Run its Course: Annual ACC event may be at end

In its heyday, the annual ACC coaches and media gathering at Grandfather Mountain was one of the best things going.

It started in 1959 when Hugh Morton, the owner of Grandfather Mountain and the unofficial sports photographer at the University of North Carolina, wanted the ACC coaches to enjoy what his mountain had to offer.

He also invited the media that covered the conference, as well. But there was one request by Morton. The weekend was a relaxing getaway and there would be no interviews.

The 50th ACC coaches and media gathering was held this weekend and it was likely the last.

With coaches busier than ever and with newspapers and television stations shrinking their staffs, the event appears to have run its course.

Brian Morrison, an assistant commissioner of the ACC, has been to 19 of the outings and says it's an unique event.

"There's nothing like this anywhere in the country," Morrison said. "I've got pictures from this outing back in the 1960s, and it's something that can't be explained unless you've been up there."

The beauty of Grandfather Mountain is one thing, but the hospitality, the golf, the tennis and the fishing is what made it such a tradition in the ACC. Such ACC coaching legends as Peahead Walker, Frank Howard and Dean Smith used to make regular trips to Grandfather for the May outing.

The late Marvin "Skeeter" Francis, a former sports information director at Wake Forest and an assistant commissioner at the ACC, probably loved the outing more than anybody. He constantly would promote the outing to coaches and media, making sure everybody knew the May weekend when it would be held.

On Tuesday, the outing will conclude with the Skeeter Francis 18-hole captain's choice tournament.

"Skeeter loved it up there," Morrison said. "He always had the best stories."

Morton, who died in June of 2006, was the driving force behind the outing. He had help through the years from Harris Prevost, a vice president of the mountain who also teaches accounting at Appalachian State.

This was Prevost's 30th outing, and he said that Morton wanted one thing. "He always said that when the competition was over, he wanted the coaches to come up and relax," Prevost said.

One of the regulars in recent years has been Jerry Moore, the football coach at Appalachian State. One year when expansion was a hot topic Moore was announced as a guest at the annual black-tie dinner, which spawned one wise-cracking reporter to say: "When did App join the ACC?"

Jim Grobe, the football coach at Wake Forest, is an avid golfer and has made the outing three times. He was busy traveling with his wife, Holly, and couldn't make it this year, but says it is one of his favorite things. "There's great golf, great food and I liked getting to know the sportswriters and broadcasters in a different setting," Grobe said. "It was a total home run when you think about that deal. I'm just sorry to hear it might be the last one."

Jesse Haddock, 82, the legendary former golf coach at Wake Forest, has made several of the outings. He was at last night's dinner at Grandfather Mountain, and says he remembers C.D. Chesley, who was responsible for getting ACC basketball on television so many years ago, loved to come to the outing.

"Ches had a place on Grandfather, and Hugh Morton would love having the coaches up to play Grandfather," Haddock said.

Prevost said that Morton and John Pottle, who used to manage Augusta National's clubhouse and Linville Golf Club, were the two who started the outing.

Some of the coaches who didn't play golf would play tennis instead.

John Justus, who is the secretary for the Atlantic Coast Conference Sports Media Association, used to be the sports information director for Wake Forest.

"Bill Dooley used to go up there, and we made sure there were some tennis players there so he could play," Justus said.

Prevost has plenty of pictures taken by Morton from the early days of the outing and showed a bunch of them at dinner last night on a big projection screen.

"I guess the biggest thing about the outing is how many friends I've made and seeing everybody each year is great," Prevost said. "And I think everybody has a good time."

Around the green

A new social network on the Internet will open later this month that is specifically geared toward dedicated golfers.

LetsPlay36.net is free for those who register at the site. Mike Purkey, who has been a golf writer and editor for 25 years, has a slogan for the Web site that says: "One game, one world." Members complete a player profile that identifies them by hometown, home club, handicap and age, and members can link to others in their area. "We want golf to flourish and grow," Purkey said, "and we've designed the site to help golfers meet and, hopefully, play more rounds."…

A junior golf camp at Old North State Club is scheduled for June 15-17 and it's open to the public. There is a limit of 30 students. "This is a unique opportunity for younger players to receive professional instruction in all phases of the game," said Tom Ducey, the director of Old North State Club, which is in New London. For more information, call 336-461-2610….

Cross Creek Country Club in Mount Airy, which has been redesigned during the last two years by designer Kris Spence, is ranked No. 92 in the North Carolina Golf Panel rankings. It's the first time that Cross Creek, which is a par 72 that plays to 6,775 yards, has made the top 100.

■ John Dell can be reached at 727-4081 or at jdell@wsjournal.com.