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Pinehurst No. 2 Again Tops N.C. Golf Panel’s Top 100 Courses List

Pinehurst No. 2 Again Tops N.C. Golf Panel’s Top 100 Courses List

The North Carolina Golf Panel’s 2014 rankings of the best golf courses in what’s arguably the best state for golf have been released, and as has been the case since the Panel’s launch in 1995, the revered Pinehurst No. 2, perhaps Donald Ross’s best work, again is No. 1.

Members of the Panel also voted on the top dozen courses in six regions of the state, plus two specialty categories: Best Greens Complexes and Best Finishing Holes. In addition, the Panel had fun with two other ballots: a determination of North Carolina’s All-Time Best Golfers (required to either be born in or have significant ties to our state), and the Best “19th Hole,” a salute to the relaxing post-round tradition enjoyed by many golfers.

Second again to Pinehurst No. 2 in the Top 100 is Grandfather Golf & Country Club, the Ellis Maples gem in Linville. Moving from fifth to third is the Dogwood course at the Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst. Completing the top five are the Old North State Club in New London and Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club.

Ranking sixth through 10th are Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club (Southern Pines); Elk River Club (Banner Elk); Charlotte Country Club (Charlotte); Pinehurst No. 8 (Pinehurst); and a newcomer to the top 10, the Tom Fazio-designed Wade Hampton Club in Cashiers, 19th a year ago.

Significant moves in the Top 100 were made by Old Chatham in Durham (from 28th to 18th); Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club in Southern Pines (38th to 25th), a Ross design recently restored by Kyle Franz; the Highlands course at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary (42nd to 29th); Trump National Golf Club in Mooresville (92nd to 33rd), the former The Point Lake & Golf Club invigorated by new owner Donald Trump; the Country Club of Asheville (80th to 60th); the Tournament Players Club at Wakefield Plantation in Raleigh (90th to 73rd); and Cape Fear National Golf Club in Leland (87th to 74th).

The Top 100 courses are determined by a scoring system where panelists consider among these factors: routing, design, strategy, memorability, fairness, variety and aesthetics. The Panel’s 2014 rankings are detailed in the April issue of Business North Carolina magazine and at NCGolfPanel.com.

