Golf has long been a popular recreational sport here in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. At one time, Fayetteville was actually a popular destination for northern golfers fleeing harsh winters and seeking to get a head start on their home course competitors. 

Today, local golf course owners and managers want to revive that popularity and enthusiasm for golf in Fayetteville — not just to boost business and economic development — but to make sure the local history and tradition of golf in Cumberland County is not lost. After all, Scottish-born Donald Ross, one of the most renowned golf course architects of all time, left his mark here in the mid 1940s when he designed not one, but two local golf courses in Cumberland County: the popular private Highland County Club and the lesser- known public Stryker Golf Course at Fort Bragg. With the exception of golf resorts like Pinehurst, I  doubt if any communities our size  nationally can boast of having two Donald Ross courses.

One of the ways the local golfing tradition is maintained is by the preservation of the Cumberland County Golf Classic Championship. Created in 1968, this 48-year tradition is preserved and maintained by golf course managers who love the sport and the Fayetteville community. Bringing Stryker Golf Course and military golfers into the tournament is a great start to preserving its heritage. This is what this week’s cover story is about. The tournament, the game, the players, the history and tradition. Tee it up and enjoy! 

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