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Feature Stories
Roger Watson by Bill F. Hensley
MYRTLE BEACH, SC—The man who beat the famed Sam Snead to win a national championship could probably have beaten him—and others-- in a corporate board room, too.
It has been 36 years since young Roger Watson, the head golf professional at MacGregor Downs Country Club in Raleigh, beat Snead on the first hole of a playoff to win the PGA National Club Professional Championship at Pinehurst No. 2. The victory was a major upset, pitting a relative unknown club pro against one of the game’s most famous players.
Watson went on to defend his title the next year and embark on a playing career that saw him play in the US Open and the PGA championship tournaments, win the Carolinas PGA Section title along with Player of the Year honors, and a host of other events.
As good as he was as a teacher and player, Watson was an instant success in the business side of golf, using his vast knowledge and talent to perfection. An astute and innovative businessman, he formed a number of partnerships that built, owned or leased a number of courses. Later his management skills led to an effective association with clubs—public, private and semi-private—handling all phases of club operations.
Several of the company’s unique programs have resulted in tremendous cost-savings for clubs that were fighting hard to stay alive in a wayward economy. The High Point Country Club, for example, recently saw a new membership program result in an increase of more than 120 members in less than six months. Wildwood Green’s membership has grown by 240 members during an 18-month period.
After graduating from High Point College in 1966, where he earned NAIA All-American honors as the school’s top player, Watson ventured out into professional golf.
His first job was a two-year stint as an assistant golf professional under Buck Adams at the Country Club of North Carolina. Later he became Head Professional at Sapona CC in Lexington, NC, for two years before taking over at MacGregor Downs, where he served for 12 years.
It was at MacGregor Downs that Watson began to think of a career off the golf course. In addition to serving as the golf pro, he was asked to be president of the club’s real estate division. The lessons he learned from selling proved invaluable, and in 1982 he formed his first partnership—the Eaglemere Group—and built Lochmere Golf Club in Cary and Wildwood Green in Raleigh.
A year later he formed Watson Golf Services to manage courses with Lochmere as his first client.
In 1984 he joined forces with Cliff Benson Jr. of Raleigh and bought both Wildwood and Lochmere from Eaglemere. Later he built and managed North Shore in Topsail Beach, NC.
Professional Golf Design came along in 1986, and the company designed and ran the Nags Head Golf Links on the Outer Banks.
The Carolinas Golf Group was born in 1988 with Watson and Stuart Frantz as the original partners. Later they invited Raleigh businessman Richard Urquhart and popular club professional Buck Adams to join them.
The group’s first project was Devil’s Ridge in Holly Springs, followed by The Neuse Golf Club in Clayton, Oak Valley in Advance, the Currituck Club in Corolla and the Kiskiack Golf Club in Williamsburg, Va.
In 1998, the company was purchased for $60 million by Cobblestone Golf.
Watson gave second life to the Carolinas Golf Group in 2000 when he revived the name and concentrated mostly on providing a full-service club management. In the decade of the 21st century the firm has run more than a dozen courses; built the Traditions of Braselton in Jefferson, Ga.; oversaw construction of the Old Chatham Club near Chapel Hill, the Golf Club at Sanctuary Cove near St. Simons Island, Ga., the Golf Club at Chapel Ridge in Pittsboro, the North River Club in Beaufort, NC, the Bridges Club in Gunter, Texas.
The company also sold four courses for Bluegreen Golf.
Watson and his associates scored a coup in 2007 when they signed a contract to build and manage the Lonnie Poole Golf Course at N. C. State University on the school’s Centennial Campus, an Arnold Palmer design.
The course has opened to rave reviews and has become the centerpiece of a unique $16 million golf complex.
In addition to Lonnie Poole, the company also manages the High Point CC, Wildwood Green, North River, and the Club at Sanctuary Cove. But business continues to grow as the word of effective operations spreads.
“It has been an enjoyable run,” Watson, 66, exclaimed, “and I have enjoyed every minute of my many associations with such a wide assortment of courses.”
A High Point native, Watson was considered one of the state’s best players for more than a decade. He won the North Carolina Open in 1969 and was twice named the Carolinas PGA Section’s Player of the Year.
