James B. Hyler Jr. has sat on the boards of several major corporations and enjoyed a bright career as a banking executive.

But as the Raleigh resident was preparing to take the reins Saturday as president of the United States Golf Association (USGA) in Pinehurst, he admitted to battling a case of nerves.

The USGA held its annual meeting at the Carolina Hotel this weekend, and Hyler was to be installed during the afternoon session.

"I have a feeling of excitement, but also a sense of nervousness," he said in an interview Friday. "It's a sense of getting into something new, something you've never done before, something with a lot of challenges. I'm just trying to wrap my head around all of that."

Hyler, who has served three terms as a vice president of the organization, will lead the USGA staff as well as an army of volunteer workers that numbers 1,400 and forms more than 30 committees. He has served as a member of the USGA Executive Committee for six years.

Hyler, a graduate of Virginia Tech, chaired three USGA committees - Championship, Commercial and Compensation - prior to taking over as president from Jim Vernon.

"It's actually been a project of learning all the history and traditions of the game of golf," he said of his service with golf's most influential organization. "I feel very lucky to be with the USGA."

The unpaid position of president is a time-consuming experience. But Hyler, who is still involved with several businesses - including serving on the board of trustees of Rex Healthcare in Raleigh, the University of North Carolina Healthcare System and the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Chamber - feels he is ready for the demands of the job.

"I think I have the time and travel factors worked out," he said. "I've had to travel a lot the last three years as chairman of the Championship Committee."

It won't happen under Hyler's presidency, but there is already a lot of thought being given to the historic 2014 U.S. Opens, when both the men and women will hold their national championships on Pinehurst Resort's renowned No. 2 course in successive weeks.

The course, which is regarded as one of the late Donald Ross' finest designs, has hosted several USGA and PGA Tour events over the years, including the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Men's Opens.

"This is more than four years away," Hyler pointed out, "but we're excited about having the men and the women back-to-back at the same site. Pinehurst is the perfect place to do that."

There has been some speculation that playing major championships will put too much stress on the golf course, that the women may have to play a course pock-marked with divots made by the men, and that the rough may be problem.

Hyler, who served as chairman of the President's Council for the 2005 Open in Pinehurst, doesn't think so.

"The condition of the course won't be an issue," he said. "Play will be taken off No. 2 a few weeks prior to the Opens, and that won't be an issue at all.

"We've held several successful championships here on one of the world's great golf courses. There's plenty of room for our operations and we have gotten great support from North Carolina and the community. But the most important factor is the strength of the course."

The state of the economy and its effect on the game is more of a concern to Hyler than the condition of the No. 2 course in 2014.

"As with most golf organizations, the economy is an issue," he said. "We have to be able to adjust our expenses and reduce the revenue streams. That's probably our biggest priority for the coming year."

There has been a lot of controversy over the past few weeks about the "square" grooves issue on the PGA Tour. Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples and Hunter Mahon have all resorted to using Ping Eye2 wedges that were made prior to 1990 in an effort to take advantage of a loophole in the settlement that allowed those clubs to be "grandfathered."

"As far as the USGA is concerned, the groove situation has gone very well," Hyler said. "We're generally satisfied. There have been some issues on the PGA Tour, but the wedges are perfectly legal from out standpoint."

Contact Howard Ward at (910) 690-2211 or by e-mail at howardward@att.net.