The Country Club of North Carolina has begun a major investment in its future with the launch of the CCNC Practice Facility Renovation, a $2 million project designed to enhance the golf experience for members and improve one of the club’s most heavily used amenities.
Located in the heart of Moore County, CCNC has selected renowned golf course architect Kris Spence and Spence Golf Inc. to oversee the renovation of the club’s driving range and practice areas. Construction is already underway, and club officials estimate the project will take between eight and ten weeks to complete.
As a result, the driving range and practice facilities are temporarily closed while crews begin work on a complete transformation of the space.
CCNC Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jim Sutton said the project was identified as a high priority in the club’s strategic plan and reflects a growing demand from members for high-quality practice facilities.
“This $2 million project represents an important investment in the member experience,” Sutton said. “Like many private clubs, we have seen a significant increase in both usage and time spent at our practice facilities, and we expect that trend to continue in the years ahead.”
CCNC Practice Facility Renovation Focuses on Safety and Functionality
According to Spence, the primary goal of the renovation is to improve both safety and functionality rather than create a dramatic redesign.
“The main focus is on the safety and functionality aspects of the range,” Spence said. “We are trying to address infrastructure items on it, including agronomy, and we were listening to their problems.”
One of the biggest changes will be the construction of a new 125,000-square-foot practice tee. The redesigned area will be nearly three acres in size and approximately 30 percent larger than the previous two-level configuration.
The updated layout will provide at least eight additional hitting stations while improving ball flight conditions and overall usability for golfers.
Crews will also regrade portions of the practice range, improve drainage, reshape target greens, and install new turf throughout the facility.
New Practice Areas Will Mirror Championship Course Conditions
A key feature of the CCNC Practice Facility Renovation is the effort to replicate actual playing conditions found on the club’s championship courses.
Approximately 40,000 square feet of the practice tee will feature Zoysia grass to match the Dogwood Course fairways. The remaining area will use Bermuda grass similar to the Cardinal Course.
The renovation also includes four newly defined target greens ranging from 3,000 to 3,500 square feet, along with two smaller greens designed specifically for wedge practice.
Golfers will also benefit from an expanded short-game area. Spence says the facility’s short-game complex will grow by roughly 80 percent and include larger greens and enhanced bunker practice areas.
Additional improvements include a larger putting green, upgraded safety netting, and synthetic practice mats at both ends of the range for winter use.
Kris Spence Returns to a Familiar Project
The renovation marks another chapter in the long-standing relationship between CCNC and Kris Spence.
Spence previously led renovations to the Dogwood Course in 2016. That course later gained national attention when it hosted the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, won by Nick Dunlap.
Today, Spence continues to serve as CCNC’s architect of record and advisor for the Dogwood Course.
While construction continues, CCNC members have been granted access to practice facilities at Knollwood Fairways in Southern Pines.
The club expects the upgraded facility to be completed later this summer, providing members with a modernized practice environment designed to support golfers of all skill levels for years to come.
For more information about the Country Club of North Carolina, visit CCNC’s official website. Additional reporting on this story was provided by Sandhills Sentinel.
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