The memorial to the founder of ClubCorp and the man who was most directly responsible for returning Pinehurst Resort to prominence in the golf world was unveiled Monday afternoon by his son, Robert Dedman Jr.
Actually, it was Catherine Dedman, the 4-year-old daughter of the junior Dedman who pulled the cover from the statue. What she uncovered was a remarkable likeness standing slightly more than six feet tall that was created by sculptor Zenos Frudakis. Dedman’s pose has him leaning on his favorite driver.
The four statues stand just behind the 18th green of the Pinehurst No. 2 Course, which hosted the 1999 U.S. Open and will be the site of the 2005 Open June 13 through 19. Their presence emphasizes the tradition that exists at the resort and draws the attention of everyone who passes between the green and the clubhouse.
Joining the Dedman family for the ceremony were the Pinehurst President’s Council and its executive committee and several other dignitaries. Sandhills Community College President John Dempsey spoke, and the Rev. Allen Bingham of Pinehurst United Methodist Church gave the invocation. Beth Kocher, executive vice president of Pinehurst and chairwoman of the Open Executive Committee, handled the welcome and introductions.
Dedman, who founded ClubCorp in 1957 in Dallas, was described as the Henry Ford of the club management business. ClubCorp purchased Pinehurst Resort in 1984 and Dedman vowed to return it to prominence. He did that by hiring Pat Corso and the late Don Padgett, whose labors bore fruit with Pinehurst being chosen to host two PGA Tour Championships, the 1994 U.S. Senior Open and the 1999 U.S. Open.
“Robert loved Pinehurst,” Kocher said. “Today he takes his rightful place in its history, among the great statues of the greatest men who made Pinehurst. His proudest moment was when Pinehurst was awarded the 1999 U.S. Open. In restoring No. 2, he single-handedly started a new golden era at Pinehurst, the same that we live under today.”
“He never thought of himself as an owner, but as a steward of this national treasure,” said Dedman Jr., chairman of ClubCorp Inc. “To be the caretaker for the cradle of American golf was a dream come true for him.”
Major achievements at Pine-hurst under ClubCorp ownership include the addition of a conference center, a new spa, and the addition of courses 7 and 8 and the redesign or renovation of the resort’s original six courses, as well as the Carolina Hotel and the Holly Inn.
The Dedman family has given more than $100 million to various educational and nonprofit organizations since Dedman Sr. founded the company at the age of 31. He died in 2002.
“We wanted to ensure that Robert was remembered for the contribution he made in the renaissance of Pinehurst,” Kocher said. “He is now a permanent fixture at the place he helped build back and build a future for us to enjoy.”
“Robert Dedman was a remarkable man and a great friend,” Dempsey said. “He was a wonderful speaker and leader. The day he came to Pinehurst and brought Pat Corso with him was a day of renaissance.”
“One of the proudest moments of his life was when the St. Andrews Links Trust referred to Pinehurst as the cradle of golf in America,” Dedman Jr. said. “One of the highlights of his career was when he acquired Pinehurst.
“He was very aware that when you leave this world you can’t take anything with you, but we did grant his wish, and he was buried in his 2005 U.S. Open jacket. He won’t be here for it, but his spirit lives on.”
Frudakis, who also sculpted the statues of Ross and Stewart, took more than a year to craft the bronze likeness of Dedman.
“I read his book (”King of Clubs”) before I actually met him,” Frudakis said. “I could tell he was a rich character, not just in wealth but in vitality, in his love for poetry and literature, and in his generous spirit. I was able to add a new dimension to this piece after spending considerable time with him.”
“The sculptor captured his personality,” Dedman Jr. said, “right down to the alligator shoes. Those alligator shoes were a big deal to a little boy who grew up in Texas.
“Robert would have been thankful to have so many people here who have meant so much to Pinehurst. But he had a great sense of humor and he probably would have had something funny to say. One of his expressions was, ‘One day you’re the statue; the next day you’re the pigeon.”
