Doug Bradshaw

We show a lot of the land. The dirt. The equipment. The construction progress. And that’s because watching something get built from nothing is genuinely exciting to us and for all our future guests to see. But over the next few weeks, I want to start highlighting the people actually making this thing happen. Because Candyroot doesn’t exist without them. First up: Carson Shaw. Carson is our Golf Course Superintendent and — more importantly — he was our very first full-time hire. A Statesville, NC kid who studied at NC State and went on to work at Quail Hollow — one of the most respected clubs in the country and host of major championships. He could have gone a lot of directions from there but chose to bet on something brand new instead. Right now, during grow-in season, his job is everything. Growing grass on a golf course is both science and patience. You’re managing soil, water, seed, weather, and time — and the margin for error is real. Carson is locked in. But that title also means something different at a startup than it does at an established club. It doesn’t mean you clock in, do your job, and go home. It means you show up every day to a place that doesn’t fully exist yet, figure out what needs to get done, and do it — whether it’s in your job description or not. For Carson, that’s meant leading media walkthroughs, being present for investor visits, handling the hundred small things that don’t have an owner yet, and he’s doing all of it with an attitude and work ethic that sets the tone for everyone who comes after him. This is what building looks like. Dirt and equipment, yes. But mostly people like Carson. 🌱