Robert Dedman Sr. is honored posthumously for his extraordinary stewardship of Pinehurst Resort, which he acquired in 1984 when the club fell into serious decline. Determined to restore Pinehurst to its legendary status, Dedman reinvested aggressively into the property, oversaw the full restoration of its courses and facilities, and broadened its reach by adding amenities such as the Pinehurst Convention Center.

His leadership ushered in a modern renaissance for Pinehurst. He championed the transformation of No. 2 alongside architect Rees Jones, elevated tournament golf at the resort, and helped reestablish Pinehurst as a global golf destination. Dedman’s dedication to the USGA brought multiple championships back to Pinehurst, including the historic 1999 U.S. Open, which became one of the most celebrated championships in American golf.

Robert Dedman Jr. has extended and expanded his father’s legacy through visionary leadership and strategic reinvestment in Pinehurst Resort since assuming ownership in 2004. Under his guidance, Pinehurst has hosted an extraordinary slate of championships, including the 2005 U.S. Open, the unprecedented back-to-back 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open, and the 2019 U.S. Amateur. Pinehurst No. 2 was designated the USGA’s first U.S. Open Anchor Site under his leadership, securing future championships in 2029, 2035, 2041, and 2047.

Dedman Jr.’s strategic acquisitions, such as Pinehurst No. 9, and his ongoing reinvestment in resort infrastructure, have ensured Pinehurst retains its global prominence. His approach to ownership has preserved Pinehurst’s heritage while preparing it for generations to come.

Few individuals have had a deeper or more lasting influence on golf in the Carolinas than Jack Nance, whose more than four decades of service to the Carolinas Golf Association established the CGA as one of the most respected and largest golf associations in the United States. Under his leadership, the CGA expanded its membership, enhanced agronomic and handicapping services, and elevated the quality of its championships. His vision was instrumental in constructing the Carolinas Golf House and strengthening relationships throughout the golf community.

Nance officiated at more than 30 USGA championships, served as President of the International Association of Golf Administrators, and supported endless initiatives to advance women’s, junior, and adaptive golf. His colleagues and peers described him as a mentor, ambassador and steady force who elevated every person and program he touched.

The Padgett name has long been associated with Pinehurst Resort. For those who have visited Pinehurst Resort, the Padgett Learning Center is a prominent reminder of the family’s impact on the game.

Don Padgett II, son of Donald Padgett Sr. — the former Director of Golf at Pinehurst, past president of the PGA of America, and a 2006 inductee into the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame — followed in his father’s footsteps in shaping the future of Pinehurst. Padgett II served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Pinehurst Resort and Country Club from 2004 to 2014. Under his leadership, the resort hosted several prestigious events, including the 2005 U.S. Open, the 2008 U.S. Men’s Amateur Championship, and the 2014 U.S. Open Championships.

“Padgett’s visionary leadership was especially evident during the 2014 U.S. Open when he played a key role in the restoration of Pinehurst No. 2, returning the course to its historic roots,” said Pinehurst President Tom Pashley. “This restoration not only earned Pinehurst the Green Star Award for Outstanding Environmental Practices by Golf Digest, but it also ensured that Pinehurst No. 2 remains one of the most sought-after courses for golfers of all generations.”

Padgett’s own golfing accolades began long before his tenure in the Carolina sandhills. A native of New Castle, Indiana, Padgett played collegiate golf at Indiana University, where he was a two-time All-American, a Big Ten individual champion in 1969 and a member of the Big Ten Championship team in 1970. Other on-course accolades include Indiana Amateur champion, two-time Indiana Open champion, two-time Indiana PGA Section champion, four-time Northern Ohio PGA champion, Ohio Open champion and World Golf Hall of Fame Champion.

Padgett was a member of the PGA TOUR from 1972-74, competing in three U.S. Opens and eight PGA Championships, making the cut four times and was the low club professional three times. He represented the United States on four PGA Cup teams in 1976, 1981, 1982 and 1984. His most thrilling round of professional golf came during the 1977 U.S. Open at Southern Hills Country Club, where he shot a tournament-low 4-under-par 66 in the third round, paired with Lee Trevino.

