road, Randleman. 498-2247
Pinewood Country Club, 247 Pinewood Road, Asheboro. 629-4444
Tot Hill Farm Golf Club, 3183 Tot Hill Farm Road, Asheboro. 857-4450
Uwharrie Golf Club, 4471 Waynick Meadow Road, Asheboro. 857-2651
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY
Dan Valley Golf Course, 6564 N.C. 135, Stoneville. 548-6808
Deep Springs Country Club, 160 Country Club Drive, Stoneville. 427-0950
Meadow Greens Country Club, 436 E. Stadium Drive, Eden. 623-6381
Monroeton Golf Club, 213 Monroeton Golf Club Road, Reidsville. 342-1043
Pennrose Park Country Club, 1622 Country Club Road, Reidsville. 349-5245
Plantation Golf Course, 190 Club House Drive, Reidsville. 342-6191
Ponderosa Golf Club, 108 Ponderosa Road, Stoneville. 573-9025
Wolf Creek Golf Course, 722 Wolf Island Road, Reidsville. 349-7660
STOKES COUNTY
Hemlock Golf Course, Route 3, Walnut Cove. 591-7934
Riverview Golf Course, Joe Ayers Road, Pine Hall. 548-6908
Stonewall Golf Course, Friendship Road, Germanton. 591-4653
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