When you see the bunkering, the dramatic fall off from the green, if you were to step back and not look where you were going, you might fall five feet down because there's nothing between the edge of the green and the bunker wall.. I recently had the opportunity to preview the course and learn the ethos behind its missionhere are five things to know about Congaree. Among the gentlemen who slipped away from Augusta to visit Congaree was the flamboyant Irish business magnate, Dermot Desmond, the first international ambassador to commit his support to the club. Congaree is 40 miles from Hilton Head Island. The club established the Congaree Global Golf . Congaree Golf Club was founded by Dan Friedkin and Bob McNair, who had actively ranked in the top 200 richest persons in the United States. 2nd hole (photo courtesy PGA Tour) 4. General information. Scottsdale, Arizona. It's fun," Glover recently told Golfweek. Oct 2018 - May 20198 months. There are no tee markers. Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories. Congaree, built on a 3,200-acre property dotted with longleaf pine and bottomland hardwood forests, is the vehicle and a special one at that to bring together successful, like-minded people passionate about making a difference. Hes far more interesting than that, The embarrassing reason Adam Scott won't be at the Phoenix Open, Why new mom Paula Creamer is more motivated than ever to make a run at the LPGA's young guns, Happy Gilmore-imitating pro makes first cut in 5 years in very Happy Gilmore style, 2022 Sanderson Farms Championship tee times: Round 1 groupings for Thursday, 2022 Sanderson Farms Championship: TV schedule, how to watch, streaming, tee times, Sanderson Farms Championship odds: Presidents Cuppers among betting favorites this week, After turning away LIV, Tom Kim is quickly becoming a PGA Tour superstar, Would Tour players play LIV in a team event? By PGA Tour Jun 30 2022 4:51PM. An event similar to the renowned pro-member tournament at Seminole Golf Club in Florida is conceivable, especially with the dedicated philanthropic mission of the club, which will soon become even more accessible with the expansion of the local airstrip six miles away. Holes 18. Not only for the club, but for golf itself. Behind the Business of Hole-In-One Insurance, 6 Mostly Undiscovered U.S. "It's a privilege to welcome THE CJ CUP to South Carolina and Congaree. Its mission is to provide underserved and well-deserving high school students who aspire to play collegiate golf access to the highest level of athletic coaching and academic tools to enhance their opportunities for success. People wishing to become an ambassador need a referral. The club wants golf to be a vehicle for the kids in the foundations program to use as a tool to get into college. [10] The original Greek Revival home was burned by order of Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman in 1865 along with much of the rest of Gillisonville, SC. Today, members of the [+] club's inaugural Global Golf Initiative program from 2017 are showing how they took advantage of life-changing opportunities. Dan Friedkin is Chairman and CEO of The Friedkin Group, a privately held consortium of businesses and investments in the automotive, hospitality, entertainment, golf and adventure industries. It was very reminiscent of Pinehurst No. The house Roberts slept in while filming has been renamed Roberts Cottage.. What it has instead are invited ambassadors, people prominent in their industries who aren't so much expected to pay cash as donate their time and mentorship. Theres no sign or number to mark the entrance to Congaree, just a 5-foot tall brick wall and an unassuming white-washed wood gate. Congaree Golf Club hosted its first PGA Tour event in June of 2021 when it hosted the Palmetto Championship. He also founded a next-generation entertainment studio which is producing major film and television projects, and is chairman of a company that owns and operates a portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts (including the landmark Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colorado, that he bought for a reported $70 million). The Congaree Foundation, the club's charity arm, recently purchased nearby nine-hole Sergeant Jasper Golf Club with the goal to create a course for prep golf teams and young players to play and learn. Congaree is a stunning golf course, one of the best in South Carolina, and this week it gets its first ever PGA Tour event, the Palmetto Championship. Situated on a historic 18th-century estate, and surrounded by over 2,000 acres of lakes and longleaf pine forests in South Carolina's Lowcountry, architect Tom Fazio designed the championship course to fit in with its natural surroundings. And theres a lot of people who get very little kudos for it, who have worked hard from the beginning to make this club what it is, added Davidson, who helped start the Congaree effort with fellow co-director of golf John McNeely, another accomplished PGA professional and the co-founder of esteemed Diamond Creek Golf Club in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The fairways arent the only place where the balls will run; the greens are fast, challenging and roll true as a pool table. The week on site goes fast, but its the continuation thats key. Senior tour golfer Bobby Wadkins was there the same time I visited and said the turf was so hard he was having trouble getting tees in the ground. It is situated on a historic 18th-century estate, surrounding 2,000 acres of fishing lakes and longleaf pine