College golf makes stop at Top Hill Farm Golf Club with tournament

Here’s a view of the seventh hole at Tot Hill Farm Golf Club. (Courtesy photo)

ASHEBORO – A college women’s golf tournament at Tot Hill Farm Golf Club could be just the beginning.

The Randolph County venue was the site of the Tot Hill Farm Invitational for two days last month. It was the first competition of this nature since the sale of the club in December 2022, though the course was also closed for a renovation project since then.

“From what I’ve heard, it’s going to be an annual thing,” said Ben Sloan, a golf pro and lead instructor at the club. “It’s always good to have that caliber of player out here.”

College of Charleston was the host school, and there was a clear connection that made it happen.

Pat Barber, who’s from Charleston, is the new owner of Tot Hill Farm Golf Club. He owns two courses in the Charleston, including The Links at Stono Ferry.

College of Charleston has used The Links at Stono Ferry as a practice facility and longtime Cougars coach Jamie Futrell had connections with Barber and Sloan, who spent eight years at The Links at Stono Ferry before making the move to the Asheboro club.

Sloan said club ownership was interested in bringing a college tournament to Tot Hill Farm Golf Club.

Futrell, who didn’t respond to an interview request, and an assistant coach played the course months ago before signing off on being the tournament host and gathering commitments from other teams.

“He liked it and decided to roll with it,” Sloan said.

The Cougars had made a trip to Randolph County for rounds at Tot Hill Farm Golf Club, so they became familiar with the layout. They also arrived a couple of days prior to the tournament for more rounds at the course.

College of Charleston, the host of the 11-team event, won the tournament at 3-over for a 10-stroke edge on East Carolina. Coastal Carolina (25-over) was third and Elon (36-over) placed fourth.

College of Charleston senior Emma Schimpf was the individual medalist at 1-unde-par 215. She shot rounds of 77, 68 and 70. Teammate Emilie von Finckenstein was a shot back at even par (71, 69, 76).

The field also included in-state teams Appalachian State, Gardner-Webb, Queens and Western Carolina plus Marshall, Presbyterian and USC Upstate.

“The course held up well,” Sloan said of providing a challenging test for the college golfers.

Sloan said that women’s teams from High Point and UNC Greensboro held practice rounds weeks before the invitational but weren’t in the tournament field.