[Day-Trip Ideas] Tee-rific Summer Getaways In NC: Top-Notch Courses to Play This Season

When planning a summer getaway, if making time to play golf is a top priority, then pick a destination where it’s easy to enjoy tee times and summertime. With its wealth of golf opportunities, North Carolina can offer every player a chance to step onto a top-level course, whether it’s on the coast, in the mountains, or somewhere in between. There are many great golf resorts and accommodations across North Carolina, offering the amenities – and views – to make your experience unforgettable.

Here are the 16 top-ranked courses open to the public, based on the North Carolina Golf Panel’s 2021 top courses you can play:

PINEHURST NO. 2

Pinehurst

The venerable Pinehurst No. 2 refuses to relinquish the top spot, having perched on high since the first Golf Panel list in 1995. The Donald Ross masterpiece accepts the challenge of any and all players and seldom gives in, even to top professionals. In fact, No. 2 hosted both the men’s and women’s U.S. Open Championships in June 2014, which means you can test your skills on the same layout as the pros. Pinehurst No. 2 will be home to the U.S. Open for the fourth time in 25 years when the national championship returns to Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in 2024. To get the full experience and possibly improve your score, let one of the resort’s capable caddies guide you.

PINE NEEDLES LODGE & GOLF CLUB

Southern Pines

Ask most members of the Golf Panel, and you’ll likely hear Pine Needles characterized as one of those special courses you wouldn’t mind playing every day. A wonderfully fair Donald Ross classic, this is a meandering trip among the pines that always delivers pleasure but requires full attention to every shot. A favorite of female players, Pine Needles hosted the women’s U.S. Open Championships in 1996, 2001 and 2007, and will do so again in 2022. And part of the same resort is another Ross gem, Mid Pines Golf Club (see the 5th-place ranking).

PINEHURST NO. 4

Pinehurst

Redesigned in 2018 by renowned golf course architect Gil Hanse, Pinehurst No. 4 is a companion to No. 2, but it’s not a tribute to it. Hanse returned the original landscape to the course, making it an expression of classic Carolinas Sandhills golf with its slopes and greens locations, giving the golfer the chance to contemplate different approaches to each hole. No. 4 and No. 2 cohosted the 2019 U.S. Amateur Championship.

PINEHURST NO. 8

Pinehurst

Tom Fazio carved this gem out of the rolling, sandy terrain just outside the village, paying homage to Donald Ross with the characteristic swales, slopes, and false fronts that mark the master’s work. Graced with the playability that makes Fazio a favorite of the average player, the course is also very walkable, another blessing in these days of lengthy layouts. Reflecting its beautiful natural setting, No. 8 was the first project in North Carolina to achieve certification through the Audubon International Signature Program.

MID PINES INN & GOLF CLUB

Southern Pines

A riddle: Why did the golfer at Pine Needles cross the road? Answer: To play Mid Pines, another historic Donald Ross 1920s gem situated just across Midland Road. Though maintained impeccably to modern standards, it’s a pine-drenched stroll through history since this is a Ross design that remains virtually unchanged. Maybe not as daunting as its mate on the other side of the road, Mid Pines remains an always fair and fun test that makes it a favorite on many lists.

PINEHURST NO. 9

Pinehurst

Combine the Sandhills and Jack Nicklaus, and there’s little doubt something special will happen. Pinehurst No. 9, formerly known as National Golf Club, is the Pinehurst area’s only Jack Nicklaus Signature course, which challenges players with the expected Nicklaus architecture – wide fairways, strategic bunkers, and undulating putting surfaces.

LINVILLE GOLF CLUB

Linville

Here are two good secrets to know: Golf has been played in Linville since 1895, even earlier than in Pinehurst, with Donald Ross crafting the current layout in 1924. And, while Linville Golf Club is private, play is possible when you pamper yourself with a stay at the delightful Eseeola Lodge, which has provided High Country hospitality since 1892. Golf package takes on a new meaning here, with the club and lodge named a “Best Summer Golf Destination of the South” by Sports Illustrated’s Golf.com.

