Edgewater Golf Club - Play Best Golf Courses in Charlotte, NC

South Carolina’s Few…Donald Ross Courses in Our Backyard BY: BRUCE SYDNEYIt is strictly an estimate, but DonaldRoss was credited with designing over400 courses in the United States. Whatmight be more amazing, more than 200private and country clubs and over 100semi-private and public courses are stillalive and playable.The lucky part of this story for theCharlotte area golfers is that two of thethree that the legendary Scotsman designedin Northern South Carolina are justover the border from the Queen City; theFt. Mill Golf Club and Lancaster GolfClub. Both courses are part of the fourcoursegolf group owner by Leroy Springs& Company, Inc., headquartered in Ft.Mill, SC. The Third course is located inCheraw, SC.Fort Mill Golf Club, founded in 1948,has many of the Donald Ross touches onthe front nine of this 18 hole championshipgolf course that rolls through treelined fairways. George Cobb designed theback nine which opened in 1959.The course went through a major renovationin 2008, supervised by HiltonHead architect, Clyde Johnston who usedoriginal Donald Ross drawings from 1947to update the front nine. The Cobb designedback nine was also renovated.The renovation included rebuildingthe greens and making the conversionfrom bent grass to the heat tolerant Mini-Verde Bermuda grass. All tees andbunkers were reconstructed and the clubhousereceived an impressive facelift.The changes may have changed the lookof the front side greens, but watch-out forthat trademarked Donald Ross crownedgreens to still come into play on severalholes.Just as at Ft. Mill, the Lancaster GolfClub on the out-shirts of the historic cityof Lancaster, has had its share of changessince the somewhat open front nine wasoriginally designed in 1939 by DonaldRoss. The tree lined back nine, designedby Russell Breedin, plays a little tighterthan the front side.Of the more than 400 course designs,Pinehurst #2 is considered by many to beDonald Ross’ masterwork. A majority ofgolfers willaccept thatas a fact, butwith Rossbeing asteady visitorto theCarolinas,there areother testimonialstohis greatest.In additionto Pinehurst,theNorth Carolina collection includes: Asheboro,Buncombe, Charlotte, Grove ParkInn, Lenoir, Linville, Mid-Pines, Monroe,Mooresville, Myers Park, Pine Needles,Richmond Pines, Southern Pines, Stryker(Fort Bragg) and Wilmington. In Virginia:Belmont, The Homestead, Kinderton,Sewells Point and The Woodlands.And of course in South Carolina, Ft.Mill Golf Club and Lancaster Golf Club…Yes, right here in our own backyard.______________________________________________________________________________CAROLINA GOLF JOURNAL - SPRING 2010 – 17Ronald Ross