Jimmy V Classic moving to new NC State golf course

General16

This is some good news that we didn’t want to ignore.

After two years in Pinehurst, the annual star-studded Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic event – which supports the Cary-based V Foundation for Cancer Research – is moving back to the Triangle. The Classic originally moved to Pinehurst Resort in 2007 due to a scheduling conflict.

The event will, however, have a new venue. The competition, which for 13 years was held at Cary’s Prestonwood Golf Club, will move to the new Lonnie Poole Golf Course at North Carolina State University’s Centennial Campus. That course, designed by the Arnold Palmer Design Co., is set to open in March 2009.

“We felt it was important to return The Classic to the Triangle where it started,” Nick Valvano, CEO of The V Foundation, said in a written statement. “We are excited to bring The Classic home to Raleigh’s revitalized downtown utilizing the new Raleigh Convention Center, Marriott City Center, and Lonnie Poole Golf Course on the Centennial Campus at N.C. State.”

Founded in 1993, the V Foundation was named after former NCSU men’s basketball coach Jim Valvano, who died shortly thereafter of cancer. The foundation has raised more than $80 million to fund cancer research, with its annual golf tournament raising just over $13 million of that.

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16 Responses to Jimmy V Classic moving to new NC State golf course

  1. BoKnowsNCS71 09/17/2008 at 2:34 PM #

    I did volunteer work for the Jimmy V for several years and it is a great event. Too bad the SAS Championship as taken over the spot at Prestonwood but they were great to offer those facilities in past years. Moving to the new golf course will be symbolic. I just wish the NCSU administration would do something to finally recognize Coach V as an important part of our NCSU history.

  2. StateofthePack 09/17/2008 at 2:45 PM #

    It is a bit ironic that the powers that be have tried to impose new “traditions” onto the students and alumni over the last couple seasons while completely failing to give proper recognition to one of the most engaging, colorful people to have ever been associated with our once great university. It makes one wonder the moment that Valvano is properly recognized by the university by the many good things he did if our current athletic “luck” will change.

    This is good to see that the tournament will once again be embraced by Raleigh and hopefully by the administration across the street.

  3. WV Wolf 09/17/2008 at 3:29 PM #

    There is more information on http://www.golfclassic.org

    I’ve been a volunteer at the Jimmy V for 9 years and while I’m glad it’s back in the Triangle, I do have some logistic questions.

    At both Prestonwood and Pinehurst the tourney would be played on 3 courses at the same time allowing for 54 groups (or more) to play with a shotgun start but unless I’m mistaken State’s course will only have 18 holes. The website says there will be 150 golfers, at 5 in a group that is 30 groups. I guess they will double up groups on each hole which could slow things down.

    But as well run as the tournament is every year I’m sure they will get everything figured out and have things running smoothly.

  4. ncsulilwolf 09/17/2008 at 4:01 PM #

    Very good news in-deed! Now, if they could just coordinate memberships to the Golf Course (which will have it’s own club house, dining room and lounge apparentl), The State Club (across the street), the Wolfpack Club, and the Alumni Association… they’d really be in a good position to drive some interest there way.

    And let’s not forget the potential growth and continual development for the V Foundation as Raleigh offers a lot more for the event than Pinehurst… other than golf.

  5. highstick 09/17/2008 at 4:38 PM #

    Scares the “living HEL.” out of me to have anything associated with V under the control of Fowler and Obie! Please tell me they aren’t involved and will keep their hands off of it!!

  6. BoKnowsNCS71 09/17/2008 at 9:01 PM #

    I agree with WV Wolf. Yes the number of holes will be reduced meaning fewer teams but to compensate there will be more amateur celebs and fewer good ole boys from the Preston Wood CC being able to play with them.

    People come to see the Celebs and while it’s a shame to lost the support of Preston Wood’s members to the SAS (yawn) tournament (which keeps threatening to move) — they gotta do what they gotta do.

    There are lots of ways to raise money at fund raisers like this and the jimmy V folks will figure it out and make this a winner and raise tons of money for Cancer research.

  7. papackman 09/18/2008 at 6:32 AM #

    Notre Dame recently unveiled a bronze statue of Lou Holtz commemorating the 1988 National Football Championship and his tenor at the university.

    How great it would be to see Coach V’s likeness in bronze overlooking the NC State Brickyard.

  8. SEAT.5.F.2 09/18/2008 at 7:26 AM #

    The brickyard is sinking along with Harrelson, so I guess that would be fitting.

  9. whitefang 09/18/2008 at 7:40 AM #

    Is Harrelson still sinking? It was sinking when I was there in 1975 so I thought it would be sunk by now!

  10. SEAT.5.F.2 09/18/2008 at 7:53 AM #

    It has been on the table for awhile to demo it. It going the city of Atlantis route is the issue, it’s a safety & maintenance issue due to stress to the building. Williams was very close to the chopping block, but instead a massive renovation occurred to essentially dig it out.

    Tieing this subject into the Golf Course, I have seen the 25 year plan for Centennial and it is very impressive. We actually might get this accomplished (as oppossed to V’s plans foe Athletics, and others more recent) because private business interest has demanded it.

    Even Interstate 440 has been mentioned in the expanision with an on-off ramp going right to Centennial Campus door step.

  11. RAWFS 09/18/2008 at 8:23 AM #

    I’ve seen a bit of the golf course, and it is going to be spectacular. The holes are challenging (even under construction, you can tell that they will be tough but fair) and there will be some awesome views of the evolving Raleigh skyline.

  12. wfpk99 09/18/2008 at 8:42 AM #

    So when will the Jimmy V Basketball Tourney be moved to the RBC Center?

    And, highstick, I don’t think Lee will have to do anything except show up which having this golf tourney here means he’ll actually be in Raleigh an extra day in 2009 rather than playing golf elsewhere!

  13. wirogers 09/18/2008 at 9:21 AM #

    The entire Brickyard was built on swamp. The irontic thing is they wanted to remodel Williams Hall home to the Soil and Crop Science Departments. However, the money they budgeted for the renovations would not even cover the costs to fix the sinking problem they were ‘surprised’ to find.

  14. SEAT.5.F.2 09/18/2008 at 9:32 AM #

    I also should mention that along with the big plans to create a “new main campus” @ Centennial there are major upgrades in the works @ Vet school which have already gotten into full swing.

  15. GAWolf 09/18/2008 at 4:36 PM #

    This is a decent start to something that as many of you have pointed out should have been done a long, long time ago…

  16. promarshall 10/14/2008 at 8:25 AM #

    I have been a Marshall at the JimmyV Classic for 11 years. The good news about 2009’s Classic is overwhelming. Coach was probably looking down saying” Gosh I wish they would build an 18 Hole Course somewhere on campus” This is where it should be and will be hopefully for many years. One thing we should never forget is yes this is about Golf but that is secondary to the mission, which is to keep up the fight to beat Cancer. I look forward to 2009,the Classic and my little part to help make this the great Venue it is and always will be.

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