384 Davant Drive, Ridgeland, SC 29936 (843) 717-3400. He was awarded Master Professional status by the PGA of Great Britain at a ceremony held at St. Andrews during the 2015 Open Championship. The PGA Tour will play the Palmetto Championship at Congaree Golf Club. They recognize that youre a Congaree kid and I wear that with pride.. A native Houstonian, Lesley is passionate about philanthropy and giving back to the community. And while there is no initiation fee, Congarees ambassadors, as theyre called, are encouraged to not only make a financial contribution to the charitable Congaree Foundation thats separate from the club, but to take an active role in interacting with youth and sharing their life experiences, both good and bad. The trajectory then continues to go upward because of what our ambassadors can do. Congaree is 40 miles from Hilton Head Island. In June, Congaree made its PGA TOUR debut with Garrick Higgo winning by one stroke. [13], The founders of Congaree - Dan Friedkin and the late Bob McNair - set out to create a new philanthropic model that unites ambassador-members with a shared purpose to positively impact the lives of young people, locally and around the globe, by providing educational and vocational opportunities through the game of golf. The two planned a place where members, some 200 who are referred to as ambassadors, spent significant time on philanthropy and growing the game. The dates in game are still on the same 7 day cycle. A warm and cozy golf shop sits near the first tee and a newly-constructed white-washed lodge is at the far end of a gravel roundabout, with a restaurant, bar and covered back porch that looks out on the golf course behind it. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. We want people to be here for the right reasons, Davidson says. Dan holds a bachelors degree from Georgetown University and a masters degree in finance from Rice University. The membership process is old-fashioned: by referral only. Holes 18. But the vision of Mr. Friedkin was that our club was going to make a difference in the world of golf and a difference in the world of underprivileged children.. The state has some of the best golf courses in the country. One week is not going to change their lives, but its that week with the two years following [before they graduate high school] that changes their lives.. Hannah Gostonczik has served as the Program Coordinator for the Congaree Foundation since March 2022. Both founders had previous golf club experience, as Bob was an owner of the Golf Club at Briars Creek in South Carolina, and Dan owns the Creek Golf Club in North Carolina. Said Davidson with a smile, I told him, `thats one of the nicest things Ive heard.. Also, it ranks among the top 100 golf courses in the United States. Congarees approach with area schools is: How would you like us to help you?. In 2021, Golf Digest ranked the golf club 39th on their Americas 100 Greatest Golf Courses list. And Congaree Golf Club is arguably the best golf course here. From 1938 to 1991 the property was transferred three more times, ultimately to Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Rutledge Moore. McNair was perhaps best known in the business community as the founder of Cogen Technologies, which became the largest privately owned cogeneration company in the world with an aggregate capacity of 1,400 megawatts. . Ambassadors is a word we chose because the spreading of the word and what we do with our philanthropy here, our ambassadors really truly are ambassadors, Davidson says. In the words of Jim Nantz, Congaree hosts the third event of the South Carolina swing on the PGA Tour in 2021, alongside Aprils RBC Heritage at Harbour Town and the PGA Championship at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island in May, with a $7.8 million purse up for grabs for the full 156-player field. An errant tee shot can run quickly through the side of the fairway and get caught in the bunker like a gutter ball in bowling. [10] The original Greek Revival home was burned by order of Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman in 1865 along with much of the rest of Gillisonville, SC. Congaree is less than 15 miles from the border of South Carolina and Georgia. Since its founding, Congaree has been hailed as one of the best new courses in America but it was established to be much more than a world-class golf club. A graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University, Tom is a PGA Class A Professional. The development became Congaree. But stick around because well talk about what type of club Congaree is, who founded it, some famous ambassadors and what the future holds for this prestigious golf club. [2][3] The club was ranked 39th in Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses 20212022. To date, 68 