TOP 100 NC GOLF COURSES
In 2023, out of nearly 600 golf courses throughout North Carolina, courses in the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen area earned 16 spots in the list of Top 100 Golf Courses in the state, as determined annually by the North Carolina Golf Panel. Once again, Pinehurst No. 2 tops the list — as has been the case since the panel was founded in 1995.
Of the more than 400 courses Donald Ross designed, Pinehurst No. 2 was where he made his home, continuing to tweak and perfect the course throughout his life. After an extensive restoration by Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw, the course has returned to the way Ross originally intended.
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CCNC is best known for its outstanding golf courses. The Dogwood course opened in 1963 and has been the venue for many championship events including three Carolinas Amateurs, six Southern Amateurs and the 1980 USGA Amateur.
For three generations, Peggy Kirk Bell and her family have been welcoming guests to Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club. The classic Donald Ross course was meticulously restored by Kyle Franz in 2017 and has hosted the 1996, 2001 and 2007 U.S. Women’s Open Championship.
While No. 4 has been through a number of iterations since it was first built by Donald Ross in 1919, Hanse’s version is the most stunning. With the most interesting topography on the entire Pinehurst property, a shimmering lake as a centerpiece and natural ridgelines defining corridors, golfers are treated to a brazen blend of sand, native wire grasses and shimmering water.
Nine holes of the Cardinal course opened in 1970, with the second nine completed in 1981. Both CCNC golf courses are ranked in the top 20 in North Carolina.
No. 8 opened in 1996 to commemorate Pinehurst’s centennial year. Tom Fazio took full advantage of the 420 acres of rolling terrain and natural wetlands to fashion a course that’s visually enthralling and challenging yet fun to play. The greens and tees are close together, making it a pleasure to walk.
A rarity among Donald Ross masterpieces, Mid Pines Golf Course remains exactly as the world renowned architect built it in 1921 and impeccably restored by Kyle Franz in 2013.
The renowned architectural team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw selected 309 of the site’s 1,030 acres to route 18 magical holes. The par 71 course can play 6,984 yards, but has only 68 acres of managed grass. The balance of the site is maintained in natural sand “floors”, wire grasses, pine trees and vegetation native to the Sandhills region.
29. Forest Creek Golf Club (South)
30. Pinehurst No. 9
37. Mid South
40. Forest Creek Golf Club (North)
51. Pinehurst No. 7
68. Pinewild Country Club (Magnolia)
75. Southern Pines Golf Club
77. Talamore Golf Club, Southern Pines
Top 50 Courses You Can Play
The Panel also ranked the Top 50 Courses You Can Play and the Pinehurst area once again dominated the list with 14 locations, or nearly 30 percent of the clubs, including the top seven and eight of the top 11.
1. Pinehurst No. 2
2. Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club
3. Pinehurst No. 4
4. Pinehurst No. 8
5. Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club
6. Pinehurst No. 9
7. Mid South Club
11. Pinehurst No. 7
20. Southern Pines Golf Club
21. Talamore Golf Club
32. Pinehurst No. 6
38. Tobacco Road Golf Club
40. Legacy Golf Links
41. Longleaf Golf and Family Club