The 1st annual Mike Strantz Memorial was held at Tot Hill Farm Golf Club in Asheboro NC on Saturday, November 21st, 2009. The event, which took place just outside of the famed Pinehurst and NC Sandhills Golf region, allows golfers and cancer survivors the opportunity to honor the life and legacy of golf course designer, Michael J. Strantz, who passed away a little over three years ago, on June 10, 2005. Proceeds from the event benefited the Hollings Cancer Center of South Carolina and the fun, competitive day would no doubt have made Strantz very proud.

Michael J. Strantz, who passed away from lung cancer, was known as a maverick in his field, often using unconventional methods and elements in the planning and design of the courses that he completed. In fact, after graduating from Michigan Turf Grass Management School in 1978, Strantz went on to apprentice under Tom Fazio for a short while during Fazio’s management of The Inverness Club’s turf just prior to the 1978 U.S. Open. Learning and being inspired by Tom Fazio, Strantz went on to aid in the planning and design of famed Fazio courses such as Wild Dunes, Wachesaw, Golden Eagle, Wade Hampton, Osprey Point and Lake Nona. Eventually, Strantz struck out on his own, forming his own golf course design company, Maverick Golf Course Design. He made his home in Charleston SC and he and his family were settled with Strantz and his team completing renowned golf courses such as Caledonia Golf & Fish Cub, True Blue Golf Club, and Tobacco Road Golf Club in the NC Sandhills

He was known in the field for his rebel attitude and unique way of doing things exactly the way he wanted, caring not about precedents from the past, but about the overall beauty and aesthetics of every single hole on a course. His famed creations and small accolades won him the distinction of being named the Architect of the Year by GolfWorld magazine in 1998; later, in 2000, GolfWeek magazine named him one of the Top 10 Greatest Architects of all time. Ever the spirited fighter, Strantz designed and worked on golf courses up until his death, at the age of 50. Some of his final golf course designs are located on the West Coast and, one in particular, the remodel of the private course at Silver Creek Golf Club in San Jose, has been called one of the most beautiful courses in the country.

If you ever have the chance to play at any of the courses designed by Strantz, you should not let it pass by. These renowned courses are among some of the most noted courses in the country. Tot Hill Farm Club, near the NC Sandhills Golf region, is a Mike Strantz creation and has been called the seventh toughest course in America. Located near the NC Sandhills and Pinehurst NC Golf region, Tot Hill Farm Club is a masterpiece of a North Carolina Golf Course. To learn more about Tot Hill Golf Club and other great North Carolina Golf Courses that are located in and around the Pinehurst NC Golf region, browse our site and get information on daily rates at the best North Carolina Golf Courses. We have included tons of information on all of the famed NC Golf areas and invite you to click around the site to learn more.