He has been elected to four Halls of Fames, including the Carolinas Golf, North Carolina Sports, Carolinas PGA, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Because of his many business commitments and an increasing management role, Watson doesn’t have much time for playing golf anymore but manages a couple of rounds a month, scoring in the mid to high seventies. His leisure activities now include reading and coin collecting.
He is married to the former Sandy Morris of High Point, and the couple has two children and four grandchildren.
Chip Watson by Bill F. Hensley
Roger (Chip) Watson Jr. doesn't remember a time when golf didn't play a vital role in his life.
To review his credentials: he was born in Pinehurst, was the son of a club professional who won two national championships, was raised on a golf course, got serious about the game when he was only ten years old, and was a high school and college standout.
That, of course, led to a career in the game that has been colorful and successful as a player, teacher and administrator. And much of his future still lies ahead.
At present, Watson is the general manager/Director of Golf at the new Lonnie Poole Golf Course on the N. C. State University Centennial Campus in Raleigh. He is also the Wolfpack's assistant golf coach, director of the Wolfpack Golf Schools, a vice president of the Carolina Golf Group-- a firm founded by his father-- and a part owner of Wildwood Green Golf Course in Raleigh.
He doesn't have much spare time these days but when he does he plays a few holes and remembers when he was a sold competitor every time he teed it up. At the age of 43, his game is still respectable, however.
"I have enjoyed every minute of my career," he said proudly, "and look forward to each new day. Golf has been good to me, and I can only hope I have made some contributions to the game."
The Chip Watson story is a happy one.
His father, Roger Watson Sr., got him interested in the game when he was old enough to swing a cutoff club. Watson Sr. was an assistant pro at the Country Club of North Carolina when Chip was born and shortly afterwards was named Golf Director at MacGregor Downs in Raleigh, where Chip was raised.
Watson Sr. is best known for beating Sam Snead in a one-hole playoff at Pinehurst No. 2 to win the National Club Professional championship. He also won the title again the following year.
At Apex High School, Chip played golf and basketball and was the conference golfer of the year., winning a full scholarship at Campbell University. In college he was captain of the golf team, made All-Conference, was an academic All-American, and won the Sportsmanship Award for all athletes in the Big South Conference. He was graduated in 1989 with a degree in Business Administration.
Watson has been a PGA professional for two decades, having started at Wildwood Green. His all-time low score is 63 during a casual round and 65 in tournament play. He still holds the course record of 28 on the back nine at Wildwood. He has had seven holes in one including two in the same round at the Lochmere Golf Club in 1987.
"I still hear about that everywhere I go," he smiled. "That and Dad winning the national club championship. But I'm proud of both."
Opening the Lonnie Poole Golf Course last year, a classic Arnold Palmer design, was an exciting experience. "The course is fantastic and has drawn rave revues from everyone," he remarked. "It is hard but fair and a thrill to play. Shoot a good score here and you know you have played your best."
Since the course opened in July of 2009, more than 38,000 rounds have been played at the challenging course on the outskirts of downtown Raleigh. The course has also hosted a number of tournaments and corporate outings. "Obviously, the course has been well received by the public," Watson commented.
His daily routine is a busy one with a golf course to manage, golf schools to oversee, a college team to help coach, recruiting duties, meetings, correspondence, fund raising, and various administrative chores to handle. "But I love it," he admitted, "and wouldn't have it any other way."
"I wish I had his energy and enthusiasm," said his father. "He has great character and is respected by everyone who works with him. He is a fine leader and manager. I wish I could be more like him"
Watson is married to the former Rebecca Hatfield of King, and is the father of two daughters, McKinley and Chandler, who are 16 and 15. They like golf but are more into other sports and music.
When he isn't working, which is seldom, he enjoys reading, movies, being with his family, traveling, and keeping up with Wolfpack athletic teams. "Being associated with a fine university is one of the best parts of my job," he said. "I enjoy it immensely."
Now, about those two holes in one in the same round. They came on the 7th and 11th holes at Lochmere and he used the same ball for both. He had a 72 for the round, finishing in the dark to make the round official.