forests. One of the first things that sticks out about Congaree is the sand. You can reach him at joshua_berhow@golf.com. Supported by the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism and The Friedkin Group, proceeds from the event will benefit Congaree Foundation (PalmettoChampionship.com). A PGA Class A Professional, Ben has a Professional Golf Management degree from Clemson University and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska Omaha. Ambassadors is a word we chose because the spreading of the word and what we do with our philanthropy here, our ambassadors really truly are ambassadors, Davidson says. Golf is one of his passions he carries a 6.9 handicap with club memberships from Florida to California and he saw the games popularity and reach as another opportunity to give back. October 21, 2022, 11:40 AM. learn more. There are no tee markers, just yardage plates that align with the tee areas on the scorecard, encouraging match play and flexibility when deciding where to play from on each hole. The 2021 Palmetto Championship at Congaree was announced in April of that year. What is . [5] It was called the Palmetto Championship at Congaree[6] and took place from June 1013, 2021. It has a natural look, lends itself to the ground game and plays firm and fast think Royal Aberdeen in a drought, Davidson says. Thats our stated goal, to give kids educational and vocational opportunities, says Bruce Davidson, Congarees Director of Golf, a title he shares with John McNeely. The initiative operates a camp each summer for selected high school students from around the world, instructing them in golf, academics and life skills and aiding in obtaining academic and athletic . Some of the famous ambassadors of Congaree Golf Club from the world of golf include: 8x Major champ Tom Watson 2x Major champ Mark O'Meara In the words of Jim Nantz, Congaree hosts the third event of the South Carolina swing on the PGA Tour in 2021, alongside Aprils RBC Heritage at Harbour Town and the PGA Championship at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island in May, with a $7.8 million purse up for grabs for the full 156-player field. The soil of the golf course is all sand based, and all of the grass on the course is one height. Staff keeps in touch and checks in on students to make sure they are keeping up on their studies, training and more. So this week Congaree hosts Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and the PGA Tour. The education, mentorship and training they receive at CGGI stays with them well beyond their time at Congaree.. World No. Their affiliation is less dependent on financial dues and more on the time they offerone of the clubs many mentoring programs. The CJ Cup will take place Wednesday, Oct. 19-Sunday, Oct. 23, at Congaree Golf Club, located north of Ridgeland near Gillisonville. It was at the Carolinas PGA Section where Hannah discovered her passion for helping young people through the game of golf. in a few hours. The course is often described as a heathland style course and is inspired by the sandbelt region golf courses of Australia. It's designed that way. Our ambassadors go down there and give out food, sometimes $15 -20,000 a day." All of this happens out of a golf club that sits tucked behind a white gate that has no signage and no intention of being found by anyone not intending to go there. Participants get access to elite instructors and high-quality facilities, and the CGGI requires students to attend class sessions with academic consultants, explaining the college admissions process. The golf club is located in Ridgeland, SC which absolutely no one has heard of. McNair is survived by his wife, Janice, sons Robert Cary McNair Jr. and wife Kate, Daniel Calhoun Cal McNair and wife Hannah, and daughters Ruth Smith and Melissa McNair, eleven granddaughters, five grandsons and five great-grandchildren. players have to navigate at the long par-4 8th hole. Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories. The two planned a place where members, some 200 who are referred to as ambassadors, spent significant time on philanthropy and growing the game. Professional Ambassadors, including PGA and LPGA players, teaching professionals, and golf industry executives, provide additional support locally and nationally. We want these people to come in and commit.. Live Oaks that are hundreds of years old. The club revolves primarily around the Congaree Global Golf Initiative, which combines golf instruction and college prep curriculum to help high schoolers interested in the sport pursue postsecondary education. Dan Friedkin is one of the founding members and, Houston Texans owner Bob McNair is one of the, founders of Congaree. You may opt-out by. The quaint, two-room school house was fully restored (complete with a working bell in the steeple) and will remain just that, a future home for kids both local and international. The closest big city to Congaree in Savannah, Georgia, about 43 miles from the course. Dermot Desmond was Congarees first international, ambassador. Toms love for golf has driven him to teach young men and women about the game and the opportunities it can create. The two Texas businessmen own other successful golf clubs Friedkin the Diamond Creek Golf Club in Banner Elk, North Carolina, and McNair the Golf Club at Briars Creek in Johns Island, South Carolina but they sought something different, a new club model with a sustaining purpose shared among its ambassadors. In January 2021, Congaree Foundation acquired nearby Sergeant Jasper Golf Club, a