Golf sees ‘rejuvenation’ as a result of pandemic

Golf is something that has become synonymous with the Sandhills region in North Carolina — especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the spring of 2020, golf courses across the country were temporarily closed due to lockdowns caused by the pandemic. When the state of North Carolina entered Phase 1 of reopening in May 2020 after Gov. Cooper’s stay-at-home order, residents were able to engage in outdoor activities, including golf.

By June, almost all golf courses had reopened and play began to spike almost everywhere since many saw golf as a safe outdoor activity that could be played with social distancing and minimal close contact. By the end of the year, more than 75 million more golf rounds were played nationwide than during the same seven-month stretch in 2019 (June-Dec.), according to data from the National Golf Foundation.

Overall, golf play nationwide during 2020 was up 13.9% compared to 2019, according to NGF data. In North Carolina, the number of golf rounds played in 2020 was up 5.8% compared to 2019, according to NGF data.

Laurinburg’s Scotch Meadows Country Club golf pro Chip Wells has noticed the “rejuvenation” golf has had as a result of the pandemic.

“Our numbers are probably up say 30% over the year before COVID,” Wells said. “People couldn’t travel, couldn’t go on vacation or weren’t comfortable going on vacation. They tried to stay at home more and probably wanted to do more outdoor activities. I think the golf industry as a whole is probably up throughout the country because of people not being able to go places and do the things they normally do.”

Wells said the golf options available in the Sandhills area, particularly in Moore County around Pinehurst and Southern Pines are some of the best in the country.

“The Pinehurst area is like the golf capital of the United States,” Wells said. “Those courses host U.S. Opens, U.S. Amateurs and all types of PGA Tour events over the years. All those courses up there have such history and that history makes them very interesting to play.”

Pinehurst Resort consists of nine 18-hole championship-level golf courses that cater to a varying degree of skill levels, not including The Cradle, which is short nine-hole course for anyone of any skill level, and Thistle Dhu, which is an 18-hole putting green.

No. 2 is the centerpiece course, however. The course serves as the anchor site of the U.S. Open championship and is scheduled to host the tournament in 2024, 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047.

With Pinehurst and other notable courses, including the Country Club of North Carolina, Southern Pines Golf Club and Legacy Golf Links, Moore County is the hub for golf in the Sandhills, but there are several other options throughout the region, as well.

Anson County has Twin Valley Golf Club, while Richmond County has Loch Haven Golf Club and Scotland County has Scotch Meadows and Deercroft Golf Club.

“The Pinehurst area, the Myrtle Beach area — those are two really strong areas for golf,” Wells said. “There’s well over a hundred golf courses over in the beach area between North and South Carolina. Those areas are two huge meccas for golf in the United States and both of them are within two hours of here, one is just 45 minutes and the other is only two hours away.”

Richmond County resident Jonathan Rich was one of the people who took advantage of his newfound free time during the pandemic and the golfing options that the Sandhills have to offer.

Rich first started playing golf when he was 13, and currently plays about 5-6 times per week at Sandhills area courses like Foxfire Resort & Golf, the Country Club of North Carolina and Pinehurst Nos. 6-9.

“I like playing those courses because it prepared you for anything you’ll see throughout the world,” Rich said. “They have many different layouts, types of grass, and are very challenging. I think the golf courses in the Sandhills region are some of the best you’ll find in the country and the different layouts that you see can’t compare to anywhere else.”

As a caddie at Pinehurst, Rich gets the opportunity to play the courses often, including when he’s competing for the Richmond Senior High School golf team.

Drew Hamilton works at Scotch Meadows washing carts, so he gets to play the course there for free.

“I think that the Pinehurst courses are very unique because they are known worldwide as some of the best courses around,” Hamilton said.

Kate and Carleigh Carter usually also play at Scotch Meadows, which is their hometown course, but the pair also occasionally venture to Deercroft Golf Club in nearby Wagram.

While competing for the Scotland High School golf team, Hamilton and the two sisters have had the opportunity to play and experience the courses at Pinehurst for the first time.

“This was a unique opportunity for me to play these courses because I normally just stay around Laurinburg to play, but I enjoyed playing these courses because they were super nice and really pretty,” Kate Carter said.

Of the four Pinehurst courses that they played this season, Carleigh Carter said her favorite was No. 1, which they played for the conference championship.

“I love these courses not only because of how famous they are but of how pristine and beautiful they are,” Hamilton said. “This is actually the first time that I have ever played any of the Pinehurst courses so it was definitely a unique experience.”