Don't bet he can't do it again.....................
It has been 36 years since young Roger Watson, the head golf professional at MacGregor Downs Country Club in Raleigh, beat Snead on the first hole of a playoff to win the PGA National Club Professional Championship at Pinehurst No. 2. The victory was a major upset, pitting a relative unknown club pro against one of the game’s most famous players.
Watson went on to defend his title the next year and embark on a playing career that saw him play in the US Open and the PGA championship tournaments, win the Carolinas PGA Section title along with Player of the Year honors, and a host of other events.
As good as he was as a teacher and player, Watson was an instant success in the business side of golf, using his vast knowledge and talent to perfection. An astute and innovative businessman, he formed a number of partnerships that built, owned or leased a number of courses. Later his management skills led to an effective association with clubs—public, private and semi-private—handling all phases of club operations.
Several of the company’s unique programs have resulted in tremendous cost-savings for clubs that were fighting hard to stay alive in a wayward economy. The High Point Country Club, for example, recently saw a new membership program result in an increase of more than 120 members in less than six months. Wildwood Green’s membership has grown by 240 members during an 18-month period.
After graduating from High Point College in 1966, where he earned NAIA All-American honors as the school’s top player, Watson ventured out into professional golf.
His first job was a two-year stint as an assistant golf professional under Buck Adams at the Country Club of North Carolina. Later he became Head Professional at Sapona CC in Lexington, NC, for two years before taking over at MacGregor Downs, where he served for 12 years.
It was at MacGregor Downs that Watson began to think of a career off the golf course. In addition to serving as the golf pro, he was asked to be president of the club’s real estate division. The lessons he learned from selling proved invaluable, and in 1982 he formed his first partnership—the Eaglemere Group—and built Lochmere Golf Club in Cary and Wildwood Green in Raleigh.
A year later he formed Watson Golf Services to manage courses with Lochmere as his first client.
In 1984 he joined forces with Cliff Benson Jr. of Raleigh and bought both Wildwood and Lochmere from Eaglemere. Later he built and managed North Shore in Topsail Beach, NC.
Professional Golf Design came along in 1986, and the company designed and ran the Nags Head Golf Links on the Outer Banks.
The Carolinas Golf Group was born in 1988 with Watson and Stuart Frantz as the original partners. Later they invited Raleigh businessman Richard Urquhart and popular club professional Buck Adams to join them.
The group’s first project was Devil’s Ridge in Holly Springs, followed by The Neuse Golf Club in Clayton, Oak Valley in Advance, the Currituck Club in Corolla and the Kiskiack Golf Club in Williamsburg, Va.
In 1998, the company was purchased for $60 million by Cobblestone Golf.
Watson gave second life to the Carolinas Golf Group in 2000 when he revived the name and concentrated mostly on providing a full-service club management. In the decade of the 21st century the firm has run more than a dozen courses; built the Traditions of Braselton in Jefferson, Ga.; oversaw construction of the Old Chatham Club near Chapel Hill, the Golf Club at Sanctuary Cove near St. Simons Island, Ga., the Golf Club at Chapel Ridge in Pittsboro, the North River Club in Beaufort, NC, the Bridges Club in Gunter, Texas.
The company also sold four courses for Bluegreen Golf.
Watson and his associates scored a coup in 2007 when they signed a contract to build and manage the Lonnie Poole Golf Course at N. C. State University on the school’s Centennial Campus, an Arnold Palmer design.
The course has opened to rave reviews and has become the centerpiece of a unique $16 million golf complex.
In addition to Lonnie Poole, the company also manages the High Point CC, Wildwood Green, North River, and the Club at Sanctuary Cove. But business continues to grow as the word of effective operations spreads.
“It has been an enjoyable run,” Watson, 66, exclaimed, “and I have enjoyed every minute of my many associations with such a wide assortment of courses.”
A High Point native, Watson was considered one of the state’s best players for more than a decade. He won the North Carolina Open in 1969 and was twice named the Carolinas PGA Section’s Player of the Year.
