When most people think of the best golf courses in North Carolina, the very first thing that comes to mind is Pinehurst.
And for good reason.
Pinehurst is not only one of the biggest resorts in the world, it also has some of the best courses in the country, and a ton of history to boot.
But once you look beyond Pinehurst?
You discover that North Carolina is home to some excellent golf courses. There are a number of top 100 public and private course across the entire state that are worth visiting.
In this post we’ll give you all the details you need in order to plan a killer North Carolina golf trip.
THE BEST NORTH CAROLINA GOLF COURSES IN 2022
These rankings are averages of the Best in State Rankings from Golf Digest, Top 100 Golf, Golf Magazine, and Golfweek. We listed the nearest major city to make planning easier.
To be included there needed to be a minimum of two inclusions in one of the publications listed above. Make sure you read the whole post, as there are some very good courses that didn’t get included by this methodology. I’ll discuss some of them below
- Pinehurst Resort (No. 2), Pinehurst
- Wade Hampton G.C., Cashiers
- Old Town Club, Winston-Salem
- Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte
- Roaring Gap Club
- Charlotte C.C.
- Pinehurst (No. 4), Pinehurst
- Tobacco Road G.C., Sanford
- Grandfather G. & C.C., Linville
- Diamond Creek G.C., Banner Elk
- Mountaintop G. & Lake Club, Cashiers
- Dormie Club, West End
- Eagle Point G.C., Wilmington
- Mid Pines Inn & G.C., Southern Pines
- Pine Needles Lodge & G.C., Southern Pines
- Forest Creek G.C. (North), Pinehurst
- Biltmore Forest C.C., Asheville
- Sedgefield C.C., Greensboro
- Linville G.C., Linville
- Pinehurst Resort (No. 8), Pinehurst
- Cape Fear C.C., Wilmington
- Forest Creek G.C. (South), Pinehurst
- C.C. Of North Carolina (Dogwood), Pinehurst
- Champion Hills Club, Hendersonville
- Duke University G.C., Durham
- The Cliffs At Walnut Cove, Arden
- Old North State Club, New London
- Pinehurst (No. 7), Pinehurst
- Elk River Club, Banner Elk
- Linville Ridge C.C.
- UNC Finley Course, Chapel Hill
- Ocean Ridge Plantation (Leopard’s Chase), Ocean Isle Beach
- Ocean Ridge Plantation (Tiger’s Eye), Ocean Isle Beach
- Old Chatham G.C., Durham
- Bald Head Island Club, Bald Head Island
- Mid South, Southern Pines
- Treyburn C.C., Durham
- C.C. Of North Carolina (Cardinal), Pinehurst
- Balsam Mountain Preserve, Sylva
- The Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville
How Other Publications Ranked the Best Courses in North Carolina
Each of the major publications and their rankings look at course architecture was little bit differently. For instance, Golf Digest places higher values on things like difficulty and shot values compared to other lists.
Golf Magazine has less than 150 panelists, whereas Digest has over 10x that.
So it’s interesting to look at each of the rankings on their own. By all accounts, any club listed in any of these lists is one worth playing.
GOLF DIGEST BEST IN STATE – NORTH CAROLINA
- Wade Hampton G.C., Cashiers
- Pinehurst Resort (No. 2), Pinehurst
- Diamond Creek G.C., Banner Elk
- Old Town Club, Winston-Salem
- Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte
- Eagle Point G.C., Wilmington
- Mountaintop G. & Lake Club, Cashiers
- Grandfather G. & C.C., Linville
- Pinehurst (No. 4), Pinehurst
- Charlotte C.C.
- Forest Creek G.C. (North), Pinehurst
- Biltmore Forest C.C., Asheville
- Tobacco Road G.C., Sanford
- Roaring Gap Club
- Dormie Club, West End
- C.C. Of North Carolina (Dogwood), Pinehurst
- Forest Creek G.C. (South), Pinehurst
- Sedgefield C.C., Greensboro
- Balsam Mountain Preserve, Sylva
- Pine Needles Lodge & G.C., Southern Pines
- Pinehurst Resort (No. 8), Pinehurst
- Champion Hills Club, Hendersonville
- Linville Ridge C.C.
