The entrance to the USGA museum in Far Hills , N . J . The new Golf House Pinehurst will feature a museum and visitors center . BELOW : Course designer Donald Ross is pictured at the First Club Makers Work Shop in Pinehurst . |
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Preliminary conversations began between Davis , Dedman , former USGA executive committee chairman Diana Murphy and resort president Tom Pashley about making Pinehurst Resort a U . S . Open anchor site .
According to Annis , the fancied concept developed to reduce the number of U . S . Open host courses that accounts for almost 75 percent of the Association ’ s annual operating budget . It was also borne out of a comprehensive research plan . The USGA canvassed players , fans , stakeholders , media and industry luminaries , gathering lucid feedback in which participants identified synonymous U . S . Open courses , or those being worthy of hosting the major championship on a grand stage .
“ They wanted us to go to those places more frequently ,” said Annis .
While talks were happening between the USGA and Pinehurst , Golf House in Liberty Corner , N . J .— its permanent headquarters since moving to the 230-
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acre campus on March 8 , 1972 from New York — was undergoing a $ 60 million facelift . There were three stages to the project : upgrade the three-story Museum that sits in the Georgian colonial mansion , designed by John Russell Pope in 1919 ; revise part of the newer main office building ; and address the antiquated test center , built in 1984 .
Soon the USGA greenlit the U . S . Open anchor site concept . That perpetuated Pinehurst and the state to put forth a suggestion . Why not build a new campus that featured a new test center and satellite office in Pinehurst ? The state dangled incentives . To borrow from The Godfather , it was an offer the USGA could not refuse .
It made sense . The test center , inundated yearly with about 3,000 equipment submissions from manufacturers , had long overcome challenges ensuring balls and equipment conformed to the Rules of Golf .
“ The reality is that the building itself is inadequate ,” said Annis , “ and at this stage needs to be knocked down and needs to start all over . There are challenges with climate control , where it gets too hot or too cold and affects our ability to test . That was a priority for us — to rebuild the test center .”
In February at its Annual Meeting , the USGA decided to move forward . However , “ Project Woodpecker ” almost saw its sturdy beak of a plan turn flaccid , and in doubt . When COVID-19 hit , spelling uncertainty ,
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the situation at first felt like an unfixable , slow-leaking tire . The project had been flung into purgatory .
Summer soon rolled around and a poised USGA rekindled talks with state representatives . Were they still interested ? The state said , yes , but still needed to look at creative ways to make it work .
“ We had a state that was actively pursuing us and said to us , ‘ There ’ s a lot North Carolina has to offer . We want to not only have Pinehurst be the cradle or home of American golf , but we want North Carolina to be seen that way ,’” said Annis .
In the end , the state House and Senate overwhelmingly passed the Championship NC Act , or House Bill 807 , which Gov . Roy Cooper signed into law early September . Financing allocates up to $ 42 million in incentives . Over the next five years , the act specifies grants totaling $ 18 million while the state will give the USGA $ 3.6 million this fiscal year . The law states the USGA would be eligible for the grants if it invests $ 5 million . Local and county incentives would also provide up to 90 percent property tax breaks .
In turn , the USGA agreed to be operational in the buildings by December 2023 .
Furthermore , the act requires that 50 jobs must be maintained for up to 10 years while 35 of them need to be new hires — with all roles receiving an annual salary of at least $ 80,000 . There are currently 15 North Carolina-based USGA employees .
“ This new USGA hub along with the assured rotation of the U . S . Open in Pinehurst will bring jobs and millions of tourism dollars to our state ,” said Cooper . “ North Carolina ’ s golf history is legendary , and this adds to the luster .”
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