Charlotte, N.C. – August 15, 2009 – The eGolf Professional Tour remains in the greater Charlotte, NC area for consecutive weeks beginning on August 19th for the South Charlotte Classic. It will mark the first time in the last year that the tour has played in the Queen City in back-to-back weeks.

The host course for this $220,000 event will be Carolina Lakes Golf Club, which sits a few miles over the North Carolina-South Carolina border in Indian Land, SC. The course is one of many amenities offered in the master-planned Sun City Carolina Lakes community. A Del Webb community for people ages 55 and over, the golf course lies in stark contrast to the relaxed atmosphere the community provides for its residents. At 7,124 yards with elevation changes and demanding shotmaking required, the Tim Freeland design sits poised to challenge some of the world's best players.

The par-5 eighth at Cedarwood"We were skeptical when we first arrived at Carolina Lakes, given that the community was designed for people enjoying their retirement years," said Tour president David Siegel. "What we found completely floored us. The golf course is a stern challenge from the word ‘go' and does not let up until you finish."

From the 445-yard, uphill par-4 first to the 344-yard, risk/reward par-4 11th, Carolina Lakes presents a dramatic landscape on which to showcase some of the best developmental tour players around. The memorable aspect of Carolina Lakes might just be the par-3s, which tour officials feel stack up against the best in Charlotte.

"Each par-3 at Carolina Lakes features water and a do-or-die hole location that our tournament directors are sure to utilize," said Siegel. "The best part is that only one of them is over 200 yards, yet they still present an enticing challenge. The 158-yard par-3 12th might be the best of the quartet."

Indeed the 12th might be just that. Players using an 8- or 9-iron are forced to carry a chasm into a green no more than 17 paces deep in spots. Any shots hit long will find a natural wall, while shots hit short are likely to find the ravine below or one of a multitude of bunkers short. It is yet another example of the good mix of short and long holes at Carolina Lakes and the options they present.

The co-host for the South Charlotte Classic will be Cedarwood Country Club, which surprisingly enough is actually in Charlotte – a rare treat for players who have been with this tour through the years. The course was built in 1964 by noted architect Ellis Maples, whose masterful work touched the likes of Grandfather Golf & Country Club and Forest Oaks Country Club – site of the tour's Forest Oaks Classic. In 2005, Maples' original work was restored by restoration specialist Kris Spence, who brought back the original green contours as well as modernizing the course's shot values to better penalize the modern-day player. What came out of that restoration was one of the more well-respected layouts in Charlotte, allowing the player to hit driver on most every hole, but still demanding that the player find the right section of the green or miss in the right area.

The par-4 16th at Cedarwood"I am obviously partial to Cedarwood as I grew up playing there and worked at the club when I used to play mini tours," said chief operating officer Stewart Moore. "But all bias aside, the golf course has been well received by top amateurs and professionals alike through the years and I anticipate it being a favorite of our players."

In 2006, Cedarwood hosted the tour's inaugural Cedarwood Classic, which was won by former Naval Academy All-American Billy Hurley. Hurley built enough of a final-round lead to survive closing bogeys on Nos. 17 and 18 to win by one shot over John McAllister and Jay McLuen. Hurley's 54-hole total of 9-under 204 was one of the highest winning three-round scores in tour history at the time, thus justifying the bite that Spence's restoration put back into the course.

Hurley returns next week to defend his title after spending the past two years fulfilling his Naval commitment. In the summer of 2007, Hurley left for his station at Pearl Harbor, which served as his base when not at sea. From January through June of this year, Hurley was based out of the South China Sea and the Red Sea. In July, his two-year commitment ended and he is now playing the eGolf Tour to prepare himself for PGA TOUR Q-School this fall.

The South Charlotte Classic will begin on August 19th, with players split between Carolina Lakes and Cedarwood on Wednesday and Thursday before playing the final round at Carolina Lakes.