Chip King Feature The new "Walk With The Legends" intiative at Mid Pines and Pine Needles Resorts is the essense of what the ultimate golf experience is all about, says Director of Golf Chip King. "We're trying to take the game back to its roots," says King. "Take away the sand greens, and the golf courses are about like they were in the 1920s. Then there were no golf carts. People walked to play golf. "Today we'd like to offer that option to people who want it. That's almost unheard of in the resort business today." King was the long-time head professional at Mid Pines until 1994, when the venerable resorts on either side of Midland Road in Southern Pines were united. Since then he has presided over both courses. "We're very fortunate to have Chip overseeing our golf operations," says Kelly Miller, general manager for the two resorts. "He's the consummate professional. He really cares about everyone, particularly the people working under him. He's a great trainer, a great leader and a wonderful businessman." This year King has launched two new programs, one geared toward walking and the other toward speed of play. "Walk with the Legends" recognizes the right of golfers to walk and carry their own bag if they so desire. "Fast Play Makes for Fast Friends" is an effort to teach golfers how they can shave minutes off every round with simple, common sense measures. "Kelly really challenges you to come up with initiatives to make the experience better for our guests," says King. "I'm really excited about these two. I think they'll help set us apart." No longer do Mid Pines and Pine Needles charge for a greens fee and cart fee, as is the industry standard. Now guests pay a "golf fee," which is generally built into the price of their package. The all-encompassing fee allows them the choice of walking or riding (it also includes range balls). Trolleys and lightweight carry bags are available for guests' use at no charge. In addition, motorized carts with holders for four carry bags are available, and the golf staffs can arrange for caddies with a day's notice (and an additional charge). The fast-play program begins with each foursome being assigned a time at which it is expected to reach the 10th tee; it will be given a card designating that time. Two hours, eight minutes are allowed for each nine. If a group gets behind, a player assistance official will help it catch up. Each group will also be given a laminated card with tips on fast play, one of the most important of which is continuous putting. King's staff has also installed in the middle of each fairway stakes indicating 100, 150 and 200 yards from the green. These easy-to-find markers will help players identify yardages without spending a lot of time looking for sprinkler heads. "We're not trying to rush or intimidate people," says King. "All we want is for them to be aware of playing at a reasonable pace. There's simply no reason to take five hours or more on these golf courses. There are not a lot of penal hazards and they're very compact." Walking and fast-play are two of the hottest buttons in the game today, and King is excited to be addressing them. The walking issue is particularly important, particularly to the 30s- to 40s-age-bracket. "For many people golf is part of their fitness and exercise program," he says. "They can walk at their home club, but then they go on the road and are told they have to ride. That doesn't sit well with a lot of them, and for good reason. Golf is an athletic endeavor. Walking is part of the game to many people." It's now returned to being part of the game at Pine Needles and Mid Pines. Just as it was in the 1920s. GOLF Silver Medal By far my favorite assignment in golf writing is the call that comes every other year from the travel editor at GOLF Magazine, asking if I'd like to help again in the magazine's semi-annual Gold And Silver Medal Resorts ratings. I can't say "yes" quick enough. The assignments have taken me to some terrific and some mediocre golf resorts in California, northern Michigan, Florida and even to that most remote of locales, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Here's the deal: The writer is given a questionnaire about seven pages long, asking for evaluations of everything from the variety of the course design to the quality of range balls to the taste of breakfast omlettes. He's given instructions to fill out the questionnaire and write an essay on the overall experience. He's also directed‹and this is the key part‹to pay as any typical resort guest would and never announce to resort officials who he is or that he's on assignment from GOLF. It makes for a brutally honest and no-holds-barred evaluation. It also prevents the resort from pulling out the red carpet as it often will for travel or golf writers it knows are on premises. Which is why Mid Pines and Pine Needles can be proud of their inclusion in last November's announcement of the magazine's Gold and Silver Medal winners. The Souhern Pines resorts are among 50 nationwide in the Silver Medal category. You can be sure that this is the cleanest resort evaluation process in all of the golf industry. Politics and advertising have no power. I don't know who evaluated Mid Pines and Pine Needles. (I'm afraid I've never been asked to evaluate any resorts in the Sandhills; my familiarity with them would probably dull the razor-sharp eye for detail the job requires.) But I can understand why the evaluator rated the resorts high. Among his comments published in the magazine is "The place reeks of golf the way it ought to be." I can't think of a higher compliment than that.
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© 1998 PineNeedles Lodge & Golf Club