Myers Park Country Club

Myers Park Country Club – Played December 2015

• Rankings: None of the four lists
• Location: 2415 Roswell Avenue, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Year: 1921
• Original Architect: Donald Ross
• Additional Work By: Kris Spence
• Course Access: Private
• Walking Rules: Carts Available

Score Card Information:

• Black: 7,120 yards, Par 71, 74.3 Rating/138 Slope
• Black/Gold: 6,809 yards, Par 71, 73.6 Rating/136 Slope
• Gold: 6,605 yards, Par 71, 71.7 Rating/132 Slope
• Gold/Blue: 6,406 yards, Par 71, 70.6 Rating/129 Slope
• Blue: 6,256 yards, Par 71, 70.0 Rating/125 Slope
• Blue/White: 6,006 yards, Par 71, 69.0 Rating/124 Slope
• White: 5,778 yards, Par 71, 68.0 Rating/121 Slope
• White/Red: 5,458 yards, Par 71, 66.4 Rating/119 Slope
• Red: 5,263 yards, Par 71

I lived in Charlotte for nine months out of graduate school and I enjoyed my time there.  I can’t say I played a ton of golf when I was there since I was dating my future wife long distance.  Don’t get me wrong we played golf a lot, but sometimes it was back in South Carolina on my weekends visiting her.  One course I had always wanted to play while living there and still did was Myers Park Country Club.

I knew one of the partners at my firm was a member, but he and I never could match up schedules when I was working in the area.  When I moved within the firm back to South Carolina I didn’t know when I would have a chance to get back to play the course.  Well as luck would have it, someone me and my father-in-law know became an assistant professional at the course.  A couple calls by my father-in-law and we were all set up to play.

Myers Park is an exclusive neighborhood in Charlotte.  It is filled with tree-lined streets and beautiful houses.  The course is home to was established in 1921 with 350 members.  It has all the amenities you could ask for including 18 holes of golf, 13 tennis courts, swimming facilities, fitness equipment, and formal and casual dining in the beautiful clubhouse.

The layout at Myers Park is Donald Ross designed and was renovated in 2008 by Kris Spence.  The renovation included new green complexes, re-shaped bunkers, and realigned and graded tee boxes. They also worked to recover contours and forms from the Ross original.

This was going to be an especially fun day.  I was playing with my wife’s father and brother.  Two guys who I always enjoy rounds with.  While we were playing my wife, her mother, and her aunt were doing a spa day.  To top it all off we would be seeing the Boston Celtics take on the Charlotte Hornets that night.  Luckily, Chris had gotten us great seats and we were about 10 feet from the court.  We were basically courtside!  If you’ve never seen an NBA game from up close I definitely recommend it.  Oh and the Celtics won!

Let’s get the tour started!

The old school scorecard can be seen below.

I have said it before, but I love these clocks.  If a course has one I am definitely trying to get a picture.

Here is the clubhouse I mentioned earlier.  This is only part of it.

Below is the back side of the building in the previous picture.  Off to the left, you can see an additional building.  This houses the dining and some other things I’m sure.  Also pictured, Chris and my father-in-law Les.

Here is another angle of the building with the dining facilities.  We got to check out the men’s grill and I knocked back a Transfusion in the unseasonably warm December weather.  This is looking back from the tenth tee.

You are greeted with a little bit of history on your first hole.  I will let you read it, but it was pretty cool to know this course played a part in one of the greatest streaks in sports history.  Iron Byron was something else.

Hole 1 – 317 yards – Par 4

We started on the back nine, but I will show you the Myers Park in order.  So don’t be confused when it seems lighter on the back nine.

The first tee shot is not overly taxing.  You can run out of room if you spray your driver, but a 200-yard shot will leave with no more than a wedge.  The fairway descends steeply about 170 yards out.

What goes downhill must go back up.  The second shot is mostly blind.  Trust your distance.

This is a large green as you can see below.  There is also some mounding.

Hole 2 – 414 yards – Par 4

This tee shot plays directly uphill to a blind landing area.  A drive down the middle will serve you well here.  No need to overthink it.

Once you get to your ball you will face a downhill approach shot.  The green is guarded by a deep bunker on the right.  You don’t want to miss long.

You can see some of Ross’s style in the raised green below.  There is also plenty of slope within the green itself.

Hole 3 – 392 yards – Par 4

This hole features another blind landing area.  You need a draw here to put you in the best position.  I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of the approach shot.

Here is a shot of the green.

This wider shot of the green shows the runoff on the back side.

Hole 4 – 332 yards – Par 4

This is an interesting short hole.  It bends sharply to the right.  You can only hit driver if you can work a big fade.

Once you round the bend you are faced with the shot below.  There are plenty of bunkers surrounding the front side of the green.  Long is a nearly impossible up and down.

The photo below shows the multi-tiered green with the flag on the back portion.  Putts from the front section to this flag are very difficult.

Hole 5 – 166 yards – Par 3

This seemed like an old school hole to me.  It’s not overly long, but it features a bunker on the right well below the level of the green that is tough to maneuver.  The hole plays slightly uphill.

The green is quite large.  The front side of the green is not overly sloped, but the back section features a larger ridge.

Hole 6 – 484 yards – Par 5

There is a theme developing here with blind landing areas for tee shots.  A fade here will put you in the best position since a draw may run through the fairway.

The second shot flattens out and you are left with what you see below.  The obvious place to avoid is left with multiple bunkers guarding that side.

A closer look at the green will show the modest false front and the domed look of the green.

