Cleghorn Golf and Sports Club at Tryon Resort (formerly Cleghorn Plantation) has a rich history. In 1764, the Crown Governor of the Colony of NC granted land to John McDowell who grew wheat, cotton and corn on his plantation. Eleven years later, the plantation was purchased by William Cleghorn. Over 50 years later Cleghorn built the Manor House which has survived to this day! Over the years, the plantation was passed down through the Cleghorn family. In 1972 it was transformed into Cleghorn Plantation Golf and Country Club by famous golf course designer George Cobb. Cobb has well over 100…
Author: David Theoret
David Theoret
The Golfin’ Guy aka David (or Dave, but never Davey) Theoret grew up in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, where it was naturally assumed he would play hockey. Beginning at the age of 3 and continuing into his late 30's, he did just that. However, after one too many pucks to the head, he realized that golf was a lot easier on the body and took the game up. Whoever said hockey players were slow? Since that time, golf has become his passion – just ask Belinda. From 2003 until 2009, David ran the sales and marketing department of TravelGolf Media and took his team to over $1M in annual advertising revenue. While at TravelGolf, an editor told him he had a flair for writing and the lightbulb came on. He started writing articles about anything golf related: courses, destinations, resorts, shoes, apparel, equipment and training aids and sending them to websites and magazines. At first, his articles were picked up by a few golf websites and magazines, but the number steadily grew – enough that he could call it a career. Most days he’s on a course somewhere, either working or playing. Actually, to him playing IS work. Occasionally you’ll find him on the practice range reinforcing bad habits. David plays to a 12 handicap - unless there is money involved in which case it goes considerably higher. He currently resides in Fairfield Glade, TN with his wife Belinda and their two "kids," Duncan and Paisley.
If you think Forest Dunes is in the middle of nowhere, you’re right, and it’s not totally a bad thing. What you’ll find is small town hospitality, exceptional lodging, exquisite dining and high-quality golf facilities. No massage tables, no whirlpool baths or spa services, just 54 memorable golf holes. When you stay on property, you are literally no more than 50 yards from the first tee. This is something that every serious golfer should experience at least once. Forest Dunes is home to three fabulous golf courses – on two layouts: The Forest Dunes Course and the Loop, which is…
The BOYNE Resorts offer the most varied collection of golf course architecture anywhere in the US. Designers such as Robert Trent Jones and Donald Ross have all lent their names to courses here, but none is more stunning than the Arthur Hills masterpiece at Bay Harbor Golf Club. Bay Harbor Golf Club stretches out along the shoreline of Lake Michigan near Petoskey in an area that vacationers discovered over 100 years ago. The course brings together the natural beauty of the northern Michigan coastline with some unnatural elements such as an abandoned shale quarry. The course consists of three distinctively different…
Sugar Mountain Golf Club has a very interesting history. The land was originally part of 16,000 acres sold to Hugh MacRae that included Linville Resorts and Grandfather Mountain. McRae passed away in 1952 and willed the property to his grandson George. Nothing much happened with the property until 1969 when George, along with his wife Chessie and three business partners, began developing the property into a year-round resort that included tennis, golf and skiing. Because of the design of the resort, there was only 60 acres of land left at the base of Sugar Mountain for the golf course, meaning…
The Tullymore Golf Resort in Stanwood Michigan sits nestled among 800 acres of pristine Michigan woods, meadows and wetlands, the perfect venue for a golf resort in The Great Lakes State. However, Tullymore is much more than just your average golf resort. For starters, it features two golf courses; the one on property is design by the highly acclaimed Jim Engh. In addition to being named Architect of the Year in 2003, Engh is one of only five living course designers who has courses listed in Golf Digest’s Top 50 Greatest Courses in America. The Golf Resort has also received…
The Golf Club at Linville Land Harbor didn’t just happen, it evolved over time; thirteen years to be exact. Work started in the fall of 1969 under the guidance of well-known course architect Tom Jackson. The course was built on 53 acres of land and the original routing called for a 9-hole layout with no plans to build a second nine. But when the course opened in the spring of 1972 during the rise of golf’s popularity, it was quickly determined that 9 holes would simply not be enough to quell the demand. Ten years later in the summer of…
To say The Club at Ibis is a residential golf community is a gross understatement; it’s a community that relishes in a lifestyle that has it all. Behind the secure gates of this West Palm Beach community are 33 neighborhoods with over 1850 homes. Ibis is a mandatory membership community which boasts some of the finest conditioned golf courses, and recreational facilities in South Florida. Members must purchase at minimum a social Membership level, but when a golf Membership grants you access to three championship Nicklaus family-designed courses by Jack himself as well as sons Jack Jr. and Steve, why…
I’m a huge fan of Donald Ross-designed golf courses. Many people associate Donald Ross with ultra-challenging courses that feature small domed greens a la Pinehurst #2, but if you study Donald Ross, you’ll find that nothing could be further from the truth. His greens typically have a lot of undulation, but domed greens were definitely not his calling card. Pinecrest Golf Club in Avon Park, FL is a course that was originally designed by Ross and conveys what I’m talking about. The history of Pinecrest Golf Club is a story all its own. As the story goes, Ross visited Avon…
The Sun ‘N Lake Golf Club is home to two outstanding golf courses – Deer Run and Turtle Run – northwest of Sebring, FL in the unincorporated community of Sun ‘N Lake. Either course will put your golf game to the test. Of the two courses, Turtle Run is the shorter – 600 yards shorter – from the back tees. Turtle Run plays 6,402 yards from the back tees with a course rating of 70.7 and a slope of 127. The greens are Tiftdwarf Bermuda grass, and the fairways and roughs feature 419 Bermuda grass. The par 72 Turtle Run…
Laurel Ridge was originally settled by the family of Edward Hyatt shortly before the American Revolution. Over a century later, Hyatt’s great-grandson, Jefferson D. Hyatt, built what would eventually become the Piedmont Inn in the exact spot where Laurel Ridge’s pavilion stands today. Over a short period of time, the Piedmont Inn became a beehive of activity with social events for local residents. It was also a cool summer destination for flatlanders and guests arrived via rail from as far away as Savannah, Charleston, New Orleans and Atlanta. When these guests arrived at the station, a horse-drawn carriage waited to…