Golf in the State of North Carolina
Lucky Tar Heel State residents live close to the Home of American golf, iconic Pinehurst. Nine courses bear its name, several of which are top-ranked. In 2014, Pinehurst #2 played host to both the US Open and US Women's Open, and is a must play on every golfer's bucket list. Neighbors from bordering states of South Carolina, Tennessee Virginia and Georgia drive in to do some driving! Close by Pinehurst is the renowned Tobacco Road Golf Club, as well as Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club and Southern Pines Golf Club.
State capital Raleigh, has 38 courses of its own and largest city Charlotte boasts another 43. Greenboro's 37 golf courses, the 16 at Asheville, 15 at Durham and 10 at Wilmington round out the slate of experiences to choose from.
North Carolina courses of note include George Cobb's Quail Hollow Club (in Charlotte) which has hosted the Wells Fargo Championship and the 2017 PGA Championship. In 1984, The Elk River Club (in Banner Elk) became the first Jack Nicklaus Signature course to open in the state. The immaculately maintained Crow Creek Golf Course near the quaint fishing village of Calabash is a local favorite. Leopard's Chase Golf Links in Ocean Isle Beach makes excellent use of the natural landscape featured throughout the course.
Tired of the ocean? Maggie Valley Club & Resort, situated between the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains just west of Asheville, provides a pristine mountain setting. Duke University Golf Club (in Durham) designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. & Rees Jones has been called one of the best public courses in the state and the Golf Club at Ballantyne in Charlotte calls itself, "The Complete Golf Destination."
Raymond Floyd, born near Fort Bragg and now residing in Palm Beach, Florida, has won the most major titles of any North Carolina golfer and has been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Davis Love III, winner of 21 events on the PGA tour, hails from Charlotte, as does Bill Haas, winner of the 2011 FedEx Cup, played at Plainfield Country Club, in New Jersey.