students have graduated from the program, and 27 who have already graduated from high school have received college golf scholarships valued at roughly $2.2 million total. Simply put, if youre hoping to join the club for you, youre probably not the right fit for them. And Congaree is just that: an exceptional club with an extraordinary vision. Far from it. The founders of Congaree - Dan Friedkin and the late Bob McNair - set out to create a new philanthropic model that unites ambassador-members with a shared purpose to positively impact the lives of young people, locally and around the globe, by providing educational and vocational opportunities through the game of golf. The two Texas businessmen own other successful golf clubs Friedkin the Diamond Creek Golf Club in Banner Elk, North Carolina, and McNair the Golf Club at Briars Creek in Johns Island, South Carolina but they sought something different, a new club model with a sustaining purpose shared among its ambassadors. Higgo won the tournament at 11 under with six players one stroke back. Congaree Golf Club is located at 8589 Grays Hwy, Ridgeland, SC 29936. Though his passion is teaching the game of golf, Bruce remains an accomplished player, having competed in three Senior Opens, and was the only club professional to make the cut in the 2015 Senior Open held at Sunningdale Golf Club in England. Tucked away in a quiet corner of the South Carolina Lowcountry, the Tom Fazio design debuted as Golf Digests Best New Private Course in 2018 and recently was announced at No. [5] It was called the Palmetto Championship at Congaree[6] and took place from June 1013, 2021. You may opt-out by. The CJ Cup in South Carolina, a PGA Tour limited-field event, features 15 of the top 20 players in the World Golf Rankings who . You can reach him at joshua_berhow@golf.com. From the very beginning, Congaree was positioned as a philanthropic club. Theres no sign or number to mark the entrance to Congaree, just a 5-foot tall brick wall and an unassuming white-washed wood gate. Almost every single one of our Congaree Kids has earned a college scholarship, with many of them playing golf at the collegiate level. The education, mentorship and training they receive at CGGI stays with them well beyond their time at Congaree.. So many of our kids are on a road to success. Twenty-three percent of residents in Jasper County live below the poverty level. Dwayne McLemore dmclemore@thestate.com. Senior tour golfer Bobby Wadkins was there the same time I visited and said the turf was so hard he was having trouble getting tees in the ground. Is Hosting the Presidents Cup in the Future. Prior to joining Congaree, Tom was the 1st Assistant Professional at Diamond Creek Golf Club, Assistant Professional at Miromar Lakes Golf Club and an Assistant Professional at Rock Creek Cattle Company. One of the key figures behind the idea is Friedkin, who quietly might be the most interesting man in golf (with apologies to Miguel Angel Jimenez and the gentleman in the Dos Equis commercials). The Congaree Golf Club came into existence in the 2010s. . It was at the Carolinas PGA Section where Hannah discovered her passion for helping young people through the game of golf. Many current and prospective ambassadors likely got a similar experience during the week of the Masters Tournament, with helicopters shuttling members and guests into the club from Augusta. Were going to give them mock tests and meet with counselors and talk about educational aspirations. (Photo by Richard Martin-Roberts/Getty Images). Dan Friedkin is the chairman of The Friedkin group, which is a consortium of businesses that operates in the luxury hospitality, automotive, entertainment, and golf industries. Start the New Year right with InsideGOLF ($100 value - just $20). Her prior work experience involves serving as the Office Manager for a prestigious law firm and working in the Admissions Office at a K-12 independent high school. There are no tee markers, just yardage plates that align with the tee areas on the scorecard, encouraging match play and flexibility when deciding where to play from on each hole. Who Are Members At Congaree? It has a natural look, lends itself to the ground game and plays firm and fast think Royal Aberdeen in a drought, Davidson says. 39 on Golf Digests 2021 Americas 100 Greatest Golf Courses rankings. McNair owned Palmetto Partners, Ltd. and RCM Financial Services, L.P., private investment entities that managed the McNairs private and public equity investments. Congaree helped usher in a new membership model in the world of high-end private clubs, with a philanthropic purpose and a network of invited "ambassadors" committed to providing educational,. They werent prepared for the reaction they got: tears of joy. Ashlee Vance explores innovations in new tech, software, engineering, and science in places outside of Silicon Valley. The two planned a place where members, some 200 who are referred to as ambassadors, spent significant time on philanthropy and growing the game. Also, 95% of age-eligible individuals have attended college. [8], It was announced on June 29, 2022, that the PGA TOURs CJ Cup will be hosted at Congaree the week of October 17-23, 2022, after the event was contested in Las Vegas at Shadow Creek Golf Course and The Summit Club the previous two years. He has been the coach of Major champions Mark OMeara, Ian Woosnam and also Keith Fergus. 