UNC FINLEY GOLF COURSE

Chapel Hill

Tom Fazio proves yet again that he knows how to produce a layout that can provide a measure of pleasure to any golfer, regardless of handicap. UNC Finley Golf Course is commonly lauded as a well-priced, fun outing, but expect Fazio to force your focus to fully appreciate the experience. If you’re nursing a 1-shot lead, the 18th will definitely command careful attention.

MID SOUTH CLUB

Pinehurst

Arnold Palmer issued a straightforward challenge to players at Mid South Club, with few visual tricks and a mixture of risk/reward from virtually every tee. Like the man, this is a course on which to hitch up your trousers and charge. A favorite of locals and considered one of Palmer’s best designs, the private Mid South is worthy of making the effort to get on via an area golf package.

BALD HEAD ISLAND GOLF COURSE

Bald Head Island

Park the car, grab your clubs, and jump on the ferry for the pleasurable journey to Bald Head Island, where Tim Cate transformed a classic George Cobb design into a visually stunning tribute that Links Magazine deemed behind only the restoration of No. 2 in Pinehurst. You’ll wind your way over dunes, around lagoons, along the ocean, and through a maritime forest in a setting so undisturbed the local wildlife is close at hand (just don’t toy with the gators).

PINEHURST NO. 7

Pinehurst

When designer Rees Jones describes it as “one heck of a course,” it’s a pretty good indication that No. 7 at Pinehurst is worthy of your time. This is perhaps the most dramatic layout at the resort with rugged terrain and looming trees creating enough natural obstacles to minimize the need for heavy bunkering. Doglegs and uphill approaches to elevated greens contribute to the suspense and give No. 7 a different and refreshing essence compared to most of its resort brethren.

DUKE UNIVERSITY GOLF CLUB

Durham

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 ambiance is the gracious Washington Duke Inn.

SCOTCH HALL PRESERVE

Merry Hill

The championship golf course at Scotch Hall Preserve consistently ranks as one of the top public courses in North Carolina. And while you might’ve never heard of the coastal town where it’s located, Merry Hill, you’ve certainly heard of the legend who designed the course: Arnold Palmer. In between your daily tee time, relax at the Soundside Beach Club & Grill, overlooking the beautiful Albemarle Sound, or head to the marina where the sports shop offers jet skis, paddleboards, and kayaks for rent. Take advantage of stay-and-play rates at The Inn at Scotch Hall or the Chowan Villas.

THE CARDINAL BY PETE DYE

Greensboro

In order to increase activity on this course, McConnell Golf announced in early 2019 that The Cardinal would become semiprivate, meaning nonmembers can play on a conditional basis. With two lakes, wooded glades, and windy streams, The Cardinal is a challenging test for golfers, and the par-70 course – which was redesigned in 2007 – features a 12th hole that Dye himself calls the hardest par 3 he ever designed.

BRYAN PARK (CHAMPIONS COURSE)

Browns Summit

A highly regarded public course and always a player favorite, the Champions Course is considered a Rees Jones masterpiece of design with enough bunkers, humps, and hollows to keep you thinking – plus seven holes that border scenic Lake Townsend. Graced with four stars by Golf Digest, the course hosted the country’s best amateurs in the 2010 U.S. Public Links Championship.

GRANDOVER RESORT (EAST)

Greensboro

Grandover Resort’s pair of courses, known as East and West, are ranked annually on the ‘Golf Panel’ list, demonstrating the level of quality reflected in both. Designed by David Graham and Gary Panks, the duo wind through oaks, pines, and dogwoods amid the resort’s 1,500 acres. Fairness abounds, combined with hospitality and attention to detail that makes these courses always good choices for a daily double.

For more information on more North Carolina destinations, click here.