1929: Donald Ross on a west-side dairy farm.
The club’s official history records that, after the death of H. J. Dunavant in 1929, Mrs. Dunavant commissioned Donald Ross to lay out an 18-hole “championship” course on the family’s rolling farm—opening that year as the first 18-hole public course in the Charlotte area. That routing established today’s walking cadence and connective corridors. carolinagolfclub.org
1958: Transition to private.
Regular patrons purchased the property and converted the facility to a private club, replacing the original log clubhouse (near today’s 14th green) with a modern structure overlooking the 18th. For the next five decades the course saw only incremental changes; trees encroached and features shrank from routine edging.
2004–2007: Land acquisition and phased master plan.
The club acquired 43 adjoining acres and embarked on a four-phase plan under architect Kris Spence with Bradley Klein engaged for Ross authenticity review. Two new holeswere built on the added land; two existing holes were converted into the current full-length practice range/short-game area; and an earthen dam created a large irrigation reservoir, modernizing course infrastructure without abandoning the Ross routing.
2008 (11-month closure) – 2009 reopening:
Restoration/rebuild. The final phase removed 1,000+ trees, rebuilt greens, tees, and bunkers, replanted fairways, and installed a modern irrigation system and pump station—transforming the layout from its 6,228-yard, par-70 footprint into the par-71 test seen today. Spence’s team standardized Ross-era bunker forms (flat floors/grass faces) and returned putting surfaces toward original pads and edges. The course reopened in 2009.
Championship use since reopening.
Post-restoration, Carolina hosted five PGA Tour qualifying events for the Wells Fargo Championship, numerous Charlotte City Amateurs, the 2011 CGA Mid-Amateur, the 2014 North Carolina Amateur, and—critically—the 2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur (stroke-play co-host with Charlotte Country Club), where the USGA set the course at 6,937 yards / par 71.
Documentation note: The club’s “About Us” page provides the best consolidated chronology (client of record, phases, and scope). Plan-set details (as-builts and Ross drawings) are not posted publicly.
Unique Design Characteristics (course-specific)
Restored Ross bunker language and corridors. The restoration rebuilt hazards to a consistent 1920s Ross style—flat-bottomed bunkers with grassed faces—and reopened playing corridors that had narrowed over decades. The result is renewed diagonal interest from the tee and recovered approach angles that had been lost to tree growth. capillaryflow.com
Green pads expanded toward historic limits. Spence used original Ross green plans and cross-sections (referenced in his interview) to restore most greens’ size and intent, bringing perimeter pinnable areas back into play and re-establishing the classic front-to-back and interior movements that reward precise placement.
Illustrative holes (as documented in restoration notes/forums). At No. 6, the restored green regained size and interior character; at No. 7, corridor clearing improved the hole’s playability and re-opened long views across the interior—a hallmark of the project’s broader sightline and angle recovery. While informal, these documented before/after accounts align with the club’s stated goals and with Spence’s method on other Ross courses.
Modern strategic yardage with classic demands. Daily tees can extend near 7,000 yards, but the course remains a second-shot test: fairway width exists, yet best-side positioning is essential to use restored entrances and avoid steep fall-offs around green edges. USGA setups at par-71 / ~6,937 yards during the 2018 Mid-Am confirmed that, even at contemporary speeds, the restored pads and bunkering hold elite shot values.
Historical Significance
In Ross’s oeuvre. Carolina Golf Club represents a late-1920s municipal/public commission in a growing Southern city that later transitioned to private membership—an arc common to several Ross works. Its significance today stems from (i) the survival of the original routing framework, and (ii) the evidence-based restoration that re-established Ross strategy without resorting to pastiche. The project is frequently cited in trade pieces as a model of Ross-authentic bunker/green restoration on a modest footprint.
Reputation and championships. Beyond state championships and CGA events, the club’s role as stroke-play co-host for the 2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur placed it on a national stage and documented a USGA-calibrated yardage/par that course historians can reference.
Current Condition / Integrity
What of Ross remains. The routing, corridor geometry, and the relationship of restored bunkers to expanded green pads today read clearly as Ross after the 2008 restoration. Because putting surfaces were rebuilt and expanded, their current perimeters and some internal contours are reconstructed to Ross intent rather than untouched originals; nevertheless, the work was undertaken with access to Ross green drawings and sections, bolstering historical fidelity.
Major renovations/restorations and impact.
• Kris Spence master plan (2004–2009): land acquisition; two new holes; conversion of two holes into a modern practice complex; reservoir construction; rebuild of greens/tees/bunkers; removal of 1,000+ trees; irrigation overhaul; par change from 70 to 71 with length increased from 6,228 to ~7,000 yards. Outcome: recovered angles, scale, and sightlines consistent with Ross. carolinagolfclub.org
Preserved vs. altered.
• Preserved: routing logic; strategic bunker-to-green relationships; firm, running presentation supported by modern irrigation and tree management.
• Altered (by design): green sizes/perimeters and bunker shapes rebuilt/restored to historic forms; two holes built on newly acquired land and two repurposed to practice grounds—changes clearly documented by the club.
Event set-ups confirm intent. The 2018 USGA Mid-Am configuration (par 71 / 6,937 yards) validated the course’s ability to test elite players primarily via angles, approach trajectories, and exacting recoveries, rather than narrowness or penal rough—consistent with the restoration’s aims.
Sources & Notes
1. Carolina Golf Club — “About Us.” Official club history with 1929 Ross commission; 1958 privatization; 43-acre acquisition; architect Kris Spence and advisor Bradley Klein; construction phases (two new holes; two holes to practice complex; reservoir); 2008 eleven-month closure; 1,000+ trees removed; greens/tees/bunkers rebuilt; transformation from 6,228-yd par-70 to present par-71; post-2009 championships hosted. carolinagolfclub.org
2. USGA — “2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur Fast Facts.” Lists Carolina GC as 2018 stroke-play co-host, architect attribution (Ross; restored by Kris Spence 2008), and set-up 6,937 yds / par 71. USGA
3. Capillary Flow (project profile): “Sealing off the clay at Carolina.” Technical summary of the 2008 restoration emphasizing Ross bunker style (flat bottoms/grass faces) and reasons for rebuild; corroborates Spence’s role and 1929 Ross origin.
4. GolfClubAtlas — Feature interview with Kris W. Spence (2021). Spence notes use of Ross green plans and cross-sections in restoring greens/bunkers at Carolina GC. (Interview context; methodological evidence.) Golf Club Atlas
5. GolfClubAtlas forum thread (Carolina GC restoration). Before/after documentation including comments on No. 6 green restoration and No. 7 corridor clearing/views; useful qualitative evidence of feature-scale outcomes. (Treat as secondary/illustrative.)
6. Carolinas Golf Association (CGA) — event briefs (2018; 2023). Notes on Mid-Am stroke-play co-host yardage and US Amateur qualifying hosted at Carolina GC.
7. LinksNation — Interview with Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG. Superintendent’s account of the four-year, four-phase program (two new holes; two to practice; reservoir; renovation/restoration of 16 holes). Corroborates the club’s timeline and scope from an operations perspective.