North Carolina Golf Destinations

  • Brunswick County

    As you drive north on U.S. Highway 17 from North Myrtle Beach and over the state line, t-shirt shops and mini golf courses give way to Mom-and-Pop seafood restaurants, quaint beach cottages, and rustic roadside gift shops. Anchoring the coast of this pristine region are the Brunswick Islands - a group of barrier islands that run from the world famous "seafood capital" of Calabash, North Carolina, all the way north to the Cape Fear River south of Wilmington. The scenery is unrivaled, as Carolina Oaks and Pines blend together to give the area a true mid-Atlantic feel.

    Carolina Shores Golf & Country Club is situated in Calabash, N.C. a scenic fishing village. The mature woodland landscape provides a secluded and relaxing setting that is ideal for a round of golf. Though it may be peaceful, you still have to be on your toes with plenty of water hazards and sand traps lurking throughout this traditional layout.
    The 18-hole Leopard's Chase Golf Links at Ocean Ridge Plantation in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina is a public golf course that opened in 2007. Designed by Tim Cate, Leopard's Chase Golf Links at Ocean Ridge Plantation measures 7155 yards from the longest tees.
    The 18-hole Sandpiper Bay Golf & Country Club in Sunset Beach, North Carolina is a public golf course that opened in 1987. Designed by Dan Maples, Sandpiper Bay Golf & Country Club measures 6503 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 119 and a 71.
  • Charlotte

    With destinations like Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, and Pinehurst, the Carolinas seldom look at their metropolitan centers for as golf meccas. Once upon a time, this was justifiable. Even as recently as the late 1980s, the Charlotte and Raleigh/Durham metro areas were severely lacking in daily-fee golf facilities.

    Eagle Chase Golf Club is tucked away in the rolling hills of northern Union County, surrounded by nothing but acres of countryside and farmland. The secluded locale is ideal for golf, especially since it is conveniently situated less than an hour from Charlotte.
    Rocky River Golf Club was carefully carved from lush, rolling hills and natural wetlands with the intent of preserving the beautiful terrain as much as possible. The course flows across the dramatic natural contours of the land, providing holes with plenty of elevation changes. Running alongside the rolling fairways are winding ribbons of native wetland grasses that weave through rocky outcroppings.
    Rock Barn Golf & Spa offers two championship courses, one designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and the other by Tom Jackson. The Jackson Course tumbles across picturesque valleys, offering both dramatic elevation changes and beautiful scenery.
  • Triangle

    The Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area -- also known as the "Triangle" -- bleeds college hoops. Duke University, the University of North Carolina, and North Carolina State are all within a half hour's drive of each other, and have cultivated some of the most intense rivalries in all of sports over the past 40 years.

    The 18-hole Raleigh Golf Association in Raleigh, North Carolina is a public golf course that opened in 1958. Designed by George Cobb, Raleigh Golf Association measures 6410 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 107 and a 69.9 USGA rating. The course features 3 sets of tees for different skill levels.
    Wil-Mar Golf Club is situated just east of Raleigh, sprawling across gently rolling countryside. At 6,071 yards from the back tees, it may seem shorter compared to modern golf courses that run 7,000-plus yards, it has many challenges that make it seem much longer. The course will test your accuracy with tree-lined fairways, greenside bunkers, and elevated greens.
    Crooked Creek Golf Club offers a challenging, but playable championship course that is one of the area's best values. The layout features well designed par 3s that will require some thought and receptive, well manicured greens that are player friendly.
  • Piedmont Triad

    Piedmont Triad area -- anchored by the three central cities of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point -- deserves to take its rightful place as a great destination for residents and visitors alike. Historically known for textiles, tobacco, and furniture, the Triad has become a growing metro area that offers enough in the way of culture, outdoor activities, museums, and shopping to satisfy the most discerning traveler.

    The 18-hole Greensboro National Golf Club in Summerfield, North Carolina is a semi-private golf course that opened in 1995. Designed by Don & Mark Charles, Greensboro National Golf Club measures 7072 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 142 and a 73.
    Mike Strantz the designer of such greats as Tobacco Road Caledonia True Blue Royal New Kent and Stonehouse added yet another masterpiece to his collection with the creation of Tot Hill.
    Challenge Golf Club sprawls across a scenic stretch of rolling farmland that sits alongside the Haw River. The lush hills are accented with mature hardwood forests, providing a scenic setting for a round of golf. The hilly terrain on this golf course will test not only your shot-making abilities but also your accuracy.
  • Western North Carolina

    Tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville sits at the meeting point of the Swannanoa and French Broad Rivers. Donald Ross chose the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina as the setting for many of the golf courses in his prolific career.