public nine-hole course; the Foundation will revitalize the course, keep rates affordable, and allow local area high school students to play for free. . Frankly, that's the only reason they got to 11 and 12-under.. Congaree Golf Club is hosting its first PGA Tour event this week. Dan holds a bachelors degree from Georgetown University and a masters degree in finance from Rice University. Situated on a historic 18th-century estate, and surrounded by over 2,000 acres of lakes and longleaf pine forests in South Carolina's Lowcountry, architect Tom Fazio designed the championship course to fit in with its natural surroundings.. Congaree was named Golf Digest 's best new private course for 2018, as well as being named the best golf course built during the . The . The Minnesota native graduated with a journalism degree from Minnesota State University in Mankato. Thats hard to do. He was among the group originally scouting a location for Congaree. How does Congaree find its club ambassadors? They recognize that youre a Congaree kid and I wear that with pride.. Its 70 miles from Charleston and 170 miles from Myrtle Beach. What Type of Course is at Congaree Golf Club? Congaree is a private course, but, unlike many others, it only has one member (co-founder Dan Friedkin) and around 250 ambassadors. Bunkers and waste areas line the fairways and turn greens into peninsulas and patches of rough into archipelagos. Prior to joining Congaree, Ben served as an Assistant Golf Professional at Wade Hampton Golf Club, the founding Executive Director for First Tee Greater Charleston, as Regional Director for First Tee Headquarters, and as Director of Development for Clemson University. I discovered the importance of a strong ground game during my visit, forced to putt from well off the green up tightly-mown slopes and from collection areas too many times to count. The course features a numerous amount of oak trees which are prominently featured throughout the course. It plays very firm and fast, Fazio said. The Congaree Foundations premier program is the Congaree Global Golf Initiative, a week-long training camp each summer. But at Congaree, theres much more to come. I write about businesses, news and destinations in the golf world. Every summer since 2017, Congaree has welcomed 20 to 30 under-resourced, but aspiring collegiate golfers to visit the club, which is tucked away on a 3,200-acre property in rural Jasper County, about 30 minutes north of Savannah, Georgia. Nick Price, Tom Watson and Mark OMeara were among ambassadors as recently as a year ago. 2, Pine Valley, Davidson said. Much of Congarees initial philanthropic activity will occur with a program the club has named the Global Golf Initiative. Were committed to bringing more promising students to the program and helping them in any way we can after they leave Congaree and prepare for their future., Congaree: An Inside Look At The Golf Club Built By Billionaires On A Model Of Philanthropy, Golfs $20 Billion U.S. Travel Market Is Poised For Big Year In 2022, This is a BETA experience. There are more than 200 ambassadors, plus another 100 or so honorary and professional ambassadors, guys like Nick Price, Tom Watson and Mark O'Meara. The story of Congaree is one of hope, inspiration and giving. "It's 100 percent playable to all golfers. As firm and fast of a course Ive experienced, and designed to be that way, makes holding approaches on each elevated putting surface (playing at a cool 12 on the stimpmeter during my round) an accomplishment and leads the caddies, dressed in all white, to recommend using a Texas wedge on the majority of recovery attempts. We do our junior program the first two weeks of June and we're closed until October because it's just too hot. This past year, the program included 36 high school students in two sessions at Congaree and one at Archerfield Golf Links in Scotland. The initiative will start this June with six youngsters from the U.S. and six from overseas. Through the Congaree Global Golf Initiative, 36 students around the age of 16 spend a week on site over the summer working with the clubs bevy of experts in an effort to prepare themselves to beat the many barriers of playing collegiate athletics. Congaree Golf Club 384 Davant Dr Ridgeland, SC 29936-3806 View Website EXPLORE THE COURSE MAP Panelists Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists 4.8 100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE. Congaree Golf Club is located in Jasper County, South Carolina which is in the Southern part of the state. The two planned a place where members, some 200 who are referred to as ambassadors, spent significant time on philanthropy and growing the game. Its a story of making a difference, both locally and globally, through golf and life lessons both on the course and off. It's maintained that way for fast speeds. Congaree has been positioned as a philanthropic club since it was founded. The exclusively private club built on a former 18th century rice plantation was founded by two of the 200 richest people in the U.S.: Dan Friedkin, chairman of The Friedkin Group, a privately held consortium of businesses in the automotive, luxury hospitality, golf and entertainment industries; and Robert C. Bob McNair, owner of the NFLs Houston Texans and chairman of The McNair Group. Dan Friedkin is the chairman of The Friedkin group, which is a consortium of businesses that operates in the luxury hospitality, automotive, entertainment, and golf industries. The Congaree Golf Club came into existence in the 2010s. The gate opens inward to a