1 plays like World No. Behind the Business of Hole-In-One Insurance, 6 Mostly Undiscovered U.S. It plays very firm and fast, Fazio said. I write about businesses, news and destinations in the golf world. You're not going to get all the way 72 holes and not hit it in some bunkers.. We have the opportunity to touch so many more lives and empower the next generation of leaders through a shared passion for the game of golf. The 18th green at Congaree sits just behind the. Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories. It appears your browser may be outdated. There are no "members" at Congaree golf club, the 3,000-acre property about 30 minutes north of Savannah, Ga. It was about using a golf course in a uniquely positive way. Maeve Cummins of Northern Ireland is among the members of the inaugural Congaree Global Golf [+] Initiative in 2017. The ball goes far, but also moves a lot on the ground. Nick Price, Tom Watson and Mark OMeara were among ambassadors as recently as a year ago. The bid was voted on and approved by the Ridgeland Town Council in support of the clubs bid for the event. Thats really what Dan wanted to create a network of influential people, special people willing to step up to the plate if asked. Eighty-five percent of all graduates have attended college. - Started and directed the first tee . 8 will probably emerge to be the signature, great holes abound at Congaree, a par-71 layout that can stretch to 7,685 yards. Ben is a lifelong golfer and enjoys uniting his passion for the game, youth, and philanthropy. By PGA Tour Jun 30 2022 4:51PM. Its 70 miles from Charleston and 170 miles from Myrtle Beach. Congaree has maintained many of the buildings used in the film some going back to pre-1800 and added a few of their own to blend in with the history. It all combines to give the course a somewhat links-y feel. The par-4 ninth in some respects is reminiscent of the 16th hole at Pine Valley, while the finishing stretch of four straight par-4s from 15-18 is a terrific mix, ending with a testing approach over water and sand to a narrow 18th green behind the clubhouse. Toms love for golf has driven him to teach young men and women about the game and the opportunities it can create. Golf Destinations, Best Golf Courses for Spectator Viewing LINKS Golf Podcast Ep. It's firm and fast. It's designed that way. In replacement of the traditional member system at most golf clubs, Congaree has an extended membership of over 200 Ambassador Members. That isnt what Congaree is about. Congaree Golf Club opened in 2017 in Ridgeland, S.C., the brainchild of billionaire businessmen Dan Friedkin and the late Bob McNair. Friedkin and the late Bob McNair, a University of South Carolina graduate who owned the National Football League's Houston Texans, started the club for a base for their Congaree Global Golf. It's fun," Glover recently told Golfweek. Later this summer it will host 36 new, eager and promising students. The ambassador members of the course are likeminded individuals who are invited to be members of the club. Among the Congaree ambassadors who will also be involved is Peter Fluor, a Texas businessman involved in the energy, engineering and construction industries. Congaree Golf Club is one of the most renowned golf clubs in the world to open in the past ten years. in a few hours. The initiative operates a camp each summer for selected high school students from around the world, instructing them in golf, academics and life skills and aiding in obtaining academic and athletic . Congaree turns to PGA pro ambassadors such as World Golf Hall of Famer Mark O'Meara, LPGA star Morgan Pressel and 39-time PGA Tour winner Tom Watson to help identify participants who are passionate about golf and show academic promise, but do not have the means or support to fulfill their potential. McMaster announces Palmetto Championship as new PGA TOUR event in South Carolina", "Congaree Golf Club to host PGA TOUR's Palmetto Championship at Congaree", "After a morning call from Gary Player, Garrick Higgo earns first PGA Tour win at Palmetto Championship in second start", "PGA Tour's CJ Cup moves to a Golfweek's Best course in South Carolina", "Davant Plantation Gillisonville Jasper County", "Congaree: