There are only two members, the founders. After a tee shot over a road on the 1st, the 2nd (a straightaway par five with a forced carry off the tee) and 3rd (a drivable par four bending left) immediately stick out among the most memorable. Friedkin, 52, is an active conservationist a trustee of the Wildlife Conservation Society, chairman of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, and head of a charitable fund established to conserve millions of protected acres in Tanzania. The gate opens inward to a one-lane gravel road that runs through a gauntlet of ancient live oak trees with Spanish moss gently waving in their gnarled branches. For four weeks, the Congaree kids will go through an intense college preparatory program: a mix of class work, fitness training, counseling, mentorship, golf lessons and an extensive club fitting thanks to partnerships with Cleveland and Ping. Its flattering and, more importantly, it helps more underprivileged youth. There are more than 200 ambassadors, plus another 100 or so honorary and professional ambassadors, guys like Nick Price, Tom Watson and Mark OMeara. 384 Davant Drive, Ridgeland, SC 29936 (843) 717-3400. By no means did the June conditions of the Palmetto Championship make it a pushover. If you look at the Farmers Almanac, the average temperature during that third week in October, highs in the low 80s, and you get a kind of 58-to-48-degree low. All share a love of golf and a passion for helping others. The club opened with two members its owners and now has one, after McNairs passing in 2018. 1 plays like World No. So, where is Congaree Golf Club? Theres no sign or number to mark the entrance to Congaree, just a 5-foot tall brick wall and an unassuming white-washed wood gate. The Tom Fazio design, which opened in 2017, jumped in at a moments notice. The CJ Cup will take place Wednesday, Oct. 19-Sunday, Oct. 23, at Congaree Golf Club, located north of Ridgeland near Gillisonville. And theyre invited in on an annual basis. Among the ambassadors is three-time PGA Tour winner and 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas. We want these people to come in and commit.. Through the network of all the people we have throughout the world, and we already have quite a few, theyve pledged to be there to help, Davidson says. I know everyone that opens up thinks theyre going to be Augusta National, and different. And theres a lot of people who get very little kudos for it, who have worked hard from the beginning to make this club what it is, added Davidson, who helped start the Congaree effort with fellow co-director of golf John McNeely, another accomplished PGA professional and the co-founder of esteemed Diamond Creek Golf Club in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Developed by Digital1010, Our site uses cookies. To date, 68 students have graduated from the program, and 27 who have already graduated from high school have received college golf scholarships valued at roughly $2.2 million total. Friedkins core business is Gulf States Toyota, a $8.4 billion car distributor serving more than 150 dealerships across five southern states. The tournament name will be changed to THE CJ CUP in South Carolina. Scottsdale, Arizona. The founders of Congaree set out to create a new philanthropic model that unites Ambassadors with a shared purpose to positively impact the lives of young people, locally and around the globe, by providing educational and vocational opportunities through the game of golf. The second cottage from the main house might be best described as the clubs version of Augusta Nationals Butler Cabin, with a rustic wood interior and furnishings that reflect the propertys past. With sand being the base, its grass is more unnatural to parts of the property. Dan Friedkin is the chairman of The Friedkin group, which is a consortium of businesses that operates in the luxury hospitality, automotive, entertainment, and golf industries. Congaree Golf Club is located at 8589 Grays Hwy, Ridgeland, SC 29936. They recognize that youre a Congaree kid and I wear that with pride.. What Type of Course is at Congaree Golf Club? Their influential efforts and wallets had Congaree in the mix, but the tour ultimately selected the 2020 PGA Championship site, Harding Park in San Francisco. Higgo won the tournament at 11 under with six players one stroke back. One of the best creations by the legendary golf architect Tom Fazio, Congaree Golf Club is a relatively new golf facility that opened in 2017. Bruce Davidson, Director of Golf at The Friedkin Group, is a native Scotsman and long-time golf instructor. There are, however, ambassadors, prominent figures in their respective fields and well-connected industry types who join via invite only. Also, it ranks among the top 100 golf courses in the United States. The club established the Congaree Global Golf Initiative, which Davidson describes as a "junior boot camp" for those hoping to play or study the game in college. Davant dismantled a much simpler, circa 1820 house that was located on a nearby plantation, which he also owned, and transferred it piece-by-piece to the site of his former home. PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - PGA TOUR and CJ Group officials today announced that THE CJ CUP will be contested at Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, South Carolina, the week of Oct. 17-23, 2022. A native of Scotland, Bruce Davidson is Director of Golf at The Friedkin Group and a world-renowned PGA professional. