Latest news with #Harrold
USA Today
a day ago
- Business
- USA Today
Black Mountain Golf Course in North Carolina partially reopens after Helene damages
BLACK MOUNTAIN – Following a nearly nine-month closure due to damages from Tropical Storm Helene, the Black Mountain Golf Course has reopened the back nine holes. About a dozen people came out to support the golf course at a June 23 ribbon cutting, marking the course's partial reopening. The back nine holes were available for everyone to play starting June 24. The Black Mountain Golf Course is owned and maintained by the town. At a May 15 special call meeting, Town Manager Josh Harrold gave an update, saying 'more money' has been spent on the golf course since Helene than anything else in the town other than critical infrastructure. According to a June 24 news release posted to the town website, Black Mountain "has invested more than $135,000 in repairing the golf course." These repairs include getting the back nine holes open, culvert and cart path repairs, irrigation system restoration and pro shop renovations. The release said repairs to the front nine holes, golf cart barn and cart paths and bridges will take place "in a few months" as funds become available. At the May 12 regular session meeting, nine residents spoke in favor of opening the golf course during the public comment period. Some spoke of not wanting the golf course to be closed, something Harrold said 'has never been discussed or considered' at the May 15 meeting. According to Harrold, the FEMA damage inventory estimate for the golf course and operations is $2 million. According to a document provided to Black Mountain News by Harrold, the golf course made nearly $182,000 in revenue in 2024. Black Mountain Golf Course Manager Brent Miller said golf has increased in popularity since COVID and net profit in a "good year" is between $150,000 and $200,000. At the June 23 ribbon cutting, Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cheryl Hyde said the chamber is 'excited' to have the golf course back open. Including staff, Miller said the golf course spends between $450,000 and $500,000 on maintenance each year. Harrold said the town is continuing to work on getting the front nine holes open and that it will 'take some time.' 'I hate that it's taken this long to get the back nine open,' Harrold said. 'But we are finally here and ready.' Harrold said he wanted to thank Miller and Jerry Brigman, golf course superintendent, for the work they have put in getting the back nine holes open. 'They're they rockstars here,' Harrold said. 'They've busted their butts to get this course open, and they've done a hell of a job.' Brigman told Black Mountain News the golf course had 35 trees come down across the property during Helene. Helene brought historic flooding across Western North Carolina, killing more than 100 people across the state and causing nearly $60 billion in damages. Much of the golf course equipment flooded from rain and water from the Tomahawk branch of the Swannanoa River and became unusable, leaving the town searching for options. 'We lost our shop, all of our equipment,' Brigman said. 'We went seven months without being able to mow anything, maintain anything. We didn't have irrigation for almost eight months.' The June 24 news release said the maintenance building will need to be demolished and relocated to be in compliance with FEMA standards, and the work will be reimbursable by the agency. Once the town leased equipment at the end of April, Brigman said the team was able to start mowing to playable heights. He said he wants to 'thank everybody' for being patient as the town works to get the golf course reopened. 'We still got a lot of work ahead of us,' Brigman said. 'But we're buckling down and we're doing all we can do to try to get this back to 100%.' Miller told Black Mountain News having the back nine holes reopen is a 'relief.' 'We've needed to get going in the right direction for a long time,' Miller said. 'We've been working towards it, but this actually feels like the culmination of that.' He said the Black Mountain Golf Course would usually see around 150 golfers each day, and he expects to see half that number with only half the course being open. Annually, Miller said there are between 30,000 and 33,000 rounds played. As for what is next for the golf course, Miller said he wants to continue working to get the front nine holes reopened. 'Doing what we can within the funds and the means that we have to get it done as quick as possible,' Miller said. 'And also have a product that people want to come back and play on this golf course. We've always kept it in relatively good shape for what we had to work with and we don't want to put out a subpar product.' Karrigan Monk is the Swannanoa Valley communities reporter for Black Mountain News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kmonk@
Entrepreneur
4 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
The Power of Going Direct
