Pinehurst Resort has hired Don Sweeting as executive vice president of golf and club operations, beginning in late fall. Sweeting, who worked as a Pinehurst golf professional early in his career, returns with more than 25 years' experience in club and course management.

"Don's skill set matches our exact requirements for this position," said Pinehurst President Donald Padgett II in a press release. "His strength in leading multi-state properties speaks very well of his expertise and knowledge of club operations. We're excited to have him back in this new role."

A graduate of East Carolina University, Sweeting returns to North Carolina from the Golf Club at Indigo Run in Hilton Head, S.C., which is owned and managed by ClubCorp. He has also served as a ClubCorp senior regional manager of 11 clubs between Virginia and Florida for the past four years.

His resume includes 19 years at ClubCorp owned or managed properties in the Southeast, starting as a golf professional at Pinehurst in 1987. In 1989, he became head golf professional and later general manager of nearby Pinewild Country Club, which was managed by ClubCorp until his departure in 1998.

Sweeting also served as general manager with Stonehenge Golf and Country Club in Richmond, Va, before he joined the Indigo Run team.

He also served as an assistant golf professional in various North Carolina golf courses and clubs early in his career, including the University of North Carolina's Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill.

"I consider North Carolina home," said Sweeting, who attended high school in Chapel Hill. "I love Pinehurst. I look forward to maintaining its high stature in golf, and to growing the membership as a premier club."

A Class A professional with the PGA of America, Sweeting has several playing honors to his credit, most recently as the winner of the 2006 Hilton Head Pro Championship.

He will assume responsibility of all golf and country club operations in late fall, overseeing the management of all eight of Pinehurst's golf courses, the Golf Advantage School, professional staff and Pinehurst Club Management. Sweeting will be one of four executive vice presidents reporting directly to Padgett.