He has been elected to four Halls of Fames, including the Carolinas Golf, North Carolina Sports, Carolinas PGA, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Because of his many business commitments and an increasing management role, Watson doesn’t have much time for playing golf anymore but manages a couple of rounds a month, scoring in the mid to high seventies. His leisure activities now include reading and coin collecting.
He is married to the former Sandy Morris of High Point, and the couple has two children and four grandchildren.
Chip Watson by Bill F. Hensley
Roger (Chip) Watson Jr. doesn't remember a time when golf didn't play a vital role in his life.
To review his credentials: he was born in Pinehurst, was the son of a club professional who won two national championships, was raised on a golf course, got serious about the game when he was only ten years old, and was a high school and college standout.
That, of course, led to a career in the game that has been colorful and successful as a player, teacher and administrator. And much of his future still lies ahead.
At present, Watson is the general manager/Director of Golf at the new Lonnie Poole Golf Course on the N. C. State University Centennial Campus in Raleigh. He is also the Wolfpack's assistant golf coach, director of the Wolfpack Golf Schools, a vice president of the Carolina Golf Group-- a firm founded by his father-- and a part owner of Wildwood Green Golf Course in Raleigh.
He doesn't have much spare time these days but when he does he plays a few holes and remembers when he was a sold competitor every time he teed it up. At the age of 43, his game is still respectable, however.
"I have enjoyed every minute of my career," he said proudly, "and look forward to each new day. Golf has been good to me, and I can only hope I have made some contributions to the game."
The Chip Watson story is a happy one.
His father, Roger Watson Sr., got him interested in the game when he was old enough to swing a cutoff club. Watson Sr. was an assistant pro at the Country Club of North Carolina when Chip was born and shortly afterwards was named Golf Director at MacGregor Downs in Raleigh, where Chip was raised.
Watson Sr. is best known for beating Sam Snead in a one-hole playoff at Pinehurst No. 2 to win the National Club Professional championship. He also won the title again the following year.
At Apex High School, Chip played golf and basketball and was the conference golfer of the year., winning a full scholarship at Campbell University. In college he was captain of the golf team, made All-Conference, was an academic All-American, and won the Sportsmanship Award for all athletes in the Big South Conference. He was graduated in 1989 with a degree in Business Administration.
Watson has been a PGA professional for two decades, having started at Wildwood Green. His all-time low score is 63 during a casual round and 65 in tournament play. He still holds the course record of 28 on the back nine at Wildwood. He has had seven holes in one including two in the same round at the Lochmere Golf Club in 1987.
"I still hear about that everywhere I go," he smiled. "That and Dad winning the national club championship. But I'm proud of both."
Opening the Lonnie Poole Golf Course last year, a classic Arnold Palmer design, was an exciting experience. "The course is fantastic and has drawn rave revues from everyone," he remarked. "It is hard but fair and a thrill to play. Shoot a good score here and you know you have played your best."
Since the course opened in July of 2009, more than 38,000 rounds have been played at the challenging course on the outskirts of downtown Raleigh. The course has also hosted a number of tournaments and corporate outings. "Obviously, the course has been well received by the public," Watson commented.
His daily routine is a busy one with a golf course to manage, golf schools to oversee, a college team to help coach, recruiting duties, meetings, correspondence, fund raising, and various administrative chores to handle. "But I love it," he admitted, "and wouldn't have it any other way."
"I wish I had his energy and enthusiasm," said his father. "He has great character and is respected by everyone who works with him. He is a fine leader and manager. I wish I could be more like him"
Watson is married to the former Rebecca Hatfield of King, and is the father of two daughters, McKinley and Chandler, who are 16 and 15. They like golf but are more into other sports and music.
When he isn't working, which is seldom, he enjoys reading, movies, being with his family, traveling, and keeping up with Wolfpack athletic teams. "Being associated with a fine university is one of the best parts of my job," he said. "I enjoy it immensely."
Now, about those two holes in one in the same round. They came on the 7th and 11th holes at Lochmere and he used the same ball for both. He had a 72 for the round, finishing in the dark to make the round official.
Don't bet he can't do it again.....................
