By Len Ziehm
Greensboro may feel like a small town, but it hosts the third-oldest PGA Tour event, the Wyndham Championship, where Sam Snead won eight times between 1938-1965.
Originally called the Greater Greensboro Open, the tournament was played at Sedgefield Country Club, a private facility that opened in 1926, but tournament headquarters are in the neighboring Grandover Resort & Conference Center.
Plus, Grandover’s practice range serves in that capacity for the tour pros during the tournament, so the relationship between Sedgefield and the resort is a tight one.
“I would call it perfect,’’ said Mark Brazil, tournament director of the Wyndham Championship. “They’ve got two great golf courses over there and all the space for our activities plus a beautiful hotel. It almost feels like we’re their third course because we’re so close. We couldn’t have a better marriage with them.’’
The Wyndham Championship will be held August 1-4, and the $6.2 million event holds a key place on the PGA Tour schedule. It will be the last tournament prior to the FedEx Cup Playoffs and will be the last chance for players to establish a strong position going into golf’s lucrative postseason.
Grandover’s two 18-hole courses are top-notch. Both were designed by architect Gary Panks with the help of player consultant David Graham. Graham, an Australian, won the 1979 PGA Championship and the 1981 U.S. Open. He also had top-five finishes in both the British Open and Masters.
Panks did most of his design work in Arizona, Grayhawk being his most noteworthy creation there. The Grandover courses are his only creations in North Carolina. Panks started doing courses on his own in 1978 and teamed up with Graham from 1988-97 under the banner Graham & Panks International. They did 10 courses together, and the Grandover courses were one of their last projects.
Grandover’s East Course is longer and slightly more difficult than its West counterpart. Plus, the resort also boasts one of the most memorable short par-3s anywhere.
The courses have been used for Korn Ferry (Web.com) Tour events, as well as, collegiate competitions. An NCAA Division I Regional and three Division III National Championships have been played at Grandover.
For leisure travelers these courses are very affordable, the top greens fee is only $75 and there is no competition with members for tee times.
Grandover recently completed an extensive $10 million renovation of the entire property, plus additional investment is being used to complete several indoor projects this year.
The resort’s 36 holes are affordable and open to the public. Plus, its an easy stopover for anyone heading to either, Pinehurst or Myrtle Beach.
Find out more at: http://grandover.com/
