Golf course architect Andrew Green has been hired to renovate the Cardinal Course at the Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst. Work on the Cardinal, one of two layouts at the club, is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2028 and wrap up a year later.
The Cardinal opened in 1970 as a nine-hole course designed by Willard Byrd, then in 1981, Robert Trent Jones Sr. expanded it to 18 holes. Arthur Hills most recently renovated the course in 2001.
The Country Club of North Carolina, established in 1963, is also home to the Dogwood Course designed by Byrd and Ellis Maples. That course is ranked by Golfweek’s Best as the No. 15 private course in a stacked North Carolina. The Dogwood was renovated by Kris Spence in 2016.
The club has been home to numerous
high-caliber tournaments, including the 1980 U.S. Amateur won by Hal Sutton, the 2010 U.S. Girls’ Junior won by Doris Chen and the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur won by Nick Dunlap. The club is slated to host the 2030 U.S. Senior Amateur and the 2037 U.S. Women’s Amateur.
Green has established himself as an expert in course renovation with work at such layouts as Congressional Country Club’s Blue Course in Maryland, Oak Hill’s East Course in New York, Inverness and Sciota in Ohio, Wannamoisett in Rhode Island and East Lake in Georgia. Two of Green’s original designs, Firefly in Tennessee and Kawonu in South Carolina, are scheduled to open in the coming months.
“With the plan approved, our attention now turns to the details and execution of the Cardinal project,” Green said in a media release announcing the project for the Cardinal. “We are working closely with the club and project team to refine the design, establish the construction sequence and coordinate the many pieces necessary to move the project forward successfully.
“There is still important design work ahead. … It is exciting to move into this next phase. We have a clear direction, and now our responsibility is to work through the details and execute the project in a way that delivers the best possible golf course for the membership.”
Green will renovate the course utilizing McDonald & Sons Golf Course Builders. Green got his start in the business with McDonald & Sons, having worked for them for 12 years before hanging his own shingle.
“Andrew Green’s work is undoubtedly successful and eye-opening,” club president Charlie Rivers said in the media release. “His vision for the future of the Cardinal Course at CCNC is equally innovative. The membership is enthusiastic about watching this project come to life. A newly invigorated Cardinal Course adds to the luster of the golf at CCNC as it offers the opportunities to host high-level competitions. We are extremely honored to work with Andrew and can’t wait to see the new Cardinal Course.”
The club has been busy with renovation of a different kind recently, as Spence recentlywrapped up work on the club’s practice facility. That project started in June and ended in October, with the practice area having been enlarged and realigned, new target greens installed and a larger net added. The short-game area also was expanded significantly.
Jason Lusk is Golfweek's travel and golf course architecture editor, as well as the print magazine's creative director. He has written for and designed Golfweek for more than two decades.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Andrew Green will renovate 18 holes at upscale club in North Carolina