Top 100 Courses for 2014 (previous year’s ranking is second number)
1.     1.     Pinehurst No. 2, Pinehurst     72     7,497
2.     2.     Grandfather Golf and Country Club, Linville     72     7,085
3.     5.     The Country Club of North Carolina (Dogwood), Pinehurst     72     7,204
4.     3.     Old North State Club, New London     72     7,102
5.     4.     Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte     72     7,396
6.     6.     Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club, Southern Pines     71     7,015
7.     7.     Elk River Club, Banner Elk     72     6,826
8.     8.     Charlotte Country Club, Charlotte     71     7,335
9.     9.     Pinehurst No. 8, Pinehurst     72     7,092
10.     19.     Wade Hampton Golf Club, Cashiers     72     7,154
11.     10.     Forest Creek Golf Club (South), Pinehurst     72     7,067
12.     11.     Pinehurst No. 4, Pinehurst     72     7,117
13.     12.     Biltmore Forest Country Club, Asheville     70     6,606
14.     17.     Cape Fear Country Club, Wilmington     72     6,856
15.     13.     Eagle Point Golf Club, Wilmington     72            7,170
16.     15.     The Country Club of North Carolina (Cardinal), Pinehurst     72     7,212
17.     14.     Linville Golf Club, Linville     72     6,946
18.     28.     Old Chatham Golf Club, Durham     72            7,210
19.     16.     Forest Creek Golf Club (North), Pinehurst     72     7,139
20.     18.     Rock Barn Golf and Spa (Jones), Conover     72     7,126
21.     20.     Raleigh Country Club, Raleigh     71     6,816
22.     21.     Sedgefield Country Club (Ross), Greensboro     71     7,117
23.     22.     Myers Park Country Club, Charlotte     72     6,926
24.     24.     Old Town Club, Winston-Salem     71     6,825
25.     38.     Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club, Southern Pines     72     6,528
26.     23.     National Golf Club, Pinehurst     72     7,125
27.     26.     River Landing (River), Wallace     72     7,009
28.     27.     Treyburn Country Club, Durham     72     7,070
29.     42.     Prestonwood Country Club (Highlands), Cary     72     7,082
30.     29.     Greensboro Country Club, Winston-Salem     72     7,302
31.     34.     Forsyth Country Club, Winston-Salem     71     6,555
32.     25.     Dormie Club, West End     72     6,988
33.     92.     Trump National Golf Club, Mooresville     72     7,037
34.     31.     Willow Creek Country Club, High Point     72     6,972
35.     30.     Bright’s Creek Golf Club, Mill Spring     72            7,392
36.     32.     The Hasentree Club, Wake Forest     71     7,074
37.     35.     Country Club of Landfall (Dye), Wilmington     72     7,026
38.     44.     Finley Golf Course, Chapel Hill     72     7,119
39.     33.     Balsam Mountain Preserve, Sylva     70     6,859
40.     41.     Pinewild Country Club (Magnolia), Pinehurst              72     7,446
41.     39.     Bald Head Island Club, Bald Head Island     72     6,855
42.     40.     Leopard’s Chase, Sunset Beach     72     7,055
43.     37.     Carmel Country Club (South), Charlotte     72            7,503
44.     36.     Duke University Golf Club, Durham     72     7,105
45.     43.     Tiger’s Eye, Sunset Beach     72     6,849
46.     46.     The Club at Irish Creek, Kannapolis      72     7,099
47.     77.     River Run Country Club, Davidson     72     6,947
48.     45.     Gaston Country Club, Gastonia     72     7,042
49.     48.     River Landing (Landing), Wallace     72     7,112
50.     57.     Scotch Hall Preserve, Merry Hill     72     7,257
51.     49.     Hope Valley Country Club, Durham     70     6,671
52.     51.     Alamance Country Club, Burlington     71     6,900
53.     53.     St. James Plantation (Reserve), Southport     72     7,212
54.     50.     Pinehurst No. 7, Pinehurst     72     7,216
55.     54.     Grandover (East), Greensboro     72     6,800
56.     57.     Sedgefield Country Club (Dye), Greensboro     70     6,821
57.     55.     Governors Club, Chapel Hill     72     7,062
58.     56.     Linville Ridge, Linville     72     6,775
59.     60.     Country Club of Landfall (Nicklaus), Wilmington     72     7,100
60.     80.     Country Club of Asheville, Asheville     71     6,672
61.     52.     The Club at Longview, Weddington     72     7,068
62.     63.     MacGregor Downs Country Club, Cary     72     6,812
63.     58.     The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, Arden     72     7,278
64.     61.     Mid South Club, Pinehurst     71     6,988
65.     64.     Pinewood Country Club, Asheboro     72     6,830
66.     69.     Bryan Park Golf and Conf. Center (Champions), Browns Summit     72     7,097
67.     59.     Grandover (West), Greensboro     72     7,100
68.     62.     Lake Toxaway Country Club, Lake Toxaway     71     6,500
69.     66.     Brier Creek Country Club, Raleigh     72     6,885
70.     74.     Tobacco Road Golf Course, Sanford     71     6,554
71.     67.     Carolina Golf Club, Charlotte     71     7,011     73.2/138
72.     68.     Prestonwood Country Club (Meadows), Cary     72     7,108
73.     90.     Tournament Players Club at Wakefield Plantation, Raleigh      72     7,257
74.     87.     Cape Fear National Golf Club, Leland     72     7,217
75.     65.     Tanglewood Park (Championship), Clemmons     70     7,018
76.     71.     The Currituck Club, Duck     72     6,888
77.     70.     Ballantyne Country Club, Charlotte     72     7,034
78.     72.     Lonnie Poole Golf Course, Raleigh     71     7,358
79.     75.     Porters Neck Country Club, Wilmington     72     7,112
80.     76.     The Golf Club at Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge, Charlotte     71     6,710
81.     78.     Wilson Country Club, Wilson     72     6,851
82.     81.     Jefferson Landing, Jefferson     72     7,111
83.     73.     Proehlific Club at Forest Oaks, Greensboro     72     7,197
84.     79.     Country Club of Salisbury, Salisbury     71     6,665
85.     82.     Crow Creek Golf Club, Calabash     72     7,101
86.     88.     Grove Park Inn Golf Course, Asheville     70     6,162
87.     99.     Hound Ears Club, Blowing Rock      72     6,327
88.     —     Rocky River Golf Club, Concord     72     6,970
89.     84.     Kilmarlic Golf Club, Powells Point     72     6,560
90.     —     Blowing Rock Country Club, Blowing Rock     72     6,162
91.     89.     Legacy Golf Links, Aberdeen     72     7,004
92.     83.     Prestonwood Country Club (Fairways), Cary     70     6,475
93.     91.     Seven Lakes Country Club, Seven Lakes     72     6,943
94.     93.     Starmount Forest Country Club, Greensboro     71     6,518
95.     —     Mountain Air Country Club, Burnsville     71     6,425
96.     95.     Mount Mitchell Golf Club, Burnsville     72     6,495
97.     98.     Nags Head Golf Links, Nags Head     71     6,126
98.     —     The Peninsula Club, Cornelius     72     7,075
99.     96.     Mill Creek Golf Club, Mebane     72     7,004
100.     —     Pinehurst No. 6, Pinehurst     71     6,990

Top Regional Courses

(Note: Rankings are determined by averaging point totals based on the number of panelists who voted for a course. This year, a minimum of 40 panelists had to vote for a course in order for it to qualify. Panelists can only vote for courses they’ve played.)

