UNC director of golf heads to the clubhouse in retirement

UNC athletics leaders know what it’s like to win.

But for the past 14 years, not even Dick Baddour, Dean Smith or Anson Dorrance have been able to do one thing — beat Johnny Cake at a round of golf.

Cake, who was the director of golf at UNC Finley Golf Course since 1999, stepped down one week ago today.

“It meant a lot to me that I could befriend them and play golf with them,” Cake said.

He said the decision to retire came after a series of discussions with his wife.

“After putting 42 years in this business, it was a goal of mine to see if I could retire at the age of 65,” he said.

And he did.

Before coming to Finley, Cake worked at the at Hope Valley Country Club and Hillandale Golf Course, both in Durham.

When he started working for the University, the golf course was undergoing major renovations, and he helped finish the project.

Cake said as director, he was involved in overseeing the day-to-day operations of the course, as well as renovating facilities, fundraising and handling public relations.

He said one of his major accomplishments was raising more than $4 million to renovate the clubhouse, a project that was completed last September.

“I feel I did my best to do the job that our donors wanted to be done: to keep the golf course in great shape,” Cake said.

He said he is looking forward to having time in his retirement to pursue other interests, such as hunting and fishing.

But he said his passion for the golf game remains.

“I can probably play more golf, and I’m looking forward to that.”

Andrew Sapp, head coach of UNC’s men’s golf team, said Cake helped his team raise money and organize tournaments.

“The thing about Johnny is that he knows everybody who has ties to Carolina golf,” he said. “He’s a great ambassador.”

Sapp was on UNC’s golf team in the early ‘90s and said the course owes a great deal to Cake for everything he helped oversee.

“It’s a thousand times better than when I was a player — he’s done a fantastic job,” he said.

John Lamb, a Chapel Hill resident who has been Cake’s friend for more than 30 years, said he was a great director.

But he added Cake was an even better player.

“Let me put it this way — I tried awful hard, but I never beat him,” he said.

Lamb said Cake especially liked to golf with his wife.

“They played golf quite a bit together,” he said. “Matter of fact, he taught her how to play.”

Cake said he would miss the people at Finley and being a part of UNC.

“If you’re going to work for a university, North Carolina is at the top of the list.”

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.