A good case can be made that the most famous name in golf, over the span of 100 years, belongs to Donald Ross. The prolific golf course architect is credited with 400 designs – many of which have held up through the ages as some of the greatest classics in America.
Certainly the Pinehurst area of North Carolina lays claim to a number of Ross’ best. And he loved the Sandhills region so much, that he made it his home.
Pinehurst No. 2 is the most famous of his designs in the Sandhills. But there are others that have carved their own niche in golf history … or will do so in upcoming years. For those reasons, the award-winning Traveling Golfer television show is taking an in-depth look at three Ross classics as the topic of its March episode.
The sister properties of Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, Mid-Pines Inn & Golf Club and the newly renovated Southern Pines Golf Club will present a tantalizing look at the architecture style of Donald Ross – while laying out a winning trifecta of amazing golf that anyone can play on a trip to the Pinehurst area.
“There is a very special allure to the Ross name,” explains, Phil Werz, president and CEO of the Pinehurst-Aberdeen-Southern Pines Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “And that has spilled over to the Pinehurst area because of the amazing work he did here. After all, they call it the Home of American Golf.
“Where else can golfers plan a three-day trip and play courses like Pine Needles, which hosted three previous U.S. Women’s Open Championships and a fourth this June; Mid-Pines, a rarity that exists exactly as Ross built it in 1921 and hosted the 2002 U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur Championship; and Southern Pines, the oldest course in the area and also the newest – after a multi-million dollar renovation?”
The claims of Werz are not just those of someone who lives to promote the area. Traveling Golfer host Tony Leodora echoes the same sentiments … and may even take them a step further.
“When you talk about planning a fun golf vacation, but one that is steeped in golf history, there can be no better place than Pinehurst,” says Leodora, who made his first trip to the Sandhills area in 1980 and has been back too many times to count. “The three courses at Pine Needles, Mid-Pines and Southern Pines put a capital FUN in any golf trip. They are classic Donald Ross, but playable for us mere mortals to enjoy.”
The accommodations at either the Pine Needles Lodge or Mid-Pines Inn also are a step back into history. For a complete look at the accommodations available on property, go to www.pineneedleslodge.com or www.midpinesinn.com.
The March episode of the Traveling Golfer airs as a scheduled weekly feature show on NBC Sports and NBC Sports + throughout four markets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. NBC Sports airings are 10:30 a.m. on Sundays, 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and 11 a.m. on Thursdays. NBC Sports + airs the show at 8 p.m. Mondays and Fridays. In addition, the show airs nationally, three times every day, on the Fun Roads Network (funroads.tv/schedule) – in the San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Wichita, Detroit, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Washington State, North Dakota, Raleigh, Orlando, San Jose, Albany and Boise markets. Additionally, national and international expansion has taken place via connected TV on Roku, Amazon Fire, SelectTV and GlewedTV – including the new WingDing Network, available on demand and in 50 million households worldwide on Roku.
The Traveling Golfer also airs a number of times throughout the month on “Rivertalk” on HTC-4 in Myrtle Beach.
The show also airs on the Traveling Golfer network of websites … including The Golf Director Network and The Myrtle Beach Golf Channel (see full list of sites on travelinggolfervideo.com).
As part of every Traveling Golfer show there is the additional feature, “Tech Talk”, hosted by Tour Edge Golf experts, such as President Dave Glod. With years of experience as a club maker, Glod presents an inside look at the research and development of high-quality golf equipment.
Responding to golfers’ never-ending demands to learn more about interesting golf courses and golf resorts across the country and around the world, well-traveled host Tony Leodora created the Traveling Golfer so he could take viewers on video trips to some of the most exciting golf locations. Four times in the last seven years, the show has been honored as the No. 1 Golf Television Show in America in the prestigious International Network of Golf awards, presented at the PGA Merchandise Show.
The Traveling Golfer is a series of monthly shows hosted by Leodora, who has 20 years of experience in televised golf. The featured destination stays on the website for one month, before being replaced by a new show. Alternate shows also air in a two-month rotation. All old shows are archived for continued viewing on the YouTube Network and on the home website, www.travelinggolfervideo.com.
For more information about the Traveling Golfer, or to find out how a property can be featured on the show, call TL Golf Services at (610) 721-8186 or e-mail Tony Leodora at tony.leodora@TL-golfservices.com. .