Western

1. Grandfather Golf and Country Club, Linville
2. Elk River Club, Banner Elk
3. Wade Hampton Country Club, Cashiers
4. Biltmore Forest Country Club, Asheville
5. Linville Golf Club, Linville
6. Rock Barn Golf and Spa (Jones), Conover
7. Bright’s Creek Golf Club, Mill Spring
8. Balsam Mountain Preserve, Sylva
9. Linville Ridge Country Club, Linville
10. Country Club of Asheville, Asheville
11. The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, Arden
12. Lake Toxaway Country Club, Lake Toxaway

Charlotte Metro
1. Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte
2. Charlotte Country Club, Charlotte
3. Myers Park Country Club, Charlotte
4. Trump National Golf Club, Mooresville
5. Carmel Country Club (South), Charlotte
6. The Club at Irish Creek, Kannapolis
7. River Run Country Club, Davidson
8. Gaston Country Club, Gastonia
9. The Club at Longview, Weddington
10. Carolina Golf Club, Charlotte
11. Ballantyne Country Club, Charlotte
12. The Golf Club at Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge, Charlotte

Piedmont Triad
1. Old North State Club, New London
2. Sedgefield Country Club (Ross), Greensboro
3. Old Town Club, Winston-Salem
4. Greensboro Country Club (Farm), Greensboro
5. Forsyth Country Club, Winston-Salem
6. Willow Creek Country Club, High Point
7. Alamance Country Club, Burlington
8. Grandover Resort (East), Greensboro
9. Sedgefield Country Club (Dye), Greensboro
10. Pinewood Country Club, Asheboro
11. Bryan Park Gold and Conference Center (Champions), Browns Summit
12. Grandover Resort (West), Greensboro

Triangle
1. Old Chatham Golf Club, Durham
2. Raleigh Country Club, Raleigh
3. Treyburn Country Club, Durham
4. Prestonwood Country Club (Highlands), Cary
5. The Hasentree Club, Wake Forest
6. Finley Golf Club, Chapel Hill
7. Duke University Golf Club, Durham
8. Hope Valley Country Club, Durham
9. Governors Club, Chapel Hill
10. MacGregor Downs Country Club, Cary
11. Brier Creek Country Club, Raleigh
12. Prestonwood Country Club (Meadows), Cary

Sandhills
1. Pinehurst No. 2, Pinehurst
2. The Country Club of North Carolina (Dogwood), Pinehurst
3. Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club, Southern Pines
4. Pinehurst No. 8, Pinehurst
5. Forest Creek Golf Club (South), Pinehurst
6. Pinehurst No. 4, Pinehurst
7. The Country Club of North Carolina (Cardinal), Pinehurst
8. Forest Creek Golf Club (North), Pinehurst
9. Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club, Southern Pines
10. National Golf Club, Pinehurst
11. Dormie Club, West End
12. Pinewild Country Club (Magnolia), Pinehurst

Eastern
1. River Landing (River), Wallace
2. River Landing (Landing), Wallace
3. Scotch Hall Preserve, Merry Hill
4. Wilson Country Club, Wilson
5. Walnut Creek Country Club, Goldsboro
6. Carolina Colours Golf Club, New Bern
7. Gates Four Country Club, Fayetteville
8. Cutter Creek Golf Club, Snow Hill
9. Benvenue Country Club, Rocky Mount
10. Cyprus Landing Golf Club, Chocowinity
11. Highland Country Club, Fayetteville
12. Greenville Country Club, Greenville

Coastal
1. Cape Fear Country Club, Wilmington
2. Eagle Point Golf Club, Wilmington
3. Country Club of Landfall (Dye), Wilmington
4. Bald Head Golf Club, Bald Head Island
5. Leopard’s Chase, Sunset Beach
6. Tiger’s Eye, Sunset Beach
7. St. James Plantation (Reserve), St. James
8. Country Club of Landfall (Nicklaus), Wilmington
9. Cape Fear National Golf Club, Leland
10. The Currituck Club, Duck
11. Porters Neck Country Club, Wilmington
12. Crow Creek Golf Club, Calabash

Top Best Finishing Holes (Nos. 16-18)
Which courses, by region, boast the Best Finishing Holes? Variables include routing, variety and degree of difficulty, and the risk-reward factor.