“Throughout my many years working with Don, I have seen firsthand his visionary leadership and remarkable passion for the game,” said Jim Hyler, former USGA President and 2019 Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame inductee. “His knowledge, playing ability, and respect for golf, combined with his unparalleled leadership at Pinehurst, make him an invaluable figure in the golf community.”

Before joining Pinehurst, Padgett was the Vice President and General Manager of Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, for 25 years. His legacy includes being inducted into several halls of fame, including the Indiana Golf Hall of Fame, Ohio Golf Hall of Fame, and Northern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame. In 2015, he was named Golfweek Magazine’s Father of the Year.

“This award was not one l was expecting,” said Padgett. “To have my name placed among the previous honorees is humbling.  Golf is part of the fabric of the Carolinas, and I consider it a great honor to be included in The Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame."

David Eger’s induction into the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame is a testament to his exceptional contributions both as a player and an administrator.

“I’m honored and humbled to be selected to be in the CGA Hall of Fame,” Eger said. “The CGA has always been near and dear to my heart having grown up in Charlotte. Starting in the junior ranks in the mid 1960’s allowed me to learn and appreciate sportsmanship within competition. And, having former CGA Executive Secretaries P.J. Boatwright, Jr. and Clyde Mangum, Jr. as mentors during my administrative career only multiplies my fondness for the CGA.”

Eger’s list of amateur achievements is impressive, including winning the 1988 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship and several other prestigious titles, such as the Men’s North & South Amateur (1991, 2000), George L. Coleman Amateur Invitational (1995, 1999), Walter J. Travis Invitational (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001), Azalea Invitational champion (1999, 2000) and George A. Crump Memorial Tournament (1992, 1998). He won two CGA championships including the 1971 Carolinas Father-Son Championship and the 1973 Carolinas Four-Ball Championship and was a semifinalist in the 1969 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship and the 1990 and 2000 U.S. Amateur Championships. He also represented the United States in multiple Walker Cup teams (1989, 1991, 2001).

Eger’s collegiate golf journey began at the University of North Carolina and later continued at East Tennessee State University. He turned professional in 1978 and played in 58 PGA TOUR events before transitioning to a career in golf administration. As a key figure with the PGA TOUR, Eger served in multiple leadership roles, including Vice President of Tournament Operations. He also served as the USGA Senior Director of Rules & Competitions from 1992 to 1995.

In 2001, Eger returned to professional golf at the age of 50, qualifying for the PGA TOUR Champions. His career on the Champions Tour was highly successful, with four professional titles and over $7 million in prize earnings. His professional victories include the 2003 MasterCard Championship, the 2005 Boeing Classic, and the 2010 Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic.

“David’s life in golf is one of the most fulfilling I’ve ever witnessed,” said Golf Channel’s Jaime Diaz. “His expertise as both a player and an administrator is unmatched. His selflessness and dedication to the game have made him one of the most respected figures in the sport.”

Clarence Rose, a native and current resident of Goldsboro and winner of the 1996 Sprint International on the PGA Tour, and the late Dana Rader, a native of Morganton and founder of the Dana Rader Golf School at Ballantyne, are the latest to join the prestigious hall managed by the Carolinas Golf Association.

Clarence Rose, a native and current resident of Goldsboro and winner of the 1996 Sprint International on the PGA Tour, and the late Dana Rader, a native of Morganton and founder of the Dana Rader Golf School at Ballantyne, are the latest to join the prestigious hall managed by the Carolinas Golf Association.

22  years after his introduction into the South Carolina Golf Hall of Fame,  Frank Ford III has his golf legacy permanently cemented in the  Carolinas as he is set to be inducted into the CGA Hall of Fame in 2021.


The 69 year old has amassed  what is an impressive trophy case from his playing career in all levels  of amateur golf. A terrific collegiate golfer for Furman, he was one of  the playing members of their 1973 Southern Conference Championship team.  That level of play while in school allowed Ford the honor of being  inducted into the Furman University Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.