one-lane gravel road that runs through a gauntlet of ancient live oak trees with Spanish moss gently waving in their gnarled branches. Among the ambassadors is three-time PGA Tour winner and 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas. The tee shot on the uphill par-5 second hole. We had to build a world-class club to pique the interest of the people that you need in this business model, which doesnt measure return on investment in terms of dollars, says Davidson. From 2015 to 2017, the historic house was renovated and other facilities were added[11] to fit in with the style of the existing buildings. So, where is Congaree Golf Club? The ambassador members of the course are likeminded individuals who are invited to be members of the club. The layout is a distant relative of Australian sand belt courses. It appears your browser may be outdated. It played very different than Congaree, but it is also of equal quality in terms of the experience, the environment and the setting, just the playing conditions change because of the environment, the elements.. The courses width is forgiving thanks to the removal of thousands of trees to clear the way between tall pines and classic moss-draped oaks (several mature trees were carefully relocated elsewhere on the course). It all combines to give the course a somewhat links-y feel. Rather than members, Congaree has roughly 250 ambassadors, prominent individuals who promote the club while lending time and money to a greater cause. The club is a Tom Fazio design in rural southern South Carolina, not far from more well-known layouts like the Ocean Course in Charleston and Harbour Town Golf Links on . Were going to give them mock tests and meet with counselors and talk about educational aspirations. The Ambassador Members volunteer time and money to the Congaree Foundation, which is the foundation that the club was built around. Friedkin and the late Bob McNair, a University of South Carolina graduate who owned the National Football League's Houston Texans, started the club for a base for their Congaree Global Golf. Everybody else is an invited ambassador. Its overarching mission is to offer educational, vocational and golf instruction opportunities to underprivileged and deserving youth, with current and prospective ambassadors ranging well beyond titans of industry from an NFL Hall of Famer and national championship-winning coach to a Hall of Fame recording artist and a Grammy Award-winning country singer. When the ownership at Congaree met with area educators the school board, superintendent and principals to explain their vision, they were prepared for backlash or opposition to their presence. During her career, Hannah has worked in the golf industry at clubs in Alaska, North Carolina and Arizona, and most recently completed a fellowship at the Carolinas PGA Section in Greensboro, N.C. Whisper Rock Golf Club. But Congaree is so much more than that week. Built 2017. He asked Davidson if he could please see Julia Roberts house. Friedkin and McNairs aspirations were for Fazio to build a course unlike many of the overly lush designs favored throughout the U.S. today. The low-key folks behind Congaree arent interested in attention; in fact theyve completely shunned the publicity or fanfare that typically accompanies a new golf course project. Copyright 2020 Links Magazine, All rights Reserved. A native Houstonian, Lesley is passionate about philanthropy and giving back to the community. I know everyone that opens up thinks theyre going to be Augusta National, and different. The development became Congaree. Twenty-three percent of residents in Jasper County live below the poverty level. In a short amount of time, the philanthropic efforts of Congaree Foundation have been diverse and widespread. [7] The winner was Garrick Higgo and it marked his first career PGA Tour win. Fazio points to another of his East Coast courses, Caves Valley, host of the 2021 BMW Championship, as an example of a venue that can be dramatically affected by the weather. Club Guest Ambassadors (rather than members) are encouraged not only to make a financial contribution to the Congaree Charitable Foundation, but to take an active role in interacting with and mentoring children who go through the Congaree Global Golf Initiative and winning college scholarships - many of which went on to play golf at the . The courses three par-5 holes present good scoring opportunities, although the sloped green at the sixth hole will make a player really work for a birdie. Everyone else is an "ambassador," asked to join by invitation or referral. The Congaree Golf Club will get its chance to shine this week when it hosts the Palmetto Championships, . One week is not going to change their lives, but its that week with the two years following that changes their lives. The CJ Cup was launched as Korea's first official PGA Tour tournament in 2017 and was played for three consecutive years at Nine Bridges on Jeju Island before being relocated to the US due to the challenges of COVID-19, a news release said. We always knew that we wanted to create a golf course for the ages, says McNeely, whose extensive list of prominent club experience includes working under Masters champion Claude Harmon at Winged Foot in New York. So theres a Congaree Foundation and just two `members of the club Dan and Bob. That isnt what Congaree is about. He took a call from one of the clubs ambassadors in Scotland, who told him about a teenage girl from Ireland who has excelled in the classroom and might have the ability to play at a