North Carolina is home to two of the United States’ best and most well-known courses, making it a must-visit destination for golfers to explore.
Beyond the two big courses, Pinehurst Resort and Quail Hollow, there are some gems that should very much be on your hit list if you are planning to tee it up in North Carolina any time soon.
We take a look at five of the best courses that North Carolina has to offer.
Pinehurst
Pinehurst Resort is a golfing paradise and boasts nine courses in total, but it is the No. 2 that is the headline track having hosted majors and the 1951 Ryder Cup too. Its history with golf majors dates back to the 1936 USPGA Championship, where three US Opens—the most recent in 2014—have been staged. That will become four in 2024.
The No.2 course, designed by Donald Ross, measures 7,500-plus yards for the majors but comes in at around 6,900 for mere mortals. It promises to be the fairest test of any championship course and there is only one way to know for sure… play it and make your verdict.
Quail Hollow
Located in Charlotte, Quail Hollow needs little introduction to golf fans as it is a regular host on the PGA Tour as the venue of the Wells Fargo Championship. George Cobb’s original design, which opened for play in 1961, has been tweaked down over the years and was given a major overhaul in 2016 in preparation for Quail Hollow staging the 2017 USPGA Championship, won by Justin Thomas. The Presidents Cup is also scheduled to be hosted in 2021.
The 7,442-yard test is a serious one, with the 200-yard par-3 17th the pick of some very good holes.
Diamond Creek
As picturesque a setting as any golfer could want, the Tom Fazio-designed Diamond Creek sits high in the Blue Ridge Mountains at 4,000-feet. So you can expect a bit of added distance on your drives here!
It only opened in 2003 and has already earned a decent reputation, but you’ll need a cart or buggy to get yourself around the tricky landscape that the course has been carved into. It measures 7,175 yards at its longest and if you are playing from the back tees you will be starting with a 500-yard par-4! It is a real test of your ability.
Wade Hampton
This course also has a connection with the Blue Ridge Mountains – but only for the fact the back tees are known as the Chimney Tees, overlooked by the stunning backdrop of snow-topped peaks.
The Tom Fazio creation is a pleasant 5,120 yards but has tight fairways and water hazards to help protect par. A real gem that has been deemed the United States’ best mountain course by some.
Eagle Point
Eagle Point stepped in to stage the Wells Fargo Championship in 2017 when Quail Hollow hosted the USPGA Championship, and it clearly has all the hallmarks needed of a championship course.
Another designed by Tom Fazio, it opened in 2000 in Wilmington and is something a little different to the others in this list, being located on the Atlantic Coast close to the Intracoastal Waterway. It measures 7,170 yards at its maximum and has some of the fastest and trickiest greens in the state.