“I started playing the game  at an early age, probably six to seven years old if not before,” said  Ford. Golf and hunting were the sports enjoyed in our family especially  if you wanted to be with your Father or Mother. Our golf professional,  Al Esposito, was the gentleman who made sure you had your fundamentals  down and acted properly while playing."


His career after college  would follow with even more success. Ford has six Azalea Invitational  wins to his name, a 1992 Carolinas Amateur Championship, a 1996 South  Carolina Amateur Championship, and deep runs in both the U.S. Senior  Amateur and British Senior Amateur Championships. Ford was named the  1992 Player of the Year by both the Carolinas Golf Association and the  South Carolina Golf Association. 


“I believe Henry Picard was  the person who taught me the most about the swing,” said Ford. “He  taught me how to think and how to handle competitive pressures.”


Ford won the 2018 South  Carolina Super Senior Championship, is a four time South Carolina Senior  Player of the Year, and is also a record four-time champion of the  Carolinas Four-Ball Championship alongside partner Jim Burgess. All of  this success in his home state allowed Ford the honor to be able to be a  two-time member of the South Carolina team representing the state in  the USGA state team championships. 


However, Ford’s contribution  to the game of golf goes much farther than his playing prowess. The  Charleston, South Carolina native was instrumental in bringing two USGA  events to his home club, the Country Club of Charleston. In 2013, Ford  secured the U.S. Women’s Amateur to be played in the Palmetto state and  served as General Chairman for the event. Ford’s home of Charleston left  such an impression that the USGA once again decided to return in 2019  this time for the premier event in Women’s professional golf, the U.S.  Women’s Open where he served as General Chairman once again. 


“The event in 2013 went off  very well and the USGA was satisfied enough to basically offer us the  2019 Women’s Open,” said Ford. “I’m sure we had touched all the right  bases for the Am prep but having President Tom O’Toole offer us the  opportunity at a USGA gathering was mind blowing, we jumped on it.”


Ford has a history of employment with the CGA as well, starting his time in 1976 under Executive Director Hale Van Hoy.


“I am grateful to have had  Hale Van Hoy as my mentor,” remembered Ford. “He understood my situation  and certainly led me to better days and a true understanding of how to  present golf the right way. He simply provided leadership.”


Using that leadership and  lessons, Ford would be named the Executive Director of the Georgia State  Golf Association four years later. He also served as the President of  the CGA from 1994 to 1995. 


“It was exciting yet daunting  to leave the Carolinas and home in Charleston to run that great  organization,” said Ford. “It really opened my eyes to how many great  people are a part of our game and what they do and give up to give back.  The friendships we made are enduring and have been a rich addition to  our lives. Danny Yates, Billy Peters, Shirley Seagraves, Ed Barnes, Mike  Waldron and many others made my job easier and more full-filling.”


Ford’s days in both the administrative and competitive sides of golf  have proved worthy, and the newest member of the CGA Hall of Fame will  surely only continue to add to what is a very impressive resume.


Notable Accomplishments:

Playing member of the 1973 Southern Conference Championship team for Furman

Executive Director Georgia State Golf Association

Six-time Azalea Amateur Invitational Champion in 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1992 and 1993

1988 Carolinas Mid-Amateur Champion

1988 Runner-up Southern Amateur

1992 Carolinas Amateur Champion

1992 South Carolina and Carolinas Player of the Year

President of the CGA from 1994 to 1995

1996 South Carolina Amateur Champion

1996 Runner-up Rice Planters

Four-time Champion of the Carolinas Four Ball Championship with Jim Burgess (record)

Two-time member of the South Carolina team in the USGA State Team Championship

Fourteen-time member of the Palmetto Cup matches and Carolinas Virginia Team

Four-time Champion of the Yeamans Hall Senior Championship

Four-time South Carolina Senior Player of the Year

President South Carolina Golf Hall of Fame since 2002

Furman University Sports Hall of Fame 2004 Inductee

Advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Senior Amateur in 2007 and 2008