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. "What's working for me today that may not have worked a year ago is a direct approach of going straight to a decision maker and showing how I can help," Harrold explains. While most founders labour over building online rapport, Harrold is reviving an "old school" playbook - reaching out personally, with clarity and credibility. "We're so conditioned to relationship building over time and showcasing our value on social media, that we can neglect the old school approach of reaching out directly. If you do this well, it isn't off putting or 'salesy.' People are busier than they were a year ago and they simply want results." The shift is not just in strategy, but execution. "Nowadays, I identify precisely who I want to work with, connect with them and show them in a brief message how I can help them become the authority in their field and include proof of recent press coverage I've achieved for a respected Thought Leader." This pragmatism also extends to how she runs her business. One notable pivot: bringing sales calls back in-house. "What I've stopped doing that's made our company better is outsourcing sales calls. Unless you have the right team to do this, it's a costly expenditure and you could alienate your core audience if the fit isn't exactly right." In an era where many start-ups are trained to chase scale at all costs, Harrold favours finesse. "An aggressive sales approach will not work for most people today, especially mature business owners and entrepreneurs who do not want a sales pitch. I've taken this back in-house and have a much softer follow up and reach out service, based on principles of courtesy and good customer service, instead of hitting numbers and targets." Perhaps most telling is how swiftly her latest venture took off - not after a year of stealth building, but after a single keynote. "18 months ago I gave a talk to 250 entrepreneurs on how I had become the best known in my field, attracted major publishing contracts and become seen as a Thought Leader in the coaching area, as a result of TV and radio appearances and media exposure. That 30-minute talk led to a brand new 6-figure business in weeks. People followed me off stage and asked for my help to do the same for them." For Harrold, public speaking isn't a vanity project - it's a strategic asset. "The most underrated edge a founder has right now is the ability to deliver an inspiring presentation," she insists. "Steve Jobs famously said, 'The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.' Getting onto a stage or on a screen and sharing your message to inspire an audience is a must-have skill that will instantly make you stand out." In an attention economy, information is cheap. Inspiration is not. "Simply delivering information will not cut it today. People's attention span is half of what it was 20 years ago and information has never been more freely available. Inspiration is what people want from you. And, you must be able to get people to pay attention to you - before they ever pay you!" Looking ahead, Harrold is rooting for a kinder, more cooperative start-up scene - one built less on competition, and more on collaboration. "We all have our talents and unique abilities that allow us to naturally stand out, and working together with other experts is the natural way ahead." But her ambitions reach further still - into classrooms. "I'd love to see entrepreneurs working more closely with schools to encourage confidence and a can-do spirit, as there's nothing to beat starting your start-up journey while you're starting out."
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Unexpected Relative Kate Middleton and Prince William Turn to for "Advice" When Placing Bets at Royal Ascot
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Royal Ascot is taking place from June 17 until June 21 in 2025, and several members of the Royal Family will be in attendance at the prestigious society event. According to a former royal butler, Kate Middleton and Prince William—along with other members of the Royal Family—are most likely to turn to one unexpected royal relative for advice when it comes to betting on the horses at Royal Ascot. While Princess Kate sadly won't be attending this year, the Prince and Princess of Wales are regular attendees at the horse racing event, which welcomes approximately "300,000 over five days, all dressed up in their finest clothes and hats," per the Royal Family's website. "The royals are allowed to bet on horses," former royal butler Grant Harrold said on behalf of Spin Genie. "In fact, the late Queen [Elizabeth] was famously known for betting on horses, and there's a clip of her winning a whole entire £20 [$27], which she was really excited about," Harrold shared. "They don't bet silly; they just bet what anyone else would put like putting something on; it would be wrong not to." As for which member of the Royal Family is an expert at picking winners, Harrold noted, "Queen Camilla is very much into horses. The King is, but I would say Camilla is more so, along with Princess Anne. If you're going to be taking advice on which horses, I would look at Camilla for a good tip." Harrold—who served as King Charles's personal butler at Highgrove for more than 6 years—also reflected on Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Ascot legacy, which is likely to loom large for her children. "Horse racing is a great tradition within the family—royals and horses go back centuries," Harrold explained. "I'm sure [King Charles] won't be able to go to Ascot and not think of the late Queen, his mother. That was a huge highlight of her year." The former royal butler further explained, "While King Charles isn't as much of a bettor or racegoer as his mother, he has always had an association with horses, especially when he did fox hunting. Often he's seen out riding horses, and he's had a great love of them. He even had horses at Highgrove until a few years ago. The association has always been there." Harrold continued, "He will definitely keep the tradition of horses going within the family."
