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Charles Schwab Presents
An aerial view of Old Barnwell golf course, with mist coming in from the distance. A little boy hits a golf ball. Then he is rolling down a grassy slope. Throughout, Nick will be out on a course, walking or playing; and aerial shots will show Old Barnwell golf course.
Nick Schreiber: It's a great day at Old Barnwell when you drive in through the winding driveway, past the kids' course, and you see a bunch of families out there hitting flop shots or rolling down hills.
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The Challengers
A series about people who
Question. Engage. Succeed.
Nick Schreiber
Nick: My name is Nick Schreiber, and I'm the founder and owner of Old Barnwell.
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Aiken, South Carolina
Nick: I built a golf course because when I was growing up, I caddied as a kid. And I realized at a very young age that this game opens up doors no matter who you are and no matter where you come from. And that always stuck with me.
I caddied at a place called Old Elm, north of Chicago. And I was 13 or 14. And two or three weeks into caddying, I was caddying for the CEO of Motorola. And I remember thinking to myself, even at that time, that that's not normal. That doesn't happen in other sports. It doesn't happen, really, in many other walks of life. It’s a game that can bring people together, and I think sometimes we lose sight of that.
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Can a private club be inclusive?
Nick: The question is: Can a private club be inclusive? I think it can. I think we're proving that out now.
So, from a private club membership, what we were trying to do was focus on those individuals who, yes, wanted to be a part of a great golf experience, but who understood that we have a mission. Our mission is to bring people together through golf. And that means partnering with groups like the Evans Scholars Foundation, who support youth caddies. It meant partnering with folks like Voorhees University, a local HBCU, or the ANNIKA Foundation, where we support aspiring female pros.
A young male and a young female caddy are carrying golf bags. Then a young female golfer hits a ball out of a sand trap.
Nick: The perfect member at Old Barnwell is somebody who understands that the golf is important, but the mission is more important. The member that we are not interested in having are those folks who just want to play those top 100 golf courses.
An architectural sketch shows the plan for Old Barnwell.
Nick: Having the right people is the most important thing. Period. So it really did begin with finding the right designers.
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Brian Schneider
Blake Conant
Course Architects
Nick: I met with Brian and Blake and said basically, "I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'd like to build a different type of golf club." And I would go look at properties.
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I'd look at soil types
I'd look at elevation changes
Nick: I'd look at soil types, I'd look at elevation changes. I'd look at how many acres there were in each parcel.
And so I went and looked at 60 or 65 pieces of property on my own, and if I thought it was good enough, I'd ask Brian or Blake or both of them to come down and check it out. So they were the first part of this process.
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John Lavelle
General Manager
Nick: And then, I’d say, the next big hire for us was John Lavelle. He's our GM. And he is somebody who has an exceptional background in agronomy. Places like Congaree, Diamond Creek, Augusta National. And for some reason, he asked if we might consider him for a long-term role. That was a big deal because I think that what John brought for us was a ton of credibility around the type of place that we were trying to create.
Nick and Kitty are on the golf course, walking and playing.
Nick: And then we were just very lucky that I was introduced to Kitty, who can make anybody feel welcome. And again, I know that golf is much more than that, and that being a director of golf is much more than that. But for me it was, can we create a culture around Kitty's and John's personality?
Kitty Nicastro: [Laughing.] . . . speed golfer.
My name's Kitty Nicastro. I'm the director of golf at Old Barnwell.
The ethos of Old Barnwell really comes from Nick and his vision of what he wants for the club, for the members, for their guests, and the whole experience while people are here. He wants it to be fun, family-friendly, friendly to all golfers. So not just good golfers. Anybody. Anybody who wants to be here and wants to enjoy being outside and playing golf, we want here.
Nick: I don't care who you are, what clubs you belong to. I want to know that you are committed to participating in this mission. That doesn't mean donate money. It just means, hey, are you willing to take a youth caddy every now and then? Would you be willing to talk to one of our members' kids who's thinking about going into your industry?
A young girl drives a ball toward a pin in a hole.
Nick: As it relates to the community around us, we've got this wonderful kids' course. And what Brian and Blake brought to us was this idea of, "Hey, what if we created a space that was all about fun?"
A little boy runs through a short tunnel near a tie-dye flag. Another young boy sinks a short putt. And another boy rolls balls into a sand trap.
Nick: And so they did exactly that. They built 15 golf holes, 14 of which they designed themselves, one of which was designed by one of our members, 8-year-old Alex Lentz.
Nick: Our hope is that before noon, on the weekends, if you want to play the kids' course, you have to be invited by a kid. Again, it's really about creating a place that's welcoming for those kids and for their families and those spouses, maybe, that haven't played much yet or those beginners. It's a great place to learn. And if you don't leave with a smile on your face, I can't help you.
I think how we define success changes every day. I think what we first created is a community of members who appreciate what we're trying to do and who want to be a part of it. Secondly, I think we've created a really exceptional golfing experience, both on the big course and with the kids' course.
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Old Barnwell debuted as the 51st best course in the U.S. (Golf.com)
Nick, Sarah, and their two sons walk along a golf course.
Kitty: The Schreibers are amazing. Truly. I don't think any of this could have happened without Nick and his wife, Sarah, and their two kids. I've been a part of a lot of really great clubs, but I've never been a part of any club like this.
Nick: What would be really great is if in 100 years we were just known as a great golf club because all the other golf clubs see some of the things that our team and our members are doing, and it just becomes a normal thing to be this welcoming. But selfishly, the dirty, little secret in all this is that I'm having the time of my life.
And so, sure, would I love to continue to build here at Old Barnwell? Yes. Do I want to go and start building golf courses across the country? I, one, don't know if I can afford that. Two, we've got something really special here.
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Ask questions. Be engaged.
[Charles Schwab logo] Own your tomorrow®
Nick: Well, it goes like anything else you do with your family. Sometimes it goes really well. Sometimes we have to bribe them with some sort of candy. [Laughs.]
Onscreen text: [Charles Schwab logo] [PGA Tour logo] The Official Investment Firm
©2025 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC. (0225-GDT9)
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Thanks to
Old Barnwell
Kitty Nicastro
The Schreiber Family
Evans Scholars Foundation
Vorhees University
ANNIKA Foundation