Third place finish in the 2011 British Senior Amateur held at Royal Portrush

General Chairman of the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur

2018 South Carolina Super Senior Champion

General Chairman of the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open

Recognized by the USGA for 25 years of service with the Ike Grainger Award

Dan Brooks, 61, heads into his 36th season as the head coach of the Duke women’s golf team after capturing a remarkable seven national titles with the Blue Devils in the last 21 seasons. In addition to the exceptional national titles, Brooks lead the Blue Devils to 20 career Atlantic Coast Conference championships and 136 team wins – the most of any women’s golf coach in NCAA Division I history.

Brooks, a former star golfer at Oregon State and a self-proclaimed West Coast guy, flew to the East Coast in the mid-1980s, and was hired to lead the Duke women’s golf team, along with assistant coaching duties with Myers on the men’s side. The two golf coaches also ran the golf course operations.

Brooks wasn’t sure he could coach, or become a good teacher for that matter, saying he “hedged his bets” by taking the coaching job. However, he has since proved otherwise, having been named national coach of the year seven times while leading the Blue Devils to 17 top-five national finishes.

Brooks joins the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame 2020 class alongside Dorathy Dotger Thigpen. Together they highlight some of the most outstanding accomplishments women’s golf has ever seen across the area.

Dorathy Thigpen grew up playing golf at Charlotte Country Club and won the women’s club championship there in 1917 – at the age of 15. She dominated women’s golf across the region in the 1920s, regularly scoring in the mid 80s during a period in which the top women players were shooting in the 90s.

In 1923, she married Richard E. Thigpen who was alumni secretary at Duke University, and played the first round at the Donald Ross-designed Hope Valley Country Club, where she later set one of her numerous course records for female golfers.

Mrs. Thigpen gave up competitive golf in 1924 to raise her family after having played in the North-South Championship in Pinehurst a year earlier. She also won six team events in Pinehurst.

Returning to tournament play after having two children, she finished second in the 1929 Women’s CGA Championship. Mrs. Thigpen also captured the women’s championship at Hope Valley in 1928 and 1929. During this era, she played in the North-South Women’s Tournament in Pinehurst, and gave golfing exhibitions across the state of North Carolina.

Mrs. Thigpen enjoyed golf at the club level for over 50 years, and held the low score for women at four different venues in four different cities -- Charlotte Country Club, Hope Valley in Durham, Forsyth in Winston-Salem and Asheville Country Club.

Mrs. Thigpen died in 1989 at the age of 88 and joins the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame 2020 class posthumously alongside Dan Brooks. Together they highlight some of the most outstanding accomplishments women’s golf has ever seen across the area.

By Dave Droschak

Payne Stewart’s dramatic winning putt on the final hole of the 1999 U.S. Open galvanized the world of golf 20 years ago this summer and to this day remains one of the game’s most iconic moments.

Stewart’s clutch putt played out in front of tens of thousands of fans huddled around the 18th green at Pinehurst No. 2, and many millions more glued to their TV sets. But there was also a behind-the-scenes hero of that Open who played a vital role in the success of the championship and the USGA’s now long-standing relationship with one of golf’s historic resorts.

Jim Hyler Jr., the former president of First Citizens Bank and one of the state’s most influential businessman of his generation, was called upon more than two decades ago to serve as chairman of the 1999 U.S. Open President’s Council – a monumental task of gathering support for one of golf’s majors in a location that was anything but a slam dunk for the USGA.

It was Hyler’s role in that Open and his unlikely 12-year stint in the USGA ranks that eventually saw him rise to USGA president that helped get him elected to the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame Class of 2019. Hyler also spearheaded countless charitable efforts associated with golf over the years across the state, including serving as chairman of the First Tee of Wake County in 2005.