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. There are also no cart paths, as Congaree is a walking property. [14], The signature philanthropic program of the Congaree Foundation is the Congaree Global Golf Initiative, a college preparatory program for underserved high school students who aspire to play college golf. However, it has quickly gained the reputation of being the #1 private golf course in South Carolina. He and his wife Janice have been residents of Houston since 1960. Along with fellow Director of Golf John McNeely, Davidson was tasked with finding a large property for a firm, fast course. McNair served as senior chairman of McNair Interests, headquartered in Houston, Texas where he oversaw an investment portfolio. Congaree Golf Club. Maeve Cummins is among the success stories from the inaugural CGGI program. [12], In September 2019, Congaree made an unsuccessful pitch at hosting the 2025 Presidents Cup. The . Davidson usually has the greens running north of 13 on the stimpmeter and happily shares his team can get them to 15, but he does not expect to reach such speeds at the CJ CUP. The week on site goes fast, but its the continuation thats key. I was like, I think you gave me someone elses room because I figured someone elses stuff was in there. Ben has been awarded the Carolinas PGA Junior Golf Leader of the Year and selected as one of Charlestons Forty Under 40 business professionals. This is a club for collectively improving life for those who can do with a little help.. McNair, who returned NFL football to Houston in 2002 and has an estimated net worth of $3.5 billion according to Forbes, has undertaken similar efforts elsewhere, including a scholarship program in Forest City, North Carolina, thats sent more than 160 kids to local colleges if they graduated high school with a B average. But Congaree is so much more than that week. in a few hours. Theyll look into students financial and family situations, academics and golf game before inviting the next group in for a summer. Congaree has been positioned as a philanthropic club since it was founded. We'll look at outrights, H2H's, and talk about one and done options for the Palmetto Championship at Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, SC. Most fairway landing spots are set up beside long, sandy waste areas, and nearly every fairway bunker is part of a larger sand trap. Meet the U.S. and International teams, Tour Confidential: Presidents Cup mismatch, LIV recruiting, Augusta changes, After shocking 72nd-hole plot twist, Max Homa wins Fortinet Championship. Instead of members, the club invites "ambassadors" to join who are passionate about supporting Congaree Foundation's philanthropic programs and becoming personally involved through a shared devotion to the game and giving their time to mentorship opportunities. In June, Congaree made its PGA TOUR debut with Garrick Higgo winning by one stroke. "It's 100 percent playable to all golfers. Instead of members, the club has ambassadors who support the charitable mission with dollars and time. Lucas Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, South Carolina native, and one of Congaree Golf Club's pro ambassadors, also spoke at the event. The event had a purse of $7.3 million, which ranked as one of the higher purses on the 2020-21 PGA Tour schedule. Above all, the most common challenge comes back to the sand. And Congaree is just that: an exceptional club with an extraordinary vision. When I read it, I was freaking out, Cummins said. The Congaree Golf Club has received international acclaim for creating a great golf course and even more praise for helping create opportunities for kids from all around the world to go to college. Through the Global Golf Initiative at Congaree, Friedkin wants to identify 40 high school students each year from around the world who have demonstrated a commitment to education and personal development, and who also might be good enough to play golf in college but dont have the financial wherewithal, parental support or knowledge to locate the right opportunities and navigate the various hurdles. Congaree Golf Club opened in 2017 in Ridgeland, S.C., the brainchild of billionaire businessmen Dan Friedkin and the late Bob McNair. As the club and its Tom Fazio-designed course in South Carolinas low country have continued to garner accolades including a successful stint as host of the PGA Tours 2021 Palmetto Championship at Congaree billionaire owner Dan Friedkin is most excited about how the charitable vision has taken root. The program, now in its fifth year of existence, utilizes Congaree Ambassadors to identify promising young high schoolers and hosts them at the golf club for one week in hopes of improving their . Some members of the inaugural Congaree Global Golf Initiative (CGGI) program in 2017 have now graduated college (playing competitive golf along the way) and turned their opportunity into something much bigger. Prior to joining Congaree, Tom was the 1st Assistant Professional at Diamond Creek Golf Club, Assistant Professional at Miromar Lakes Golf Club and an Assistant Professional at Rock Creek Cattle Company. These are life-changing opportunities. ", "A template for the future for private clubs.". By PGA Tour Jun 30 2022 4:51PM. Wednesday 6/9 Live Chat: youtu.be/IE0BHCzCfVU Wednesday 6/9 JockMKT Power Hour: youtu.be/aY5jzrpUJGg At Congaree, the intent has always been to create a tight network of support. He owns one of the largest collections of vintage military war planes and not only flies high performance aircraft, but performs in air shows across North America and Europe with the U.S. Air Force and the Horsemen P-51 Mustang Flight Team. The Foundations support of the Lowcountry Food Bank has led to 105 drive-thru food distributions and 14 fresh-for-all markets to help local families in need. Nick Price, Tom Watson and Mark. Since opening in 2017, Congaree Golf Club has been one of those courses that holds a certain lore in the golf worldmany have heard, but few have seen. But at Congaree, a new golf club steeped in history in South Carolinas low country, philanthropy is the ethos of an entirely new membership model. Before Id even finished the hole, that young girl unknowingly was a step closer to being a Congaree kid and having her life change. Thats big, but thats not the sole purpose of this story or the club. 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