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Phil and Scott Hamel striking the first ceremonial tee shots at High Side Golf Club
Milestone October 20, 2026

The First Shots.

On October 20, we celebrated the start of construction alongside the people who helped make High Side possible. Family, friends, partners, and the City of Kannapolis gathered on the land for an unforgettable afternoon — and a few ceremonial tee shots, some straighter than others.

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The build so far

Oct 202026
Milestone Link

Ground broken.

October 20, 2026. After substantial planning, dreaming, and figuring out how to make this thing real, we officially broke ground on High Side Golf Club.

Surrounded by family, friends, investors, partners, and a community that showed up in a way we'll never forget, we celebrated the only way that felt right: with a few ceremonial first tee shots (some straighter than others).

Now, let's build.

For a long time, High Side existed in drawings, conversations and plans. Now we get to watch it become a beautiful destination and take its spot in the community.

Phil Hamel — Co-Founder
1 / 11 Two ceremonial tee shots struck at the same moment A golf bag standing on bare construction ground Five shovels with the High Side monogram cut into the blades Phil Hamel, Scott Hamel and JD Downey speaking at the podium Guests applauding under the tent A ceremonial drive struck from a turf mat Four of the High Side team with clubs JD Downey and Kris Spence talking with guests on the land, having worked together on past projects Guests walking the property on a tour through the pines The podium with mums and antlers Aerial view of the tent and cleared ground
01

David Ross & Kennedy Ramsey of Elevate Golf striping an opening shot down the fairway.

Sep2026
Field Note Link

Scooter reports from the site.

Meet Scooter. Golden retriever, professional stick collector, checking on equipment and making sure every pile of dirt smells right.

He takes his responsibilities very seriously. We think.

Portrait of Scooter, a golden retriever Scooter facing a John Deere dozer on cleared red dirt Scooter inspecting the soil beside a dozer Scooter walking past a CAT excavator at dusk Scooter on cleared ground at dusk with two excavators and a rising moon Scooter standing on a spoil pile under a rising moon Scooter walking away down a corridor of pines
Scooter. Site supervisor.
Aug 182026
Photo Set Link

Before.

Before the first machine rolled in, there was this.

Rolling terrain, winding creeks, towering trees, and more than a few places that made us stop and imagine what could be.

A look at the land that started it all, and the natural beauty we're building High Side around.

1 / 7 The property at golden hour Charlotte on the horizon Where the driving range and closing holes will sit The pond from directly above Kudzu Korner The front of the property
01

The first machine on the property, sitting in a clearing that hadn't been cleared for it.

Jul2026
Field Note Link

The Founders.

Meet Phil Hamel, Scott Hamel, and JD Downey. Three guys with a shared love of golf, a big idea, and the mission to bring High Side to life.

Our goal? Build a place for really good golf that fits into real life.

We're just getting started.

Phil Hamel, co-founder of High Side Golf Club
Phil Hamel
Co-Founder
Scott Hamel, co-founder of High Side Golf Club
Scott Hamel
Co-Founder
JD Downey, co-founder of High Side Golf Club
JD Downey
Co-Founder
Jun2026
Design Link

The first holes, on paper.

Every great golf hole starts somewhere. Ours started with a whole lot of walking, a little imagination, and the creative mind of architect Kris Spence.

Here's an early look at how we're bringing the land to life through golf. Five renderings, countless possibilities, and the first glimpse of what's to come.

1 / 5 Rendering of Hole 5, a short par 3 to a green set in a bowl between mounded ridges Rendering of Hole 9, a par 3 with a terraced bunker left and water right Rendering of Hole 10, a short par 4 with bunkers splitting the fairway and water short of the green Rendering of Hole 17, a par 4 with a cluster of bunkers set into the fairway Rendering of Hole 18, a par 3 to a small green ringed by deep bunkers
01

Hole 5 — The Punchbowl · Par 3, 135 yards

Renderings by Kris Spence and Catie Craig of Spence Golf, Inc. More holes to come as they're finished.

Mar 102026
Milestone Link

Land secured. The build begins.

March 10, 2026. The day High Side stopped being a pin on a map and became a place we could call our own.

After searching for the right piece of land, we'd found something special. The rolling ground, the trees, the creeks — everything we imagined High Side could be.

Now comes the fun part: turning the ideas, sketches, and what-ifs into something real.

Time to get to work.

Aerial view of the High Side property
The beginning

Nothing under that filter yet — more is coming as the build moves.

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