- Old North State Club, New London
- Mid Pines Inn & G.C., Southern Pines
- Old Chatham G.C., Durham
- The Cliffs At Walnut Cove, Arden
- C.C. Of North Carolina (Cardinal), Pinehurst
- Elk River Club, Banner Elk
- Treyburn C.C., Durham
TOP 100 GOLF COURSES – NORTH CAROLINA
- Pinehurst Resort (No. 2), Pinehurst
- Old Town Club, Winston-Salem
- Wade Hampton G.C., Cashiers
- Roaring Gap Club
- Charlotte C.C.
- Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte
- Grandfather G. & C.C., Linville
- Tobacco Road G.C., Sanford
- Mid Pines Inn & G.C., Southern Pines
- Dormie Club, West End
- Pine Needles Lodge & G.C., Southern Pines
- Diamond Creek G.C., Banner Elk
- Mountaintop G. & Lake Club, Cashiers
- Sedgefield C.C., Greensboro
- Pinehurst (No. 4), Pinehurst
- Forest Creek G.C. (South), Pinehurst
- Eagle Point G.C., Wilmington
- Forest Creek G.C. (North), Pinehurst
- Biltmore Forest C.C., Asheville
- Cape Fear C.C., Wilmington
- Raleigh, Raleigh
- Pinehurst Resort (No. 8), Pinehurst
- C.C. Of North Carolina (Dogwood), Pinehurst
- Champion Hills Club, Hendersonville
- Old North State Club, New London
- Elk River Club, Banner Elk
- Carolina G.C., Charlotte
- Linville G.C., Linville
- Hope Valley, Durham
- Highlands C.C., Highlands
- The Cliffs At Walnut Cove, Arden
- Saphire Valley, Saphire
- Linville Ridge C.C.
- Pinehurst (No. 9), Pinehurst
- Rock Barn (Robert Trent Jones Jr.), Conover
GOLF MAGAZINE BEST IN NORTH CAROLINA
- Pinehurst Resort (No. 2), Pinehurst
- Old Town Club, Winston-Salem
- Wade Hampton G.C., Cashiers
- Pinehurst (No. 4), Pinehurst
- Tobacco Road G.C., Sanford
- Roaring Gap Club
- Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte
- Charlotte C.C.
- Mid Pines Inn & G.C., Southern Pines
- Dormie Club, West End
- Pine Needles Lodge & G.C., Southern Pines
- Diamond Creek G.C., Banner Elk
- Grandfather G. & C.C., Linville
- Eagle Point G.C., Wilmington
- Forest Creek G.C. (North), Pinehurst
- C.C. Of North Carolina (Dogwood), Pinehurst
- Linville G.C., Linville
- Mountaintop G. & Lake Club, Cashiers
- Biltmore Forest C.C., Asheville
- Forest Creek G.C. (South), Pinehurst
BEST PUBLIC GOLF COURSES IN NORTH CAROLINA – GOLFWEEK
- Pinehurst Resort (No. 2), Pinehurst
- Pinehurst (No. 4), Pinehurst
- Mid-Pines Inn & G.C., Southern Pines
- Pine Needles Lodge & G.C., Southern Pines
- Linville G.C., Linville
- Tobacco Road G.C., Sanford
- Pinehurst Resort (No. 8), Pinehurst
- Bald Head Island Club, Bald Head Island
- UNC Finley Course, Chapel Hill
- Duke University G.C., Durham
- Pinehurst (No. 7), Pinehurst
- Ocean Ridge Plantation (Tiger’s Eye), Ocean Isle Beach
- The Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville
- Ocean Ridge Plantation (Leopard’s Chase), Ocean Isle Beach
- Mid South, Southern Pines
BEST PRIVATE GOLF COURSES IN NORTH CAROLINA – GOLFWEEK
- Wade Hampton G.C., Cashiers
- Old Town Club, Winston-Salem
- Mountaintop G. & Lake Club, Cashiers
- Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte
- Grandfather G. & C.C., Linville
- Roaring Gap Club
- Charlotte C.C.
