by a management group that included eight former NASCAR winners of the Daytona 500, hence its new name. The owners transformed the dramatic rolling golf course club with a multi-million-dollar makeover and introduced exceptional casual family-friendly services aimed at redefining the modern sports club experience — with access for all. “In that respect,” Alex explained to us as we rambled around the golf course on a golden afternoon, “this is probably one of the most unique clubs in the country, one that focuses on fun and making everyone who comes here feel welcome and at home.” To that end, Alexis has introduced several programs designed to bring newcomers to the game — women and children, abled and disabled alike — by focusing on the power of golf to bring joy and fun. With input from the USGA, He recently created the North Carolina Adaptive Golf Association, a first of its kind aiming to build a network of teaching clinics across the state. A recent clinic he hosted in Greenville (SC) for physically challenged kids attracted a dozen one-armed kids from across the country. The 500 Club seems perfect for Alex Fourie, an extraordinary young man whose improbable life journey from an orphanage in Ukraine to his first head pro job in western North Carolina almost seems the stuff of divine intervention. “I sometime have to pinch myself for where life has led me. I wake up every day thankful to God that I’m able to do what I do in a game I love. This is really my mission in life, a way to give back to others. It’s not a job, it’s a blessing. God and golf saved me.” Reprinted with permission from James Dodson and Substack.
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