Maginnes: Celebrating Wyndham Championship's return to Sedgefield

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You can't play golf in North Carolina without walking in the footsteps of Donald Ross.

John Maginnes (WireImage)

He left his indelible imprint in small towns like Salisbury and Burlington to Durham, Raleigh and Charlotte. And Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, which Ross designed in 1926, will be on display this summer when the Wyndham Championship moves home for the first time since 1976.

Considering the fact that Ross designed or redesigned more than 400 golf courses nationwide, it is amazing that the Wyndham Championship is one of only two tournaments on the PGA TOUR schedule -- aside from the majors -- that will be played on a Donald Ross course this year and in the foreseeable future.

The other is THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, which is played at East Lake Golf Club, a 1908 Tom Bendelow original that was redone by Ross five years later.

Just a week before the TOUR visits Greensboro and Sedgefield, the PGA Championship will be contested at Oakland Hills, one of Ross' masterpieces. The U.S. Open rotates back to Pinehurst No. 2, perhaps his crowning achievement, in 2014.

Many of Ross' courses have undergone renovations over the years -- some to modernize them for an ever-growing game, others to restore them to their original designs and more still, like Oakland Hills, to prepare for major championships. Ross' courses have hosted more than 100 national championships over the years.

In Oakland Hills and Sedgefield, the stars of the PGA TOUR will find two classic championship courses that have undergone recent renovations.

Golf course architect, historian and Ross aficionado Kris Spence spent nearly a year renovating Sedgefield. The goal was to create a golf course that would challenge the best players in the world while maintaining the integrity of the original Ross design.

The result is a perfect example of how to modernize a great course while maintaining the original feel and overall character. What will undoubtedly strike the game's best players when they drive up Forsyth Drive through the stately neighborhood is the magnificent clubhouse that is the centerpiece of the property.

Like the golf course, the grand Tudor club house has been upgraded through the years. It served as both clubhouse and inn until the 1992. While the original and inviting lobby with its oversized fireplace remains unchanged, the dinning areas, locker rooms and pro shop are now state of the art.

Most PGA TOUR players spend the bulk of their indoor time at the golf course in the locker room. The new locker room at Sedgefield will immediately become a player favorite on TOUR.

With a world-class pool table, steam room and sauna, spacious locker facility and private dining room, the players will be well taken care in this grand old building. On the walls throughout the building are photos of those who have come before and enjoyed the hospitality of members and golf fans. From Byron Nelson and Sam Snead, who won six of his eight Greensboro tournaments at Sedgefield, to Arnold Palmer and all of the greats of yesteryear, the photos and the building itself serve as a window to the past.

If the players are pleased with the accommodations and hospitality at Sedgefield, they will love the golf course. Lee Trevino once described Sedgefield as the only golf course that he had ever played with 18 par 4s.

Although that description was in typical Trevino jest, it's not too far from the truth. The two par 5s, as it will be set up for tournament week, will be reachable in two for every player in the field. The four par 3s vary in length and difficulty but any shot hit above the hole will leave treacherous putts.

The true signature of the grand old course is the fact that it is not your typical PGA TOUR second-shot golf course. Decisions will have to be made on every tee to set up approach shots on the par 4s. At a meager -- by TOUR standards -- 7,100 yards, the golf course's defenses will be its thick Bermuda rough and heavily undulating greens.

When TOUR players talk about their favorite courses, it is never the oversized modern beasts that are mentioned. TOUR players love the classic designs, and in August, they will be introduced to another one. More importantly, when the TOUR reacquaints itself with Donald Ross, it will be a glorious homecoming.

The members at Sedgefield have been waiting for 30 years to do what they do best -- play host to the golf world for a week. For years the echoes of stories of the good old days at the club have reverberated off the locker room walls. Now a new vault for stories has been opened and is ready to be filled.

Who says you can't go home?