Hole 7 – 141 yards – Par 3

I liked the look of this hole even though my miss usually ends up in the drink.  The green is big enough to give you the option of playing to the safe side.  If you are feeling dangerous you can take on the flag.  I appreciate a hole where you have choices.

The zoomed-in look, although a little blurry, shows just how close the water is to the green.

The photo below really shows how vast the green is.  You have a lot of space to miss on dry land.

Hole 8 – 486 yards – Par 5

This hole is definitely reachable in two with a solid drive.  With the shape of the hole, the best play is a draw.  The bunkers in the distance are in play.

The second shot you see below looks pretty easy.  What you don’t see is the pond in front of the green that makes it a more difficult shot.  The green is pretty large with the idea that many players would have a go with longer clubs.

The green has different layers but along the width of the green and not the length.  Putts across this green will need good speed control.

Hole 9 – 332 yards – Par 4

A shorter hole finishes off the front side.  There is a dogleg to the left.  If you hit driver the best line is over the bunkers on the left.  A shorter club off the tee allows you to play anywhere in the fairway.  You must be careful as the fairway runs out straight and to the right.

The approach plays up the hill to a green that sits tight to the clubhouse.  There is plenty of room left of the bunker you see.  That is the worst place to miss.  There is also not much room behind the green.

The putting surface has a ridge running diagonally across it.  If you play it right you can feed a ball to this pin position.

Hole 10 – 384 yards – Par 4

This tee shot is pretty tight.  There is the ravine to the left and the trees to the right.  There is a little room up the left side the farther you go, but not enough to give you too much comfort.

This just looks like Ross to me.  The lines of the green and the flat bunker next to it.  You can see the slopes in the green from the fairway.

Here is a closer look at the green and you can really start to see the contours.

The view from behind shows you even more slope than the front.  Putting on Ross’s greens is always an adventure.

Hole 11 – 163 yards – Par 3

This is a great looking hole in my opinion.  The creek is only in play on really bad shots.  The real trouble is to the right of the green.

You can see the ridge in the green below.  This putting surface is very large.  Depending on where the flag is there will be a wide range of club selections from the tee.

Hole 12 – 351 yards – Par 4

This hole is on the shorter side.  The landing area is shielded from the tee by the hill.  You will want to keep your drive up the left side.

Once you crest the hill the green reveals itself.  The green is pretty sloping, but you should have a short shot in to go after the flag.

Here is a closer look at the undulating green.

This angle shows you just how much the putting surface slopes.  If you have to putt across this green you will need a deft touch.

Hole 13 – 405 yards – Par 4

The tee shot on this hole is slightly downhill.  That will help since it a little bit long.  You will want to avoid the tree trouble up the left side.

The approach plays more downhill than the tee shot.  The area behind the green rolls off so short is definitely the preferred miss.  The bunkers provide defense for any wayward shots.

Below you can see the drop off behind the green.  This looks like an old school set up to me and I really liked it.

Hole 14 – 392 yards – Par 4

This hole is pretty flat and the tee shot is right out in front of you.  It is open so you can play any shot shape you prefer.

The approach can be tricky if you go to far right off the tee due to the tree you can see below.  A couple of bunkers guard the front of the green.  The putting surface angles diagonally to the fairway.

Here is a look at the green.

Hole 15 – 193 yards – Par 3

This is just a brawny hole.  You will need to muscle up and hit a longer club to make this green.  The bunkers on the left are quite deep.  The green is open in the front to facilitate run-up shots.

The photo below shows the big slope in the middle of the green that splits it into two distinct sections.  With this pin, the slope serves as a backboard for your tee shot.

Hole 16 – 382 yards – Par 4

This hole plays off of an elevated tee which helps to lengthen tee shots.  The fairway bunkers up the left side are in play and need to be accounted for.  The best play off this tee is a draw.

The approach plays uphill, just the opposite of the tee shot.  There is nowhere really to miss other than short.

Compared to some of the other greens at Myers Park this one is not very sloping.  You can see it below.

Hole 17 – 506 yards – Par 5

This is one of the cooler holes on the course in my opinion.  The tee shot plays to a blind landing area.  The fairway bends to the right so you can play up that side from the tee.

I pushed my tee shot and was left with the view below.  I still had an opportunity on the hole as you can see.

I really enjoyed the skyline view you got in the photo below.  It’s always nice to see the Queen City.

With a punch out on my second shot, I was left with this shot.  You have to play over a creek to a heavily guarded green.  Shots missing to the right will end up well below the green due to the slope.

Here is a closer look.

Once you get up to the green most of the challenge is behind you.  This green is pretty flat.  Hopefully, you are putting for birdie unlike me!

Hole 18 – 416 yards – Par 4

Myers Park does not let you off the hook on the last hole.  This is a tough finisher and will require solid shots.  We have another blind landing area off of this tee.  The fairway slopes hard to the left.  The best line is up the right side to take advantage of the slope.

While you were helped off the tee with the slope you will get no such assistance on the second shot.  You will need some extra club to reach this green.

I got another good shot of the clubhouse from the fairway.

The green is pretty large which helps if you have a long iron for the approach.  If you miss it is easier to get up and down from the left side.

Myers Park is an old school gem.  I loved this place.  I like all kinds of golf courses, but to me, the best ones have some variety and their own identity.  This club has all of that.  I felt like I was playing a unified course from start to finish and the round had great flow.  I think when I learn more about architecture I will appreciate Myers Park even more.  I am grateful I was able to play it!