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Listicles
Introduction Text
North Carolina’s central region is perhaps most known for its golf courses in the Pinehurst area — including the fabled Pinehurst No. 2 and brand-new Pinehurst No. 10 — but there's still great golf to be played elsewhere in this area of NC.
Listicle View
Duke University Golf Club
Take a magnificent layout created by one of the deans of American course design, Robert Trent Jones, combine it with a loving restoration by son Rees Jones, and you have an outstanding facility known as Duke University Golf Club. Unique elevation changes and mildly rolling terrain amid mature trees provide nuance on every shot. Adding to the property’s ambience is the gracious Washington Duke Inn.
Scotch Meadows Country Club
Donald Ross designed the front nine, which opened in 1938. The back nine came in 1965, courtesy of Russell Breeden, and now the whole course has a Ross vibe. The par-4 fifth hole is considered the hardest by most players. It’s a dogleg left with out of bounds on the right and a hazard on the left. Par feels more like a birdie, and simply making it to the green is cause for celebration.
Hillandale Golf Course
In 1915, Ross designed the original layout at Durham’s Hillandale Golf Course, and subsequent designers included no less than highly respected Perry Maxwell and George Cobb. Hillandale is one of the most popular courses in our state due to its sensible fee structure and variety of holes. Expert advice on equipment can also be found here as its pro shop is routinely ranked one of the best in the United States.
Tobacco Road Golf Club
If you’re in need of a golf thrill ride, look no further than Tobacco Road Golf Club, where the late, great Mike Strantz let his imagination run wild. Often named among the toughest courses in the country, most players who’ve braved it will clue you in that it’s intimidating visually but offers a good time and test.
The Champions Course at Bryan Park
This Rees Jones masterpiece features seven holes along scenic Lake Townsend, including a signature par 4 with its water-guarded green tucked at the end of a daunting peninsula. Consistently highly ranked by the major golf publications — including four stars on Golf Digest’s “Best Places to Play” list — the Champions Course showed its stuff when it hosted the 2010 US Amateur Public Links Championship.
Grandover Resort
Whether you take on the East or the West course at Grandover, the overall tone is well-honed hospitality that perfectly reflects the rolling setting and welcomes all players. Always well-groomed, the Grandover courses feature two distinct 18-hole personalities — head out on the East and experience a traditional approach, while the West offers a links-style feel.
Lonnie Poole Golf Course at NC State
Designed by the legendary Arnold Palmer, this layout leans heavily on traditional Scottish elements gracefully blended into the natural terrain of the surrounding campus. It gets right down to business with an opening par 5 that features two bunkers waiting for misaligned tee shots. The closing hole resembles a geometry exam, with a passing grade dependent on a study of the best angles.
The Championship Course at Tanglewood Park
This is an early Robert Trent Jones Sr. course that hosted the PGA Championship in 1974, won by Lee Trevino. Set in a magnificent public park among mature oaks, maples and other hardwoods, Tanglewood is generally considered one of the finest courses in the southeastern United States and a personal favorite of the prolific Jones.
Finley Golf Club
Tee off on a course that was totally renovated in 2023 and offers a championship test to the university's golf teams, members and the public alike. Begin your round with a rare starting-hole par 3, and expect a challenge on every hole after. There's also an expansive new putting course, practice tee and short-game area available to the public.
Caswell Pines Golf Club
Off the beaten path yet less than an hour from Greensboro, this gem provides a tour of rippling Piedmont topography. Cart paths curve through groves of loblolly pines and mixed hardwoods, and greens slope significantly from back to front — keep your approach shots below the hole or face speedy downhill putts. The par-3 fourth hole is tricky, with two ponds poised to throw you off your game.