A First Look At The Golf Club Built By Billionaires On A Model Of Philanthropy", "Which SC golf course makes pitch for 2025 Presidents Cup? He is a native of South Carolina and resides in Charleston with his wife and two children. The Congaree Foundations main mission is to provide education and resources to children and teens with the mission to helping the kids get to college. The Congaree Golf Club has received international acclaim for creating a great golf course and even more praise for helping create opportunities for kids from all around the world to go to college. Renowned architect Tom Fazio designed the championship course to seamlessly embrace its natural surroundings. So theres a Congaree Foundation and just two `members of the club Dan and Bob. . There are only "ambassadors" chosen by old-school methodologyreferrals.. We are very proud of them and I think they are very proud of the club.. Davidson said club ambassadors are generous with their finances and their time. We want these people to come in and commit.. The tee shot on the uphill par-5 second hole. Scottsdale, Arizona. FROM $237 (USD) HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC | Enjoy up to 5 nights' accommodations at The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa and and up to 4 rounds of golf at Palmetto Dunes Golf Club (Fazio, Hills & Jones Courses) and the Country Club of Hilton Head. Numerous mature trees were carefully uprooted and replanted elsewhere around the course. The club opened with two members its owners and now has one, after McNairs passing in 2018. Nearby Long Cove Club on Hilton Head Island was also awarded a U.S. Open qualifier to accommodate players in the Palmetto Championship, as the previous qualifying site in Canada was also forced to cancel. In 2001, when legendary golf professional Dick Harmon retired from River Oaks Country Club, Bruce followed his mentor and served as director of golf at the club until 2014. What is . Davidson and McNeely were both involved in building the club and its programs with Friedkin and McNair. Davidson usually has the greens running north of 13 on the stimpmeter and happily shares his team can get them to 15, but he does not expect to reach such speeds at the CJ CUP. Much of Congarees initial philanthropic activity will occur with a program the club has named the Global Golf Initiative. Well, Bermudagrass stops growing at that temperature.. It really feels like Congaree expanded my network, but even further than that, its my golf family. His mother Terri, a collegiate golfer and basketball player at Iowa State, started teaching him the game as a 3-year-old. Ben has been awarded the Carolinas PGA Junior Golf Leader of the Year and selected as one of Charlestons Forty Under 40 business professionals. We had an opportunity here to be close to what we wanted to do because of the way the land was, and because of the way it would play firm and fast.. Lesley obtained her B.A. [12], In September 2019, Congaree made an unsuccessful pitch at hosting the 2025 Presidents Cup. The par-4 15th hole at the Tom Fazio-designed, The par-4 18th hole is protected by a pond and a, The gravel entrance road at Congaree is framed by. We thought, no, it can't, we can't be this lucky. There is no initiation fee at this golf and philanthropic 16Congaree Golf Club Initiation Fee and Monthly Dues - Wojdylo Golf Author:wojdylogolf.com Published:03/23/2022 Review:2.4 (81 vote) The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. Since the clubs opening in 2017, the CGGI has identified aspiring golfers each year with the talent but not necessarily the resources for college golf. Some are in. So, where is Congaree Golf Club? Through the Global Golf Initiative at Congaree, Friedkin wants to identify 40 high school students each year from around the world who have demonstrated a commitment to education and personal development, and who also might be good enough to play golf in college but dont have the financial wherewithal, parental support or knowledge to locate the right opportunities and navigate the various hurdles. She is a member of the United Way Womens Initiative of Greater Houston, served on the Board of Make-A-Wish Foundation Gulf Coast and Louisiana Chapter from 2016-2019, and is an active member of the Bayou City Chapter of the National Charity League. Each summer, participants come to Congaree for a week and receive golf instruction from teaching experts and work with academic and college counselors to help them overcome the barriers to playing college athletics. Congaree does foster those relationships outside of just professional coaching. When OMeara saw the first green at Congaree, he was struck by how much it looked like Royal Melbourne in Australia. It is a fairly new golf course when compared to others in the country. Hes