University of North Carolina Athletics
Reduced Rates Offer Re-Introduction For Finley Golf Course
April 30, 2012 | Finley Golf Club
April 30, 2012
By Lee Pace
While construction workers are busily doubling the size of the clubhouse at UNC Finley Golf Course toward a fall re-opening, the Tom Fazio-designed golf course remains one of the finest daily-fee courses in the state of North Carolina.
And for two months in May and June, golfers can play it at an outstanding bargain.
The 1999 course, rated 4.5 stars by Golf Digest (out of a possible 5.0), will be open to guests for a $65 weekend greens-cart fee (Friday-Sunday); that's a $17 reduction over the customary $82 fee. From Monday through Thursday, the fee will be $55, down from the customary $70 price tag.
"The discounts are a way for us to re-introduce the golf course to public," says Mike Wilkinson, Finley's head professional. "It's been open for more than a dozen years and has a steady flow of regular players. With the clubhouse expansion, we thought this would be a good time for golfers who hadn't been here recently to experience a great golf course and get a look at our new facility."
The original golf course, located just to the southeast of campus, opened in 1949. It was designed by George Cobb and funded by Raleigh businessman A.E. Finley, who owned and operated one of the largest equipment dealerships in the United States. It served the University and town of Chapel Hill well for nearly half a century but needed an extensive overhaul as the 1990s evolved to solve its problems of poor greens and an antiquated drainage system.
The decision was made to hire Fazio, one of the modern game's foremost golf designers and a resident of Hendersonville, to start from scratch on the site and build an entirely new course. UNC Finley opened in 1999 and became Fazio's 11th course designed in the state he'd called home since the late 1980s. It's one he'd put against anything else he'd done in North Carolina.
"If a person could see only one of those 11 courses as a measure of what our company can do, I'd be proud for Finley to be that one," Fazio said upon the course's opening. "I'd be very proud to say it's as good as we can do."
Two years later, the Tar Heel men's and women's golf teams celebrated the opening of the Chapman Golf Center, a 4,500 square-foot building that serves as the team's headquarters and offers state-of-the-art practice, study and locker room facilities. The Chapman Center underwent further renovations in 2010.
The next phase in furthering Finley's position as an excellent golf course and a proud member of Carolina's roster of top-notch athletic facilities is the expansion of the clubhouse. The original building was 4,500 square feet and will more than double in size. Most notable among improvements are expanded and improved men's and women's locker rooms, a total overhaul of the food and beverage operation and the addition of meeting space that will allow groups to convene for business and meals in the morning and move to the golf course in the afternoon.
"It's significant that we've had a 4.5 star rating from Golf Digest based solely on the golf course," says Wilkinson. "We've never had any amenities of note to offer people. Now we will. The new facility will put us in an entirely different league. We're excited about the future. Now is the perfect time to reduce our rates and re-familiarize the golfing public with our facility."
For tee times, call the golf shop at 919/962-2349 or visit the course's website at www.tarheelblue.com.