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why this year's Trooping the Colour is a defining moment for King Charles and the royals
LONDON — A new royal dawn is upon us. This year's Trooping the Colour comes at a moment when the British monarchy is in desperate need of a show of strength — and King Charles III is determined to prove he's robust, stoic and unshaken despite his ongoing health battles. Saturday's event may be steeped in pomp and pageantry, but it carries deeper meaning — symbolizing resilience and stability, and sending a clear message that the 76-year-old monarch is intent on projecting endurance, family unity, and unwavering duty to the British public. Trooping the Colour is a batch of ceremonial events that mark and celebrate the birthday of King Charles III — though the monarch's actual birthday is in November. While His Majesty continues his cancer treatment, palace aides were nonetheless directed to ensure this year's ceremony matched the grandeur, spectacle and tradition of previous years, The Post hears. So, what makes this year's event more special than ever for the King? With fewer working royals in the picture, not to mention the continued scrutiny of the monarchy's role in modern Britain, this year's ceremony carries extra weight. 'It's a show of strength,' a palace source tells The Post. 'The King is serving his country, and he's not going to let a diagnosis get in the way of that.' Insiders tell the Post that Charles insisted on a hands-on approach in planning this year's event, with some help from the future King, Prince William — underscoring the pressures of succession and maintaining public confidence in the monarchy. 'For the King, Trooping has always been important,' the King's former personal butler, Grant Harrold, exclusively told The Post. 'It's when all the royal family get together to show a united front.' This year's ceremony will also see Charles forfeit riding horseback — something he did for the first time last year. Typically, Charles would ride on horseback from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade. In 2023, the King rode Noble — a black mare horse presented by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police — during the ceremony. The move marked the first time a monarch had ridden in the parade since Queen Elizabeth II in 1986. However, given his ailing health, the monarch will be driven to the parade in a carriage so that he can watch the ceremony from a podium. Since announcing his cancer diagnosis to the world in February 2024, the King has been receiving weekly outpatient treatment at the London Clinic. The Post is told that Charles is not looking to ride horseback at an official engagement ever again. 'Charles won't be on horseback but in a carriage for the second time this year,' Harrold said. 'It's important to note that Queen Elizabeth transitioned to carriages even earlier than Charles.' 'I think Charles would like to be on horseback,' Harrold said. 'But they've decided it is better for him to be in the carriage. It will likely become more of a tradition moving forward.' While the same level of splendor as previous years is sure to take place, the Buckingham Palace balcony lineup looks a little different these days. Charles, and his wife, Queen Camilla, 77, will stand in the middle of the balcony, and the couple will be joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as their children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7. 'Last year, it was the Edinburghs, Princess Anne, the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and their family,' Harrold notes of 2024's Trooping the Colour ceremony. 'It's certainly been scaled back in recent years, which aligns with the King's wish to have a more streamlined royal family.' Notably missing are Prince Harry, his wife Meghan Markle, and their two children Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4. With tensions between the Windsor and Sussex families deeper than ever, the public glimpse of the monarchy under William's future reign may already be unfolding. 'Harry has very much distanced himself from the family, and there's some tension, so there's no sign of him coming back at the moment.' 'Nevertheless, we'll see all the senior royals on the balcony, which is a much smaller family than we've had in the past,' added Harrold, who worked for Charles for seven years when he was the Prince of Wales. As his family's united front and show of solidarity takes center stage Saturday, The Post is told that the Duke of Sussex will not be reaching out with congratulatory messages to his estranged father. 'I don't think Harry will be in touch, even though it's the King's official birthday,' Harrold said on behalf of Fruity King, 'his actual birthday is at the end of the year.' With the continued absence of the Invictus Games founder and the 'Suits' alum, one senior member of the royal family is guaranteed to be stepping up to the plate: Princess Anne. The Princess Royal, 74, who is widely regarded as one of the hardest-working royals within the Firm, is expected to ride horseback at ceremony alongside William and Prince Edward. Anne, who turns 75 in August, is not letting the injury she sustained last year get in the way of her showing support for her brother. The beloved royal spent a total of five days in the hospital with head injuries following a horse-related incident last June. The ordeal had left her concussed, prompting her to experience subsequent memory loss after she was struck by a horse on the grounds of her Gatcombe Park estate. Speaking about the ordeal last July, Charles' only sister said the experience taught her that 'every day is a bonus.' 'You're jolly lucky…if you can continue to be more or less compos mentis, and last summer I was very close to not being. Take each day as it comes, they say.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prince William & Kate Middleton Break Strange Royal Tradition Set by King Charles
Since tying the knot in 2011, and have made it clear that they're doing things their own way, and according to former palace butler Grant Harrold, that has included breaking a pretty unusual royal tradition that is still hanging onto. While talking to UK coffee brand Coffee Friend, Harrold said there's a surprising difference between what happens when someone has tea with elder royals like the king and when William and Middleton are the ones doing the hosting. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 "If you're being entertained in the presence of the royal family or at one of their homes, it's most likely you will drink out of a teacup and saucer," Harrold said, via Hello! magazine. Invited for tea at the Wales' home, Adelaide Cottage? "You can be sure you'll be given a mug," he said. "If you're with the King and Queen, and it's more of an occasion, you'll probably be served tea or coffee in a cup and saucer or a demi cup," he explained. It makes sense that the king would be more stringent when it comes to formality and royal protocol than his son's family would be. But after all of the buzz about how the Prince and Princess of Wales are on a mission to modernize the monarchy, there's a chance that William and Middleton's more relaxed nature may stick around even after he takes the throne.
