Best Golf Courses in North Carolina
9 ranked courses in North Carolina
North Carolina has nine courses in this guide: six private, one resort and two public. Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst is Donald Ross's 1907 design, restored by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw in 2010 and 2011, and it has hosted the US Open, the US Women's Open and the PGA Championship. Play there is sold mainly through Pinehurst Resort stay-and-play packages, so rounds are booked together with lodging. The public courses are Tobacco Road in Sanford, Mike Strantz's 1998 links, and Southern Pines Golf Club in Southern Pines, a Ross design from 1906 restored by Kyle Franz in 2021. The six private clubs include Old Town Club in Winston-Salem, which ranks highest in the state: Perry Maxwell's 1939 parkland course, restored by Coore and Crenshaw in 2013. Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, George Cobb's 1961 course redesigned by Tom Fazio, has hosted the PGA Championship, the Presidents Cup and the PGA Tour. Four private courses are in the mountains: Wade Hampton in Cashiers, Fazio's 1987 design; Diamond Creek in Banner Elk, also by Fazio; Grandfather Golf & Country Club in Linville, by Ellis Maples; and Roaring Gap Club, a Ross course with greens and bunkers restored by Kris Spence.
— Top 9 Rankings
Top 9 Best Golf Courses in North Carolina
Updated
About Golf Courses in North Carolina
Pinehurst and Southern Pines are neighboring towns, and Sanford's Tobacco Road adds a third bookable stop to one trip. Winston-Salem (Old Town) and Roaring Gap are the next pairing, Charlotte (Quail Hollow) stands alone, and Banner Elk (Diamond Creek), Linville (Grandfather) and Cashiers (Wade Hampton) make a mountain trip.
- Ranked courses
- 9
- Course styles
- mountain 4 · parkland 4 · links 1
- Access
- private 6 · public 2 · resort 1
- Opened
- 1906–1998
- Playable without membership
- 3 of 9