BY HEATHER PFORDRESHER

Special to The Pilot

The 33rd annual Episcopal Day School Candlelight Tour of Homes will be held today (Sunday, Dec. 5), from 1 to 6 p.m. This year's tour features five homes in Pinehurst and Southern Pines, each uniquely decorated for the holiday season. Talented local musicians will be entertaining in the residences.

Proceeds from the Candlelight Tour fund a variety of needs at EDS, including technology and media, educational materials and supplemental programs for the EDS students and teachers.

This year's feature home is owned by Joseph and Shannon Cox of Pinehurst. Joe grew up in Greenville, and Shannon was raised in Southern Pines. After a period of extensive traveling, the couple chose to move back to the Sandhills to be closer to their families. Their historic home overlooks the third hole of the famous Donald Ross masterpiece, the No. 2 golf course. If walls could talk the home would tell tales steeped in Pinehurst history and golfing lore.

The home was one of a number of cottages built in the 1920s along a strip of Midland Road, fronting the No. 2 course. One of the early owners of the cottage was Harold Callaway, a professional golfer who taught at Pinehurst for 29 years. He made a name for himself on the golf circuit, but he also supplemented his income by working winters as an instructor.

One of his clients was Babe Zaharias, one of the greatest female golfers of all time. Zaharias won 41 professional events, 10 of which predated the LPGA. During his golfing career Harold Callaway was "one of the most highly respected and sought-after golf instructors

Callaway was part of the Callaway golfing-family dynasty with strong ties to Pinehurst. Harold's father, Christopher, was a well-respected professional golfer in Great Britain and was instrumental in bringing golf to the European continent.

During World War I, the Callaway family immigrated to the U.S. to join their good friend, Scottish golf legend Donald Ross. Ross was already established at Pinehurst and invited Christopher to join him. Christopher and his three sons became professional golfers in the U.S. and spent winters at the Pinehurst resort giving lessons.

Harold's brother, Lionel, was credited with inventing miniature golf, the golf practice net and the Callaway Handicap System. Lionel was also the first golf professional to sell golf balls in sleeves of three. The Callaway family was active in Pinehurst through much of the 20th century.

After Harold Callaway left Pinehurst to take the head pro position at the Breakers in Palm Beach, the Midland cottage passed ownership a few more times until it was purchased by Joe Cox in 1999. That was the year Pinehurst hosted the U.S. Open. The Coxes began renovating the home, as it had been added on to in stages over the years and needed modernization. The end result of the renovation was a home fit for a spread in Architectural Digest or House Beautiful.

Pulling into the home's driveway, one notices that the back of the home actually faces Midland. This is because in the 1920s, when the cottage was originally constructed, the Pinehurst Club was the center of entertainment in the village. Midland Road was just a sandy road that connected Pinehurst Resort with the train depot in Southern Pines. The home's front actually faces the renowned golf course.

Entering the foyer, one is immediately impressed by the modern and spacious showcase of Joe and Shannon's fine art collection. The pair has acquired a great deal of original art from their world travels, mainly in Asia and Europe, but they also own a number of pieces from local artists. Lining the gallery-style walls of the foyer are original paintings from contemporary artists Michel Boulet and Gilles Gorriti, revered French artists with international acclaim. There is also a stunning triptych by North Carolina's own Bob Rankin.

From the foyer the home splits into left and right wings. To the left is the dining room, kitchen and fitness room. The dining room is furnished elegantly with a grand table with upholstered chairs and a formal server. The eye-catching design element of the room, however, is the bold, original painting by Vietnamese artist Dao Hai Phong in a striking cobalt blue color palette. On the buffet is a white marble Inuit sculpture of a polar bear that Joe, an attorney with international clients, purchased in British Columbia.

Around the corner is the home's gleaming, contemporary kitchen. Maple cabinets, granite countertops and stainless steel fixtures mix with reclaimed heart-of-pine floors. First-class appliances make the kitchen a cook's dream. Just to the side of the kitchen is a small bathroom with a Duke basketball theme, a laundry area and fitness area, important to Shannon in her career as a personal fitness trainer.

Exiting off the wing on the other side of the foyer is the formal living room, decorated in subtle colors and elegant furnishings. A number of original landscape and floral paintings by Anne-Marie Briante, from St. Paul de Vence, France, as well as contemporary art from Michel Gamracyj are found throughout the room. A carved, granite mantel anchors the formal living area. French doors lead out to several slate verandas which overlook the lushly landscaped lawn and the famed course.

Tucked off to the side of the living room is Joe's office. Duke basketball sports memorabilia decorate the shelving along with Inuit ceremonial masks that he also acquired from British Columbia. A triptych of a Maine landscape from Rankin hangs on the wall.

Down the hallway are two bedrooms: the master suite and a child's room designed especially for Joe and Shannon's young nieces and nephews. One passes through a very large sitting area to enter the sophisticated master bedroom painted in pale blue-gray. A king size bed with sumptuous bed linens in creams and browns sets the tone. Another striking, original Rankin triptych hangs on the outside wall. The deluxe master bath was recently renovated using cream travertine tiles, pedestal sinks and a large, frameless glass shower with a rain shower. Hanging above the jetted, corner tub is a whimsical original painting titled "Fruit on the Beach" by the Gulf Coast artist Tazewell.

Two full guest bedrooms with attached bathrooms as well as a den and office are located on the second story of the Cox home. The den's wet bar and built-in wine storage and cooler are ideal for casual entertaining. French doors lead from the den onto an oversized second-story balcony overlooking the golf course. The view from this balcony is arguably the best in the home as one gets a birds-eye view of the greens.

"You are invited to visit the Candlelight Tour Feature Home and all the homes on the 2010 tour and help EDS continue its tradition of academic excellence in the Sandhills," says a spokesman.

Tickets for the Candlelight Tour cost $20 the day of the event. They can be purchased online at www.episcopalday. org.