Seventy-two holes of Sandhills golf are transitioning from decades of ownership and management flux into the hands of the long-time ownership group of Pine Needles, Mid Pines and Southern Pines.
The Country Club of Whispering Pines, which opened in 1959 and has two Ellis Maples-designed courses, and Foxfire Country Club, which followed in 1968 with two Gene Hamm-designed courses, have been acquired by Rolling Pines LLC, a newly formed management concern with the parent company of Mid Pines Development Group.
“We see great opportunities in both properties,” says Kelly Miller, managing partner of the new ownership group, in a Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club news release. “Our goal is to make significant improvements on all four courses and get them on an upward trajectory.
“The Sandhills area is growing, North Carolina is growing, and Raleigh, Sanford and Fort Bragg seem to be getting closer and closer to us. There has been very little new golf built in Moore County in the last 20 years. This is a chance to some polish some classic golf courses from outstanding designers and make them available to the public at a reasonable price.”
Haresh Tharani, who runs his family office’s global investments across various asset categories, including retail, hospitality, and the family hedge fund, is also an avid golfer with a deep appreciation for the game and the sense of community it fosters.
Since December 2017, he has been a partner with the Miller and McGowan families—descendants of the late Warren and Peggy Kirk Bell—in the ownership of Mid Pines, later expanding the partnership to include Pine Needles and Southern Pines. His passion for golf, along with his admiration for the beauty and tradition of the game, has only deepened his connection to the Sandhills region. He cites the appeal of the region, the charm of the state of North Carolina, and the exciting potential of the new properties as key motivations for the acquisition.
“I have people frequently complaining about New York,” he says. “I tell them to look at North Carolina. We have four seasons, low taxes, and a healthy business climate. We’re close to the mountains and the coast. And in the middle is the Sandhills, one of the great golf destinations in the country.
“We have a deep commitment to the community and to the state. We believe in buying properties that have a great legacy and tradition, and both of these clubs fit that.”
Miller is the son-in-law of the late Peggy Kirk Bell, who, with her husband, Warren “Bullet” Bell, operated and later owned Pine Needles beginning in 1953. Miller moved to Southern Pines in the early 1980s after he married Peggy Ann Bell and began working for the Pine Needles management staff, working his way up to president and CEO and being hands-on in the company’s 1994 acquisition of Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club and the 2020 purchase of Southern Pines Golf Club.
“Mr. Bell had a regular group that included Andy Page, the head pro at Southern Pines, and Harvie Ward, who was at Foxfire at the time,” Miller says. “They had 12 to 16 guys who played at Pine Needles, Southern Pines, Foxfire and Whispering Pines every week. We had a great time. Over the years, Foxfire and Whispering Pines have had their challenges.
“I have fond memories playing there and have had my eye on them for some time.”
Rolling Pines is purchasing the two properties from GreatLife Golf Management. The new Whispering Pines and Foxfire operations will be separate from the exiting membership structure at Pine Needles, Mid Pines and Southern Pines. Miller and Tharani emphasize they are making a long-term commitment, and among initiatives to come are having golf architect Kyle Franz, who has supervised major restorations of the Pine Needles, Mid Pines and Southern Pines courses in the last dozen years, tweak the courses and develop a master plan.
In the near term, guests at the Pine Needles and Mid Pines resorts will have access to the Foxfire and Whispering Pines courses, and under consideration will be various synergies between the five operations.
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Contributed article/Photo via Village of Foxfire.
