Old Chatham Golf Club Receives Top Course Rankings by NC Golf Panel, Triangle Business Journal

Prestigious Golf Club’s Course Ranked First Among All Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary Golf Courses

(DURHAM, N.C.) – Old Chatham Golf Club, a prestigious golf club situated on 400 acres of native pines and oaks in the heart of North Carolina’s Research Triangle region, has been honored with top rankings by the North Carolina Golf Panel and the Triangle Business Journal.

For the second consecutive year, the North Carolina Golf Panel has named Old Chatham the best overall golf course in the Triangle. Old Chatham was also awarded a first place ranking for the best overall experience, according to the rankings released this spring in Business North Carolina magazine. In addition to this honor, the Triangle Business Journal ranked Old Chatham as the number one local, private golf club; placing the course ahead of 19 other acclaimed Triangle-area clubs that made the list.

“Old Chatham is unique among our state's many great courses in that it's all golf, all the time,” said Kevin Brafford, executive director of the North Carolina Golf Panel. “That, coupled with its beautiful, flowing setting, gives the members an opportunity to truly 'get away' and soak in a memorable, peaceful day on the course.”

The North Carolina Golf Panel is a group of approximately 135 people that includes members of the golf media, an array of club pros and general managers at many outstanding courses, accomplished amateur players, college golf coaches and other business executives who take an active role in promoting the sport around the state. Members of the panel vote each year to rank North Carolina’s top 100 courses, as well as courses by region and special categories.

To determine honorees in the best overall experience category, the panel considers factors including the course itself, practice facilities, locker rooms, clubhouse, setting and memorability, among others. The April issue of Business North Carolina magazine features the up-to-date rankings each year.

“Old Chatham consistently provides an outstanding golf experience,” said John ‘Jack’ Evans, Old Chatham member and professor emeritus of business at Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill. “The course and facilities are excellent, and they are not merely maintained, they are nurtured and improved. Members of the staff are professional and cordial. And club members are committed to a welcoming culture.”

Old Chatham members like Evans joined the club for its secluded yet convenient location – minutes from Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill – where members and their guests can escape to the tranquility of an uncrowded retreat, characterized by gracious hospitality with an emphasis on quality and comfort.

“When my wife and I moved back to the Triangle fours years ago, we were invited to visit Old Chatham,” said Christiaan Heijmen, managing director for executive search at Vaco Raleigh. “Upon setting foot on the property we were sold. Since that time, I have enjoyed phenomenal rounds of golf, great new friendships, and a serene place I know I can go to relax, away from the stress of everyday life. I have never shied away from inviting even the most hard-to-please friends and guests to Old Chatham, because I have no doubt that their experience will be first class.”

According to Brian Powell, Old Chatham’s head golf course superintendent, these reviews from members – not the rankings – are why the club continues to hold itself to the highest standard of excellence.

“We’re not driven by recognition,” said Powell, who is also the president of the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association (CGSCA). “Our members and their experience is always top of mind. And if not for this commitment, we wouldn’t have garnered these top rankings in the first place. That one of these awards actually calls out Old Chatham for its overall experience really captures what our golf club is all about.”

For more information, visit www.oldchathamgolf.org.