“Perhaps Jim’s greatest achievement was his leadership of a group that administered the U.S. Open at the legendary Pinehurst Resort,” says John Bodenhamer, senior managing director of championships for the USGA. “While the USGA had always recognized Pinehurst No. 2 as one of the world’s finest, it never thought it could host a U.S. Open because of the agronomic limitations and because of its remote location to which fans and corporate dollars would not travel. Jim put together a group that overcame these challenges and by all measures staged one of the most successful U.S. Opens of all time, bringing notoriety to the USGA, the state of North Carolina and Pinehurst Resort.”

Hyler grew up on a tobacco farm in rural southside Virginia, with no access to golf.

“I had kind of beat some golf balls around in our yard at home but never really played to speak of until I went to Virginia Tech, and at the time there was a golf course on the edge of campus. I started playing golf on that little 9-hole course.”

Hyler says he also fell in love with Arnold Palmer in the early 1960s as he headed into his teenage years.

“Arnold Palmer really was a crucial part of my developing an interest in golf,” Hyler says. “I just found him to be an incredible personality and player, and really followed him. He’s my all-time sports hero. That had a whole lot to do with me falling in love with the game.”

After serving on the President’s Council for the U.S. Open in 1999 Hyler says was unexpectedly tabbed to serve as a member of the USGA executive committee from 2004-2011, rising to the position of USGA President in 2010-2011.

“Working with the business community across North Carolina to support the 1999 Open was my first exposure to the USGA,” Hyler recalls. “I developed some friendships there with Mike Davis and David Fay and so on, but then I got a call out of the blue in 2003 – totally out of the blue – asking me if I was interested in interviewing to go on the executive committee. I honestly asked the guy if he had the right number. He assured me he did. Being on the USGA executive committee, and spending four of those years chairing the championship committee and two years as president, was really was an incredible eight years. I’m sure thousands of people would have loved the opportunity to do that. My wife and I were able to meet a lot of wonderful people, make a lot of lifelong friends and travel to some fabulous places around the world. It was very cool.”

Hyler was also a founding board member of Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham County, serving as club president from 2005-2006. His business vision helped usher the club through a difficult beginning after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Twin Towers.

“And probably one of Jim’s lasting legacies is his commitment to amateur golf, which has led Old Chatham to adopt a goal of hosting one major amateur championship or qualifying tournament each year which will culminate with the club hosting the 2019 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship,” said Old Chatham club president Allen Wilson.

“It is such an incredible game; there is no other game like it,” Hyler says when asked about selfless contributions to golf. “The game itself you are outside, you have a chance to be with your friends; you call penalties on yourself and there is really no other sport that does that. It is just an incredible game. If we can reach one kid and make a change in their life it’s worth it. I just love the game and what it’s about and just want to impart all the traditions and values of the game. Allowing others to be exposed to golf is very important to me.”

Hyler remains a solid 6.2 handicap between a few back surgeries and a recent rotator cuff operation.

“I kind of scrape it around now and have a decent short game,” Hyler says, chuckling.

A humble steward to the game of golf says he was humbled when informed he was heading into select company of the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame on Feb. 9 at a banquet in Columbia, S.C. 

“It really was disbelief, just very surprised,” Hyler says. “It’s just like everything in my golf journey here the past 20 years I had no idea that something like this would happen. At the same time gratitude because it’s a great honor and something I never expected or considered.”

By Dave Droschak

Bob Farren has never won a championship, never hoisted a trophy for a global photo op or sank a clutch putt for hundreds of thousands of dollars. In fact, many causal golfers may have never even heard of his name, let alone know his title at one of golf’s most glorious venues.

However, it’s an understatement to say Farren has virtually touched every piece of lush fairway grass, smooth putting surface, native grass or narrow blade of pine straw across the sprawling, iconic golfing destination known as Pinehurst Resort. 

In one form or another for 37 years Farren has been the steward of the resort’s agronomy program and USGA golf championships, beginning as an assistant superintendant on courses No. 1 and 4 in the early 1980s to his current position for a decade as of director of golf course maintenance, earning him induction into the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame in 2019.

