Quail Creek Golf Course Feels Like Home

Mike Hardwick

Photo by Linda Karn

(posted May 21)

Thirty years have passed since Mike Hardwick graduated from Speedway High School. Some might remember Hardwick for playing high school and collegiate golf. The golfing bug still remains strong within Hardwick who is now the head golf pro at Quail Creek Golf Course in Pittsboro.

Quail Creek has become an extension of home for Hardwick. He attributes that to his westside friends who have kept coming out to play the course.

One of Hardwick's favorite aspects of the job is coming in at 5:00 am to enjoy the course's peaceful setting. It is not uncommon to see deer, coyotes and foxes running through the course.

Hardwick landed the job by chance. He said he was playing in a golf outing and Ed Schrier, Quail Creek's developer, just happened to be playing ahead of him. He said that Schrier walked back and asked to him to "fill a void in his operations."

Hardwick touted the improvements that Schrier has made to Quail Creek. One of the major improvements was changing the landscape around 14. The railroad ties were taken out and replaced with stone.

He contends the par 3 14th hole is the most difficult on the course. Despite the obvious goal of clearing the water, not many players are aware that they are hitting into the wind. "It plays a lot longer than 150 yards."

The two easiest holes are 10 and 13. These two par fives are reachable in two shots. "It's a chance to score birdies before heading to 14 to splatter it in the water. It will even out then," he quipped.

One of Hardwick's passion is sharing golf stories. He said one of the oddities is that in the two golf outings this year, each one has had a hole-in-one. The holes-in-one occurred on two and eleven. "The pressure is on for the next outing," he said.

The weather has been no friend to the golfing business this year. "The weather has been awful, rainy and cold. It has treated us badly." He was out giving a lesson in mid May with climate conditions reflecting early March. "It was only 57 degrees and rainy," he said.

Despite the weather conditions, the course has had a lot of activity, with 12 leagues playing through the week and on Sunday afternoons. The course is playing host to Tri-West High School and Bethesda Christian School for some high school matches.