    The Great Smoky Mountains surround the Waynesville Inn Golf Resort & Spa, providing a stunning setting that is perfect for a round of golf. The club has three nines -- Dogwood, Carolina, and Blue Ridge -- that are played in different 18-hole combinations. The Blue Ridge/Carolina Course begins with the newest and longest of the nines.
    Nestled within the Blue Ridge Mountains, Cummings Cove Golf & Country Club is peacefully tucked away with the Great Smokies sheltering it to the west. It offers some of the most stunning views of any golf course in western North Carolina. Although it feels remote, Asheville is less than half an hour away.
    Nestled in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains, Sequoyah National Golf Club is surrounded by mature oak and fir trees. Owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee, the course is routed through flowered valleys that provide a colorful complement to the surrounding mountain views. It feels peacefully secluded but it is conveniently located less than an hour from Asheville.
  • Village of Pinehurst

    Anchored by the Village of Pinehurst, the Sandhills region of North Carolina is made up of a collection of small towns and blessed with a sampling of public-access golf courses that many golf aficionados consider to be among the best in the world. The "Village" is home to the venerable Pinehurst Resort and Donald Ross' vaunted No. 2 course. The entire area oozes with layouts from Ross, Dan and Ellis Maples, Rees Jones, and Robert Trent Jones.

    Dan Maples, architect of the nationally acclaimed Pit Golf Links, has created another masterpiece only minutes from the Village of Pinehurst. The Club at Longleaf was formerly the site of Starland Farms, for years the training ground of some of the country's top thoroughbreds.
    Little River Golf Club is a Dan Maples "original" in his home town area near the village of Pinehurst. The rolling hills and flowing waters on this beautiful property make it a challenging venue for golfers of all skill levels.
    Beacon Ridge Golf and Country Club, a Gene Hamm design on rolling, wooded terrain, opened in 1988. This well-maintained course has bermudagrass fairways and bentgrass greens. Perhaps what sets Beacon Ridge apart from a number of other courses in the Pinehurst area is its variety.
  • The Outer Banks

    The Outer Banks (OBX), skinny, sandy islands that thread their way along North Carolina's coast from Virginia Beach to Cape Lookout, wake up from their winter snooze as the weather warms and vacation-minded travelers head to places like Nag's Head, Corolla, Duck and Kitty Hawk to unwind, sink their toes into deep sand and pursue their favorite activities.

    Sea Scape Golf Links in Kitty Hawk, N.C. is one of the premier courses on the Outer Banks. The course has the feel of a traditional Scottish links layout thanks to the seaside location and landscape of windswept dunes.
    Nags Head Golf Club has a traditional Scottish-links layout that is right at home on the windswept terrain of the Outer Banks. Situated along the Roanoke Sound, the rugged coastline and rolling sand dunes perfectly mimic a classic links landscape. The golf course is a shot maker's layout that will test your skills but it is still player friendly enough to appeal to all skill levels.
  • North Carolina's Inner Banks

    The Inner Banks of North Carolina, situated on Albemarle Sound about 75 miles west of the Outer Banks, is blessed by more than 3,000 miles of inland coastline and charming small villages like Edenton, Windsor and Plymouth. It was one of the first areas in North America to be settled by Europeans, who grew large crops of cotton, tobacco and peanuts.

    The 18-hole North River Club in Beaufort, North Carolina is a public golf course that opened in 2007. Designed by Bob Moore, North River Club measures 7210 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 143 and a 74.5 USGA rating. The course features 5 sets of tees for different skill levels.
    The 18-hole Emerald Golf Club in New Bern, North Carolina is a semi-private golf course that opened in 1988. Designed by Rees Jones, Emerald Golf Club measures 6924 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 125 and a 74 USGA rating.
    The 18-hole Brandywine Bay Golf Club in Morehead City, North Carolina is a resort golf course that opened in 1980. Designed by Bruce Devlin, Brandywine Bay Golf Club measures 6609 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 130 and a 72 USGA rating.