Hailing from a state where golf courses spend a long
winter blanketed by snow, Michigan transplant Dave VanDeVenter has adapted easily to a state with year round play. But growing up in St. John’s Michigan, golf was a top priority for the young Dave at any time of the year. His older brothers and parents all played the game. Dave played golf for two years in high school and four years in college where he lettered in the sport.
His alma mater, Fair State University, offered the first golf course management program in the United States. This placed a different aspect on the game for Dave and he enrolled. Four internships were required for its completion. The last internship was at a small course in North Carolina called Stanly County Country Club. Here, under PGA golf professional Sam Estridge, Dave completed his internship and was offered his first job: assistant pro to Sam. He spent three years at the Badin course and then in 1984 applied for and was accepted as the golf pro at Stanly County’s Piney Point Golf Club. Here, for the last 33 years, Dave has been instrumental in fine tuning the course and its facilities.
Situated near Lake Tillery, the area’s rolling hills and beautiful scenery lend themselves to this traditional course. Well-designed, the 18-hole par-72 course is semi-private, well maintained and walk-able with challenging but playable holes.
Each summer Piney Point hosts the PGA Junior League bringing a "Little League" atmosphere to the game of golf. Teams of boys and girls, age 13 and under, compete and have fun in this PGA JLG structured league environment.
“This is a great way to get, and keep, kids involved in the game,” says Dave.
Dave and his wife, Emily raised three daughters now ages 30, 28 and 26. Hobbies are limited with his time consuming job, but Dave loved to run and, over the years, has completed 7 marathons. He also finds time to be active in the community. He is a member of Rotary and a past board member of the Stanly County Chamber of Commerce.
“The Chamber offers great ways to network with the community,” says Dave. “This is a small town and organizations like this do a great job supporting one another.”
This year, on Wednesday, June 7, Piney Point hosts the annualStanly County Chamber Classic golf tournament.
