GolfCarolina.com Notebook for April

By Shane Sharp, TravelGolf.com Senior Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Rantings, ravings, and other things admissible as news from around the Carolina golf scene:

Carolina Blonde Tour to Start in Rock Hill

• Pinehurst Overview • Feature: U.S. I-77 Traffic Features Stellar Golf

The tour, sponsored by Carolina Blonde beer, is open to amateur golfers with handicaps from 0-20, with golfers flighted according to handicap. The four flights are: championship (0-5 handicap), A Flight (6-10), B Flight (11-15) and C Flight (16-20). Top three finishers in each flight at each tournament win gift certificates from a local golf retailer and Carolina Blonde beer, while all participants earn points toward a season-long points championship.

Crystal Lakes Golf Course shaking label

Crystal Lakes has officially opened three new golf holes, two of which are regulation par 4’s. The par 3 course, located just outside of Rock Hill in Newport, now sports 12 holes, and six more are planned to come online in the near future.

Head professional John Stevenson hired Charlotte area architect John Castle to design the three new holes, which he hopes will begin to establish the course as an executive layout, rather than just a par 3 course.

Springlake Golf Club to open front nine

The front nine at the Clyde Johnston designed Spring Lake Golf Club in Fort Mill, S.C. is slated to open on April 7th. The back nine opened in early March to rave reviews.

The course represents the first addition of a new, high-end daily fee golf course in the area since the opening of Regent Park.

Short putts

Ryan Brickley has been named Director of Instruction at the North Stone Club in Huntersville, N.C. Most recently, Brickley served in the same capacity at the Michael Jordan Golf center in Charlotte … Pine Needles Resort in Southern Pines, N.C. has set its sights on an all-time attendance record when it hosts the U.S. Women’s Open Championship from May 31 – June 3. Last year’s tournament drew a record-setting 115,000 patrons … Groundbreaking for the new clubhouse at Firethorne Country Club in Charlotte took place in late March … Skybrook Golf Club in Huntersville recently announced the groundbreaking for its new clubhouse.

Tega Cay to close nine holes

Tega Cay Golf Club will close its Carolina Nine for the spring and summer to rebuild greens and replace the irrigation system. Tega will operate a fully functional 18 hole layout using its new Grande View Nine, and the much older Cover Nine.

Head professional Dean Sigmon says that the Carolina Nine should reopen early this fall.