far more interesting than that, The embarrassing reason Adam Scott wont be at the Phoenix Open, Hayden Buckley said this part of his game cost him at the Sony Open, 2023 Sony Open in Hawaii: How to watch, TV schedule, streaming, tee times, Meet the new GOLF Top 100 Teachers of America, Adidas announces adicross additions, plus shoes to come soon, World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. The couple of guidance counselors in Jasper County are greatly overextended there are 670 students in nearby Ridgeland-Hardeeville High School and many kids rely on schools to supply the majority of their meals. Congaree is a private course, but, unlike many others, it only has one member (co-founder Dan Friedkin) and around 250 ambassadors. The initiative will start this June with six youngsters from the U.S. and six from overseas. Its been a lot of work. Every summer since 2017, Congaree has welcomed 20 to 30 under-resourced, but aspiring collegiate golfers to visit the club, which is tucked away on a 3,200-acre property in rural Jasper County, about 30 minutes north of Savannah, Georgia. From June 10th-13th, 2021 Congaree Golf Club will get more exposure than any time in its history. We had to build a world-class club to pique the interest of the people that you need in this business model, which doesnt measure return on investment in terms of dollars, says Davidson. The founders of Congaree set out to create a new philanthropic model that unites Ambassadors with a shared purpose to positively impact the lives of young people, locally and around the globe, by providing educational and vocational opportunities through the game of golf. During the under-the-radar construction process at Congaree, rumors floated around the community: a posh resort was coming to the old plantation or it was a private club that cost $1 million to join. It is situated on a historic 18th-century estate, surrounding 2,000 acres of fishing lakes and longleaf pine forests. The course features a numerous amount of oak trees which are prominently featured throughout the course. All sandy expanses at Congaree are deemed natural areas, so players are permitted to ground their club anywhere, anytime. Through perseverance, therapy and tons of friend support, I was able to get back into it. Fazio points to another of his East Coast courses, Caves Valley, host of the 2021 BMW Championship, as an example of a venue that can be dramatically affected by the weather. I only heard about the clubs unique vision from a mutual friend in the industry and, intrigued, actively sought to learn more. Dec 31, 2022 at 4:30pm Doyley: in-game deadline is accurate - on site is off for some reason Dec 31, 2022 at 12:56pm Cecil Harvey: Looks as if the old events will close in game and the new ones will open way before that extra 24 hours are up. When Fazio first visited, his response was similar: You guys hit the mother lode here.. Congaree Golf Club Nov 2022 - Present 3 months. Architect Tom Fazio. His net worth is $3.6 billion, making him the 174th richest person in the U.S., according to Forbes. Although the course generally doesnt get much wind, Fazio said, its vital to anticipate how the ball moves along the ground. The exclusively private club built on a former 18th century rice plantation was founded by two of the 200 richest people in the U.S.: Dan Friedkin, chairman of The Friedkin Group, a privately held consortium of businesses in the automotive, luxury hospitality, golf and entertainment industries; and Robert C. Bob McNair, owner of the NFLs Houston Texans and chairman of The McNair Group. Bloomberg Surveillance, covering the latest news in finance, economics and investments. There are no tee markers at Congaree, just discs on one side of the expansive teeing ground that give the yardage of the hole. Situated on an historic 18th century estate, and surrounded by more than 2,000 acres of fishing lakes and Longleaf Pine Forests in South Carolina's scenic Lowcountry, Congaree is a world-class golf club with a philanthropic mission at its core. Instead of members, the club invites "ambassadors" to join who are passionate about supporting Congaree Foundation's philanthropic programs and becoming personally involved through a shared devotion to the game and giving their time to mentorship opportunities. The CJ Cup was launched as Korea's first official PGA Tour tournament in 2017 and was played for three consecutive years at Nine Bridges on Jeju Island before being relocated to the US due to the challenges of COVID-19, a news release said. club's inaugural Global Golf Initiative program from 2017 are showing how they took advantage of life-changing opportunities. PGA Tour and CJ Group officials have announced that THE CJ CUP will be contested at Congaree Golf Club in South Carolina, the week of October 17-23.