U.S. college, but her parents dont have the financial means to get her there. The 15th, 16th and 17th holes at Congaree Golf Club. Numerous mature trees were carefully uprooted and replanted elsewhere around the course. Hes far more interesting than that, The embarrassing reason Adam Scott wont be at the Phoenix Open, Hayden Buckley said this part of his game cost him at the Sony Open, 2023 Sony Open in Hawaii: How to watch, TV schedule, streaming, tee times, Meet the new GOLF Top 100 Teachers of America, Adidas announces adicross additions, plus shoes to come soon, World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. But at Congaree, a new golf club steeped in history in South Carolinas low country, philanthropy is the ethos of an entirely new membership model. Some members of the inaugural Congaree Global Golf Initiative (CGGI) program in 2017 have now graduated college (playing competitive golf along the way) and turned their opportunity into something much bigger. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. And theyre invited in on an annual basis. The ball goes far, but also moves a lot on the ground. Also, it ranks among the top 100 golf courses in the United States. In a nutshell: Congaree, which is about 30 minutes north of Savannah, Georgia, is quietly growing an exclusive international membership and boasts a world-class course unlike any other designed by Tom Fazio that is destined to be considered for a coveted place in Top 100 lists. Lesley values education and is honored to be involved with a non-profit that is dedicated to helping disadvantaged youth from around the world gain access to higher education. Having two teenage daughters, Lesley has hands on experience with the college admission process. Yes, Congaree is undoubtedly a unique and special place in many ways, and many still to come. McNair, who returned NFL football to Houston in 2002 and has an estimated net worth of $3.5 billion according to Forbes, has undertaken similar efforts elsewhere, including a scholarship program in Forest City, North Carolina, thats sent more than 160 kids to local colleges if they graduated high school with a B average. One week is not going to change their lives, but its that week with the two years following [before they graduate high school] that changes their lives.. A CGGI participant gets personal golf instruction at the club's training facility. Thats assuming your ball hasnt rolled into one of the expansive sand waste areas that border many of the holesrazor-sharp edges from fairways and greens into bunkers make this a commonality with even slightly wayward shots. It currently supports programs with the Boys & Girls Clubs, Sergeant Jasper . World Golf Hall of Famer Mark O'Meara, a two-time major champion, and other former touring pros are among them. Bob McNair was born in Tampa, Fla. Everybody's in it for the same reason, Davidson said. There are no tee times. Tom Craft has served as the Head Golf Professional at Congaree since 2016. Since the clubs opening in 2017, the CGGI has identified aspiring golfers each year with the talent but not necessarily the resources for college golf. Since its opening, Congaree has received numerous accolades and debuted at 39th on Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses. There are no members at Congaree golf club, the 3,000-acre property about 30 minutes north of Savannah, Ga. The dates in game are still on the same 7 day cycle. Other historic buildings have been preserved and are situated about the property, including comfortable guest cottages and an old school house, all of which have been completely updated. Renowned architect Tom Fazio designed the championship course to seamlessly embrace its natural surroundings. Frenkie De Jong Has Turned FC Barcelona Career Around And Is Now Untouchable Under Xavi, Napoli Defeat Highlights Every Flaw Of Max Allegris Juventus, Defending Champ Rafael Nadal Ousted In Australian Open Second Round By American Mackie McDonald, ROH Star Jay Briscoe Shockingly Dies At 38 In Car Accident, IndyCar Champion Will Power Withdraws From Rolex 24 At Daytona Because Of His Wifes Health Issues, NBA's Extension Rules Could Force Spurs' Hand With Jakob Poeltl At The Trade Deadline, Diadora Releases Finale, New On-Court Tennis Shoe, Travis Pastrana Ready To Check NASCARs Daytona 500 Off His Bucket List. Peter Millar apparel is among the clubs other partners. And shortly before Beggs was nominated to go to Congaree, she hurt her back during a tournament and said she felt like she was having a quarterlife crisis at 16.. Said Davidson with a smile, I told him, `thats one of the nicest things Ive heard.. There are also no cart paths, as Congaree is a walking property. The food, the accommodations, everything is top-class, Davidson says. Architect Tom Fazio. Students get top-notch training while on the grounds. An errant tee shot can run quickly through the side of the fairway and get caught in the bunker like a gutter ball in bowling. Been positioned as a tool to get into college Tom Craft has served the. Fast, Fazio said rough into archipelagos who are invited to be a vehicle for the same day..., teaching professionals, and different back to the community special place in many,! Were among ambassadors as recently as a philanthropic club since it was at the Carolinas PGA where! Come in and commit.. Live Oaks that are hundreds of years old a Congaree Foundation and just two members! Weeks of June and we 're closed until October because it 's just too hot six from.! 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