Larry George may have hailed from Savannah, GA, but is a true North Carolinian at heart. At age 5 he and his family relocated to Wilmington and he went to New Hanover High School playing both golf and basketball (something about sports with round balls). Upon graduation he headed off to UNCW where he majored in Math. Surprised? Nah, it all adds up! He always has a very logical approach to everything he does. This is why he headed to Breckenridge, Colorado to golf? No, he went to ski and to work at the ski school. You see his logical approach is to apply his natural athletic talent to a new sport and maybe find a nice Montana girl. This is just what he did, meeting a superb skier and instructor from Montana, Patty. He returned to golf when he was an assistant pro at Estes Park Golf Course. Events brought Larry back to North Carolina where he started at as Head Pro at the Country Club at Landfall in ’91 and received his Class A in ’92. Larry believes very strongly in work ethic, desire and goal setting. So with these tenets he and Patty headed back to Colorado. He was the Head Pro at the Broadmoor Country Club for 2 years, then back to North Carolina to spend five (5) years as head pro at Echo Farms Country Club. It was in 2003 that Larry arrived at River Landing and we have fortunate to have him since.
So what does Larry like to do when not working? Very simply travel with family and play in lots of golf tournaments. One of his joys is when Patty caddies for him on these travels. It is probably her advice that is a real factor in his success. Larry has a unique view on what was the funniest thing to happen to him. It was a cold February day and a member’s future son-in-law was trying to impress his future father-in-law. In so doing, he jumped out if his cart on #15 of the River Course to hit that perfect shot. He forgot to set the brakes on the golf cart and it proceeded to go into the pond (which is very, very deep). Larry had to put on a wet suit to keep the cold at bay and dive under the water to locate the cart so that it could be towed out. Questions remain – did the young man make his shot and did he ever marry the future father-in-law’s daughter. Only Larry knows.
Jeff Hale
Jeff Hale comes to River Landing from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. which is synonymous with golf – though it offers many other allures. The PGA Tour and The Players Championship are played at TPC Sawgrass, home of the famous 17th-hole island green. Now we know how golf got in Jeff’s blood. Upon graduating from Episcopal HS Jeff headed to Coastal Carolina University and Pawleys Island, SC, where on the side he learned the “Art of waiting on tables.” Upon arriving at River Landing, Jeff started as bag boy and then received a Class A certification to become a Assistant Pro. But there is no stopping Jeff. His next goal is to become the “Bo Jackson” of River Landing. As a hobby, Jeff is now working to become a tennis pro! When opportunity presents itself, ask Jeff what he enjoys to do and take a pen to write down all the authors he enjoys reading: A.J. Jacobs, Jhumpa Lahiri, Ron Rash & Jonathan Franzen. If any free time still exists Jeff enjoys movies. Finally, his funniest moment was when assisting the RL Gals Invitational fireworks started shooting off around him. What a blast!
Kyle Hope
My name is Kyle Hope, and I was born and raised in Eastern North Carolina. I am 28 years old and live in Goldsboro, North Carolina with my fiance Laura. We have a son named Grayson who is in heaven watching over us. I have worked for the past four years as an assistant golf professional at Goldsboro Golf Course. This is where I learned to play golf and started my golf career. Some of my favorite things that I have been involved in are teaching the junior clinics and the relationships I have built with my past members. I am now currently working towards obtaining my PGA membership. I grew up playing baseball and football but within the last four years, I have picked up the game of golf. My background in sports has led me to pick up the game of golf fast. When I am not playing golf I am watching Alabama football games, going to the beach, and spending time with my family. I have dedicated my golf career in honor of our son Grayson and I am honored and blessed to be your new Assistant Golf Professional. I look forward to meeting and building relationships with you all. I am excited to be a part of the River Landing team and see what my future holds.
Marshall Stott
Marshall is a true North Carolinian, born and raised in Greensboro, NC. From the time he was 14 years old he worked the Country Club scene, carrying bags and handling carts. I also suspect he played quite a bit of golf and knew the difference between “put” and “putt”. Even through Junior College and then going to UNCW he played golf. A little known fact is that Marshall was hired as a Cart Boy for Landfall Country Club in 1994 by no other than Larry George. There are many times when you will see little ones hanging in Marshall’s office. They are the reason why Marshall smiles all the time. His favorite thing to do when not working is spending quality time with his wife and kids. Mention baseball or softball and you can sit for awhile as he regales about how he coaches his and other kids. You will need to ask him to explain the response to the question: “What is the funniest thing to happen at work?”. His response: “Giving Danny a golf lesson!”
Bill Nance
Bill Nance is an assistant golf professional and heads the entire cart staff. He hails from Baltimore, Md. and lives in Beulaville. Bill retired from the Marines after serving as Finance Chief, 2 tours as a Drill Instructor and as a Trainer in Officer Candidate School. Bill and his wife keep busy with their two beautiful daughters and, of course, their grandkids. When meeting Bill you will quickly learn that Bill “loves golf” and when the little ball needs a rest Bill takes the big ball for a roll, because Bill also “loves to bowl”. Bill’s proudest accomplishment was becoming a Christian. Bill has an associate degree in Golf Course Management and is now working on his greatest desire, getting his card to become a Golf Pro.
Connie Duff
Connie is a real local, from Harrells, NC. She attended Union Elementary and Wallace Rose Hill HS. Connie worked around here in the textile business for 20 years until her company went out of business. Someone called her from RL Pro Shop to offer her a job, and she started working at RL in April, 1998. She has done it all around here from the Landing snack bar, front gate, Fitness Center, and now assists in the golf Pro Shop. Connie’s hobbies include window shopping and travel. Her future plans include planning to retire and spending more time with her family. Connie has been married close to 49 years, has 4 children and 7 grandchildren – they are her world!
Glenn Sellers
I am a recently retired educator and football coach and am a native of the Wallace area. I have been married for thirty years and my wife, Susan, who is the principle at Rose Hill Magnolia Elementary School. We have a daughter, Maggie, who graduated from East Carolina University and now is a fifth grade teacher in Wilmington. I am an avid golfer, and my goal was to work for River Landing when I retired. I am very excited about being able to be part of the Pro Shop staff and serve the great people that come on a daily bases to play golf, shop and talk sports.
