High Side Golf Club breaks ground near Charlotte: two short courses and night golf planned

Construction began on High Side Golf Club in Kannapolis, North Carolina, on October 20, 2026. The city confirmed the groundbreaking in an October 21 announcement. Located at 6304 Mooresville Road, north of Charlotte, the proposed semi-private development combines two short golf courses with practice and social facilities. Its target opening is late fall 2027. The site is under construction, not yet open for play.

Two courses built around time and strategy

North Carolina architect Kris Spence is designing an executive course with a par of 32 and a separate lighted par-3 course. Both are planned as walkable experiences. Rather than defining difficulty through length alone, the design aims to make approaches, playing angles, green complexes and hole locations matter. A short layout can be approachable on a first visit while still offering new decisions to repeat players.

Lighting on the par-3 course is central to the concept. A golfer who cannot commit a whole morning to an 18-hole round might instead visit after work for a brief session. That is a different proposition from building another traditional destination course.

A practice facility designed for repeat visits

The scheme includes a lighted driving range with covered hitting bays, short-game areas, and an 18-hole putting course. The putting course is a dedicated putting attraction, not a third full golf course. An on-site Elevate Golf Performance Center, to be run by David Ross and Kennedy Ramsey, is expected to provide lessons, player development, club fitting and related services.

A clubhouse and outdoor social areas will connect the playing and training facilities. The founders cite the wider trend toward shorter, flexible golf experiences. Pinehurst's The Cradle and Pebble Beach's The Hay are useful comparisons for the type of experience envisioned, but neither is affiliated with High Side.

Founders, membership and access

The club was founded by Phil Hamel, Scott Hamel and JD Downey. City officials describe it as semi-private, with several membership options and some broader public access planned. An initial founding category, The Originals, is capped at 50 members. Resident, Young Executive and Weekday memberships are also envisaged. Public tee-time arrangements and green fees have not been confirmed; semi-private should not be mistaken for unrestricted access.

According to the club, land acquisition, design, engineering and permitting preceded the October 20 ceremony. Its construction diary includes actual photographs from the site, allowing readers to distinguish work under way from architectural renderings.

What happens next?

The projected launch is late fall 2027, subject to construction and operational readiness. For now the verified milestone is the start of building, not a course opening. The future combination of walkable short courses, evening golf and professional practice facilities could give the Charlotte area an appealing alternative to an entire day at a conventional course—but opening dates, prices and public booking rules remain to be announced.

Primary sources: City of Kannapolis, October 21, 2026; High Side's official build diary, October 20, 2026. The address is also reported by Charlotte Business Journal, October 21. Photograph: illustrative archive image of Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; it does not depict High Side.