“I say this tongue-and-cheek but to a certain extent it is true that my department at Pinehurst Resort is responsible for everything green but the money, pretty much everything that grows and flows, everything from a tree falling on a green to our nutrition programs,” Farren says.

Farren, 61, has worked on eight USGA Championships at Pinehurst, including three U.S. Opens and the U.S. Women’s Open. In 2014, the men’s and women’s Opens were played on consecutive weeks on Pinehurst No. 2 – a first in golf history, and a huge accomplishment in the field of agronomy. Farren was honored with the President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship from the Golf Course Superintendents of America in 2007 and Golf Digest magazine’s Green Star Award for outstanding environmental practices in 2014.

Farren grew up the son of a greens keeper in rural West Virginia, the golf course a half mile from his house. He graduated from Marshall University in 1979 and found his way to the Tar Heel State. 

“I never considered another career,” he says. “From middle school through high school people would ask what I wanted to do and I would tell them I wanted to be a golf course superintendent. Ironically I would say -- and still to this day it puzzles me -- that I wanted to be a golf course superintendent in North Carolina, and I had never even been to North Carolina. That’s weird.”

Farren’s expertise in balancing the science and “feel” of modern-day golf course agronomy is key, but his big-picture outlook at such a massive resort like Pinehurst is also a major component to his success.

“It is never all perfect. It is interesting, and that drives me,” Farren says. “You can kind of put people in my profession into silos. Some want to work at a championship venue and not all are fortunate enough to be able to do that; some want to work at a really high end private club and not to be bothered with championship noise and some want to work at a public venue. Some, especially in the early 1970s and 1980s, wanted to build a golf course, and then move on and do another one. I have been very fortunate and blessed to be here and do all of that and not have to move my family around, relocate and have to keep establishing different relationships in different communities. And I’ve been able to execute major championships at the highest level and construction as well.”

More recently at the resort, Farren has been credited with helping bring the Thistle Dhu putting course and The Cradle par-3 short course to life. He also worked alongside Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw during the restoration of Pinehurst No. 2, and with Gil Hanse this past year on redo of Course No. 4. He also helped legendary architect Tom Fazio clear the land for Pinehurst No. 8 more than two decades ago.

Farren has been committed to minimizing over-seeding through the cooler months while investing in efficient turfgrass cultivars that reduce the use of water and nutrients over the long term of the golf courses at Pinehurst.

“And through Bob’s vision, the Pinehurst Resort property continues to serve as a turfgrass testing site to the benefit of all golf courses globally,” says Mike Davis, the CEO of the USGA. “We can only continue to watch and see what comes next from his greenhouse and committed staff.”

Farren laughs when asked about golfers mostly noticing when a golf course is in need of some TLC and taking for granted when conditions are pristine.

“I guess I really haven’t known it any differently,” Farren says. “It’s acceptable to me because I’ve been doing it for 40 years. But I do have an appreciation for and I acknowledge how course conditions affect the golf shop people. I get it, I understand what we do, and they are the ones that hear it from members or resort guests if it’s bad. I can see that connection and acknowledge that. What we enjoy as a staff when we leave at the end of the day is we have tangible results, regardless of what it may be. And it changes every day, sometimes we never know from one day to the next what we may be faced with. This past summer was an example with storms and hurricanes, and in the winter ice storms.”

Fellow inductee Jim Hyler has had the pleasure of working alongside Farren during several USGA championships at the resort.

“I think the world of Bob and am so honored to be in the same Hall of Fame class as he is,” Hyler says. “You talk about salt of the earth; that is Bob. He is a humble guy and he is very knowledgeable and is an incredible golf course guy. He’s a can-do guy; a what do we need to do to get this right type of guy. I just have the utmost respect for him in every way – just a high character guy, high integrity and the consummate professional.”  

Maybe the biggest compliment came from Coore and Crenshaw.

“We learned a great deal from Bob, and he has been such an important and integral part of protecting and nurturing Pinehurst’s legacy,” the two architects said