Inside the course: Sedgefield Country Club

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Aug. 17, 2010
By PGA TOUR Staff

The TOUR heads to North Carolina for the final week of the regular season -- an all-important week for players hoping to make it into the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. Here's all you need to know about the host course -- Sedgefield CC.

How to play Sedgefield C.C.

Todd Jones, the head instructor at the TOUR Academy at TPC Sawgrass, analyzes this week's course.

The 2010 Wyndham Championship is being contested at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. The 7,117 yard par 70 layout was originally designed by Ross in 1926 and then remodeled in 2007 by Kris Spence. Sedgefield has a reputation for yielding low scores, which will make for an exciting four days of golf. Last year was no different as regulation play ended with three players tied at the top. Ryan Moore, Jason Bohn and Kevin Stadler shot 16 under par for 72 holes thanks to a combined total of 67 birdies and two eagles. Ultimately, Ryan Moore birdied the third playoff hole to claim his first PGA TOUR title.

Looking at the statistics, Ryan got the job done from tee to green hitting 79 percent of the fairways and 81 percent of the greens in regulation. There are four players in the field this week that are in the top 25 in both statistical categories for the 2010 season. They are Kris Blanks, Joe Durant, Billy Mayfair, and Garrett Willis. It would not be surprising to see one or more of these names near the top of the leaderboard come Sunday afternoon.

To add to the excitement the Wyndham Championship is last regular season event for the PGA TOUR. That means that this tournament is the last chance to earn valuable FedExCup points and punch a ticket into the playoffs. It will be fun to watch!

For more information about the PGA TOUR Academy golf schools, click here

Fast facts

Course Superintendent	Keith C. Wood
Original architect	Donald Ross (1926)
Course remodel	Kris Spence (2007)
Number of TOUR events as host venue	29 (including 2010)
Course ranking	Ranked 41st (out of 51 courses) in difficulty on the PGA TOUR in 2009
Yardage history	6,680 (1938-1969)
	7,034 (1970-1972)
	7,012 (1973-1974)
	6,643 (1975-1976)
	7,117 (2008-2009)
	7,130 (2010)
Grass	Bermudagrass (tees, fairways, rough); Bentgrass (greens)
Tournament Stimpmeter	11 feet
Sand bunkers	48
Water hazards	12 creeks, 1 pond
Course tour	Click here

Course record

Player
Carl Pettersson

Year
2008

Round
2nd

Finish
WON

Holes-in-one

Player	Hole	Year
Steve Elkington	No. 3	2009

2009 Rankings

Most Difficult Hole

	Added length restores this to a solid par 4 hole. The long uphill approach from a downhill lie will require accuracy to avoid the four bunkers protecting the approach and sides of the large green. 2009: 0 eagles, 33 birdies, 291 pars, 114 bogeys, 18 double bogeys, 3 others.
Easiest Hole
	The downhill tee shot must avoid a small creek on the left and a large fairway bunker on the right. Going for the green in two will require a long carry over water and deep greenside bunkering to a severe back to front sloping green. 2009: 26 eagles, 263 birdies, 146 pars, 21 bogeys, 2 double bogeys and 0 others.

Sedgefield Country Club			2009 rankings		Last two years
Hole	Par	Yards	Avg. Score	Rank	Avg. Score	Rank
1	4	418	4.05	5	4.069	5
2	4	442	3.956	10	3.967	9
3	3	174	2.908	13	2.919	12
4	4	428	4.035	7	3.991	8
5	5	529	4.383	17	4.385	18
6	4	423	3.963	9	3.931	10
7	3	223	3.024	8	3.036	7
8	4	374	3.843	16	3.830	16
9	4	416	3.922	12	3.917	13
10	4	440	4.089	4	4.081	4
11	4	486	4.144	3	4.092	3
12	3	235	3.039	6	3.052	6
13	4	405	3.926	11	3.924	11
14	4	501	4.153	2	4.152	2
15	5	545	4.377	18	4.392	17
16	3	165	2.889	15	2.909	14
17	4	406	3.895	14	3.906	15
18*	4	507	4.275	1	4.258	1

Course origins

On September 22, 2007, Sedgefield Country Club's famous Donald Ross golf course reopened following a major 10-month, $3 million restoration project. This has transformed the golf course back to how Ross intended the course to play, while taking into consideration the changes in golf technology and turfgrass development over the last 50 years. The restoration of the Ross 1926 classic design has positioned Sedgefield Country Club as one of the premier private country clubs in America.

Sedgefield Country Club is one of North Carolina's oldest and most historic clubs. The original inn/clubhouse was built in 1925 and was completely renovated from 1992-1993. Renovation of the inn permitted the members to maintain this historic Tudor building while combining all of the conveniences of today's modern country clubs. The clubhouse is 48,000 square feet and features the original main lobby.

Sedgefield Country Club is best known for its 18-hole, Donald Ross-designed golf course. Designed in 1925, Sedgefield has played host to many major amateur events in the Carolinas, as well as hosting the Greater Greensboro Open for over 50 years. On May 8, 1953, the Atlantic Coast Conference was formed at Sedgefield Country Club.

The course does not play long off the tees, but must be played from the green back to the tee. Emphasis must be put on ball placement in the fairway in order to get the appropriate angle to the green. The greens at Sedgefield are very undulating and slope from back to front, with many falling off the edges into collection areas. -- Source: Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

Tournament course history

Course	Location	Years
Sedgefield Country Club	Greensboro, N.C.	1938-1941*, 1946, 1948, 1950, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1961-1976, 2008-present
Starmount Forest Country Club	Greensboro, N.C.	1938-1942**, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1956, 1958-1960
Forest Oaks CC	Greensboro, N.C.	1977-2007

* The tournament was played at both Starmount Forest CC and Sedgefield CC from 1938-1941. ** There was not a tournament in 1943 and 1944.

This week's Kodak Challenge hole

HOLE: The par-5, 547-yard 15th at Sedgefield
LAST YEAR: The 15th played to a stroke average of 4.337, with players recording 26 eagles, 263 birdies, 146 pars, 21 bogeys, 2 double bogeys and 1 other.
DESCRIPTION: The downhill tee shot must avoid a small creek on the left and a large fairway bunker on the right. Going for the green in two will require a long carry over water and deep greenside bunkering to a severe back to front sloping green.(Click here for Sedgefield tour