- Diamond Creek G.C., Banner Elk
- Eagle Point G.C., Wilmington
- Dormie Club, West End
- Forest Creek G.C. (North), Pinehurst
- Biltmore Forest C.C., Asheville
- Champion Hills Club, Hendersonville
- Cape Fear C.C., Wilmington
- The Cliffs At Walnut Cove, Arden
Does North Carolina Have Any Top 100 Courses?
It absolutely does, and chances are you can guess at least one of them pretty quickly, as it’s in every single top 100 list we’re covering.
North Carolina is one of the better states for people looking to tick off any of the major top 100 lists, with multiple courses in each of the lists, there’s also some nice differentiation between the public and private lists.
Golf Magazine Top 100 in the US (2022-2023)
- #12 – Pinehurst #2
- #38 – Old Town Club
- #56 – Wade Hampton Club
- #100 – Pinehurst #4
Golf Magazine Top 100 Public in the US
- #2 – Pinehurst #2
- #26 – Pinehurst #4
- #35 – Tobacco Road
- #41 – Mid Pines
- #44 – Pine Needles
Golf Magazine Top 100 in the World
- #17 – Pinehurst #2
- #92 – Old Town Club
Golf Digest Top 100 in the US
- #26 – Wade Hampton
- #29 – Pinehurst #2
- #86 – Diamond Creek Golf Club
- #92 – Old Town Club
- #97 – Quail Hollow Club
Golf Digest Top 100 Public in the US
- #6 – Pinehurst #2
- #32 – Pinehurst #4
- #49 – Tobacco Road
- #73 – Pine Needles
- #76 – Pinehurst #8
- #93 – Mid Pines
As you can see the public lists vs. the Golf Digest Top US and Golf Magazine Top US are all very different. In fact, North Carolina is probably among the top 3 states where the publications are so wildly different from one another.
But you know what that means?
That North Carolina is full of excellent and varied golf experiences.
Suggested Golf Itineraries for North Carolina
Depending on what you’re looking for, there are some great options for golf itineraries within North Carolina. The challenging part of this state, is if you are trying to hit all of the courses on the periphery of the top 100 lists, you’re gonna have to do a lot of driving.
With Eagle Point on the east, Wade Hampton to the west, Diamond Creek up north, and lots of places in between – it’s a lot for even the most seasoned road warrior.
That said, here are the itineraries I’d look at.
Pinehurst Resort
The most obvious trip you can take is to hit Pinehurst, stay at the Carolina Hotel, and experience one of the best resorts in the country.
While you’re there the three courses you’ll want to make sure you play are:
- #2 – Two is the historic Donald Ross design that has continually challenged the best golfers in history when it’s hosted US Opens and countless other golf tournaments.
- #4 – Four recently got an overhaul by Gil Hanse, and many consider it to be the best course at the entire resort.
- #8 – Finally, #8 is my pick for the most fun course at the resort. There are some beautiful holes and great elevation changes in this 1996 Tom Fazio design.
With 9 courses at Pinehurst you have plenty of other options on top of this based on personal preference. You can learn more about the differences between each of the courses here.
What’s great is you can also throw in some nearby courses that aren’t part of the resort, but are still nationally recognized.
Make sure you also hit their par 3 course, The Cradle, as well as the 18 hole putting course, Thistle Dhu, while you’re there as well.
Pinehurst Area (Not at the Resort)
If you’re wanting to go to the Pinehurst area, but not play at the resort, or throw in some alternatives to a resort trip, consider these courses:
- Tobacco Road – Tobacco Road is one of the most polarizing courses in the country. Personally, I think it’s one of the most fun golf courses on the planet. Maybe not a spot you’d want to play every day, but absolutely one you should see if in the area.
