Roger C. Watson
MANAGING PARTNER
Mr. Watson directs the growth and operations of Carolinas Golf Group and brings extensive industry experience to his role.
Career Highlights
It has been 40 years since young Roger Watson, the head golf professional at MacGregor Downs Country Club in Raleigh, beat Snead on the first hole of a playoff to win the National PGA Club Professioinal Championship at Pinehurst No. 2. The victory was a major upset, pitting a relative unknown club pro against one of the game’s most famous players.
Watson went on to defend his title the next year and embark on a playing career that saw him play in the US Open and the PGA championship tournaments, win the Carolinas PGA Section title along with Player of the Year honors, and a host of other events.
As good as he was as a teacher and player, Watson was an instant success in the business side of golf, using his vast knowledge and talent to perfection. An astute and innovative businessman, he formed a number of partnerships that built, owned or leased a number of courses. Later his management skills led to an effective association with clubs—public, private and semi-private—handling all phases of club operations.
Several of the company’s unique programs have resulted in tremendous cost-savings and additional revenues for clubs that were fighting hard to stay alive in a wayward economy. The High Point Country Club, for example, saw a new membership program result in an increase of more than 120 members in less than six months. Wildwood Green’s membership grew more than 250 members during an 18-month period.
He is a graduate of High Point University where he earned NAIA All-American honors as the school’s top player and was inducted into the HPU Sports Hall of Fame. After graduating in 1966 Watson ventured out into professional golf.
His first job was a two-year stint as an assistant golf professional under Buck Adams at the Country Club of North Carolina. Later he became Head Professional at Sapona CC in Lexington, NC, for two years before taking over at MacGregor Downs, where he served for 12 years.
It was at MacGregor Downs Country Club that Watson began to think of a career off the golf course.Serving MacGregor Downs Country Club for 12 years
A year later he formed Watson Golf Services to manage courses with Lochmere as his first client.
In 1984 he joined forces with Cliff Benson Jr. of Raleigh and bought both Wildwood and Lochmere from Eaglemere. Later he built and managed North Shore in Topsail Beach, NC.
Professional Golf Design came along in 1986, and the company designed and managed the Nags Head Golf Links on the Outer Banks.
Carolinas Golf Group was born in 1988Roger Watson and Stuart Frantz as original partners
In 1998, the company was purchased for $60 million by Cobblestone Golf.
Watson gave second life to the Carolinas Golf Group in 2000 when he revived the name and concentrated mostly on providing a full-service club management. In the decade of the 21 st century the firm has run more than a dozen courses; built the Traditions of Braselton in Jefferson, Georgia; oversaw construction of the Old Chatham Club near Chapel Hill, the Golf Club at Sanctuary Cove near St. Simons Island, Georgia, the Golf Club at Chapel Ridge in Pittsboro, the North River Club in Beaufort, North Carolina, the Bridges Club in Gunter, Texas. The company also sold four courses for Bluegreen Golf.
Carolinas Golf Group contracted to build and manage Lonnie Poole Golf CourseAn Arnold Palmer Design
In addition to Lonnie Poole, the company also manages Wildwood Green, Deep Springs CC, Kings Grant CC, Wendell CC, CC of the Crystal Coast and consults for other courses including High Point CC.
“It has been an enjoyable run,” Watson exclaimed, “and I have enjoyed every minute of my many associations with such a wide assortment of courses.”
A High Point native, Watson was considered one of the state’s best players for more than a decade. He won the North Carolina Open in 1969 and was twice named the Carolinas PGA Section’s Player of the Year.
He has been elected to seven Halls of Fame, including the Carolinas PGA, North Carolina Sports, NAIA, Carolinas Sportswriters, High Point University, Guilford Country and High Point High School.
He is married to the former Sandy Morris of High Point, and the couple has two children, son Chip and daughter Molly Maack, and four grandchildren.