Prestonwood Country Club is a private

country club A country club is a privately owned club, often with a membership quota and admittance by invitation or sponsorship, that generally offers both a variety of recreational sports and facilities for dining and entertaining. Typical athletic offe ...

Cary, North Carolina Cary is a town in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is part of the Raleigh–Cary, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2020 Census, its population was 174,721, making it the seventh largest mun ...

, located near Research Triangle Park (RTP) and

Raleigh-Durham International Airport The Research Triangle, or simply The Triangle, are both common nicknames for a metropolitan area in the Piedmont region of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by the cities of Raleigh and Durham and the town of Chapel Hill, home to th ...

(RDU). The country club's amenities include 54 holes of golf, 15 tennis courts, a full-service fitness and aquatics center, dining service and event space for various occasions. Prestonwood has played host to numerous national golf events including the SAS Championship and the Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic.

History

Prestonwood Country Club opened on Memorial Day, 1988, offering a pool and fitness center. Later that summer, the club debuted 27 holes of golf. In 1991, the club was purchased by private investors, who then decided to expand Prestonwood by building more homes and roads. By early 1996, the club had expanded to 54 holes of golf, a driving range, three practice greens and a short game area. The country club rebuilt the pool and fitness center, which now consists of of space. In 2003, the club also added new tennis courts at a satellite location. In 2005, Prestonwood built a addition to their clubhouse, including a grand ballroom and men's locker room. Other additions included a renovated golf pro shop, ladies locker room, and card room.

Facilities

Golf: Prestonwood Country Club is the only private club in the area to boast 54 holes of championship golf. All three courses were designed by Tom Jackson but have been recently renovated green complexes by Jack Nicklaus protégé Rick Robbins.
*Fairways: Opened in January 1995 (renovations completed September 2010). The course yardage is 6,475 with a rating/slope of 71.1/131. *Meadows: Opened in August 1988 (renovations completed September 2009). The course yardage is 7,108 with a rating/slope of 74.6/138. *Highlands: Opened in January 1993 (renovations completed September 2011). The course yardage is 7,082 with a rating/slope 74.4/138. In addition, it has a driving range, three practice greens, a short game area, and state of the art learning and club fitting center. The club utilizes a full-service golf pro shop with five PGA Golf Class A professionals and three assistant professionals.

Events

SAS Championship: The SAS Championship is a Champions Tour event that has been hosted by Prestonwood since 2001. The course plays at 7,237 yards and is a mix of the Highlands and Meadows courses. The 2020 SAS Championship champion was

Ernie Els Theodore Ernest Els (; born 17 October 1969) is a South African professional golfer. A former , he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature (he stands ) along with his fluid golf swing. Among his more than 70 career victor ...

. Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic: The tournament, named after the late

Jim Valvano James Thomas Anthony Valvano (March 10, 1946 – April 28, 1993), nicknamed Jimmy V, was an American college basketball player, coach, and broadcaster. Valvano had a successful coaching career with multiple schools, most notably at North Caroli ...

, was started to support cancer research. It was played at Prestonwood for 20 years starting in 1994, and was last played in 2013. While at Prestonwood the tournament raised over $13.5 million and drew in such celebrities as Michael Jordan,

Bob Costas Robert Quinlan Costas (born March 22, 1952) is an American sportscaster who is known for his long tenure with NBC Sports, from 1980 through 2019. He has received 28 Emmy awards for his work and was the prime-time host of 12 Olympic Games from 19 ...

, and

Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...

External links

Prestonwood Country Club official website

References

{{Reflist Buildings and structures in Cary, North Carolina Golf clubs and courses in North Carolina