- Pine Needles – Often playing second fiddle to Pinehurst is the nearby Southern Pines resort which has two fantastic courses of its own. The Pine Needles course was restored in 2019, and is perenially among the top 100 public tracks in the country.
- Mid Pines – The second course at Pine Needles resort, is considered by some to be the superior course. They brought in Kyle Franz about a decade ago to restore many of the original Donald Ross elements and did a great job.
- Dormie Club – This Coore and Crenshaw design has had a tumultuous history. It was public for a while, but a few years back was acquired by the Dormie Network and is now the flagship club within their network. If you have access, it’s absolutely worth playing.
Best of the Publics
To bring this home, all of the top 100 public courses on both Golf Magazine and Golf Digest’s lists we’ve mentioned, and are less than an hour from each other.
So if you’re trying to hit the top 100 public golf courses in North Carolina on a single trip, you can fulfill your requirements from both publications by hitting:
- Pinehurst #2
- Pinehurst #4
- Pinehurst #8
- Mid Pines
- Pine Needles
- Tobacco Road
Public or private, I don’t care what you’re used to – this is a hell of a line-up.
Best of the West
Once you get outside of the Pinehurst area and head to the other side of the state, you’re treated to some wonderful mountain golf in Cashiers.
The only problem is that both of these courses are notoriously hard to get on. That said, if you have access it’ll be worth the trip.
- Wade Hampton – Considered one of Fazio’s best designs, Wade Hampton is a mainstay in top 100 America lists, and often found among the top 100 in the world. This is one of my personal top 10 bucket list courses in the US.
- Mountaintop – Only 15 minutes away Mountaintop is solidly in the top 200 US lists, and often finds its way onto top 100 in America lists as well.
Best Courses Up North
About a 3.5 hour drive from the west courses and 2 hours north of Charlotte, you’re treated to a trio of fantastic top private clubs. All three of these have been among the top 100 in the US at some point, but currently, Diamond Creek is the only one on either major list.
- Diamond Creek Golf Club – #86 on the most recent Golf Digest list. Another beautiful, if not slightly over the top at times Fazio design. Expect impeccable conditions and beautiful vistas.
- Grandfathers Golf and Country Club – Less than 15 minutes from Diamond Creek, this is another high-end private club with a fun course and wonderful conditions. Has recently been on Golf Digest’s top 100 list.
- Roaring Gap Club – Unlike many of the modern mountain courses in North Carolina, Roaring Gap is an old-school Ross design widely considered one of the state’s best courses. It’s about an hour and a half from the other two courses, but if you’re in the area already, it’s worth the detour.
Charlotte Area
There are a couple of courses I’d like to see on my next trip to Charlotte:
- Quail Hollow Club – This is one of the most famous courses in the state due to it’s PGA Tour pedigree. Whether it’s the regular Wells Fargo tournament, the 2022 Presidents Cup, or the 2017 PGA Championship (among others) – there’s a reason it’s a Tour mainstay.
- Charlotte Country Club – Not quite as well known nationally as many of the other clubs mentioned, this is a Donald Ross private design that looks fantastic. It only got better with its relatively recent restoration as well.
Other Places to Consider on a North Carolina Golf Trip
Eagle Point is a fantastic course in Wilmington
It’s not necessarily close to any of the other hotbeds of Carolina golf, but if you find your way out to the coast, Eagle Point has routinely been considered one of the best courses in the country.
Consider Honors or Atlanta if You’re Out West
If you’re already out west to see Wade Hampton or Mountaintop, then you’re relatively close to some other Top 100 courses.
You’re about 3 hours from the renowned Pete Dye-designed Honors Course in Tennessee.
Even better, you’re only 2.5 hours from Atlanta where there’s a ton of fantastic golf, including Atlanta Athletic Club.
Where Else Should You Play?
North Carolina is a surprisingly big state, with some (un)surprisingly good golf.
You’re likely not going to hit it all in one trip, but regardless of whether you’re going public or private, you’ve got some wonderful options for some world-class golf.