Western
1. Grandfather Golf and Country Club, Linville
2. Wade Hampton Club, Cashiers
3. Elk River Club, Banner Elk
4. Biltmore Forest Country Club, Asheville
5. Balsam Mountain Preserve, Sylva

Charlotte Metro
1. Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte
2. Charlotte Country Club, Charlotte
3. Carmel Country Club, (South), Charlotte
4. Trump National Golf Club, Mooresville
5. Myers Park Country Club, Charlotte

Piedmont Triad
1. Old North State Club, New London
2. Old Town Club, Winston-Salem
3. Greensboro Country Club (Farm), Greensboro
4. Sedgefield Country Club (Ross), Greensboro
5. Forsyth Country Club, Winston-Salem

Triangle
1. Raleigh Country Club, Raleigh
2. Finley Golf Course, Chapel Hill
3. Old Chatham Golf Club, Durham
4. Prestonwood Country Club (Highlands), Cary
5. The Hasentree Club, Wake Forest

Sandhills
1. Pinehurst No. 2, Pinehurst
2. Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club, Southern Pines
3. Pinehurst No. 8, Pinehurst
4. Country Club of North Carolina (Dogwood), Pinehurst
5. Forest Creek Golf Club (South), Pinehurst

Eastern
1. River Landing (River), Wallace
2. River Landing (Landing), Wallace
3. Wilson Country Club, Wilson
4. Gates Four Country Club, Fayetteville
5. Cutter Creek Golf Club, Snow Hill

Coastal
1. Eagle Point Golf Club, Wilmington
2. Bald Head Island Club, Bald Head Island
3. Cape Fear Country Club, Wilmington
4. Country Club of Landfall (Dye), Wilmington
5. Tiger’s Eye, Sunset Beach

Top Best Greens Complexes

Which courses in the state, by region, have the best greens complexes? Criteria may include conditioning, consistency, collaring, fairness, and variety over the 18 holes, plus appeal to the eye.
Western
1. Grandfather Golf and Country Club, Linville
2. Elk River Club, Banner Elk
3. Wade Hampton Club, Cashiers
4. Biltmore Forest Country Club,Asheville
5. Balsam Mountain Preserve, Sylva

Charlotte Metro
1. Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte
2. Charlotte Country Club, Charlotte
3. The Club at Longview, Weddington
4. Myers Park Country Club, Charlotte
5. Carmel Country Club (South), Charlotte

Piedmont Triad
1. Sedgefield Country Club (Ross), Greensboro
2. Old Town Club, Winston-Salem
3. Greensboro Country Club (Farm), Greensboro
4. Old North State Club, New London
5. Forsyth Country Club, Winston-Salem

Triangle
1. Old Chatham Golf Club, Durham
2. Raleigh Country Club, Raleigh
3. Hope Valley Country Club, Durham
4. Treyburn Country Club, Durham
5. The Hasentree Club, Wake Forest

Sandhills
1. Pinehurst No. 2, Pinehurst
2. Country Club of North Carolina (Dogwood), Pinehurst
3. Pinehurst No. 4, Pinehurst
4. Country Club of North Carolina (Cardinal), Pinehurst
5. Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club, Southern Pines

Eastern
1. River Landing (River), Wallace
2. Wilson Country Club, Wilson
3. Cutter Creek Golf Club, Snow Hill
4. Walnut Creek Country Club, Goldsboro
5. River Landing (Landing), Wallace

Coastal
1. Eagle Point Golf Club, Wilmington
2. Bald Head Island Club, Bald Head Island
3. Country Club of Landfall (Dye), Wilmington
4. Cape Fear Country Club, Wilmington
5. The Currituck Club, Duck

Top Best 19th Hole

Your round is complete and it’s time for a beverage or two and the opportunity to sit with friends and recap what has just happened in the preceding four hours. It’s not just the quality of the beverages or snacks at the “19th Hole” – it’s the ambiance and the setting.
Western
1. Grandfather Golf and Country Club, Linville
2. Biltmore Forest Country Club, Asheville
3. Balsam Mountain Preserve, Sylva
4. Elk River Club,Banner Elk
5. Hound Ears Club, Blowing Rock

Charlotte Metro
1. Charlotte Country Club, Charlotte
2. Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte
3. Myers Park Country Club, Charlotte
4. Trump National Golf Club, Mooresville
5. Gaston Country Club, Gastonia

Piedmont Triad
1. Old North State Club, New London
2. Forsyth Country Club, Winston-Salem
3. Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro
4. Old Town Club, Winston-Salem
5. Greensboro Country Club (Farm), Greensboro

Triangle
1. Old Chatham Golf Club, Durham
2. Prestonwood Country Club, Cary
3. Raleigh Country Club, Raleigh
4. Hope Valley Country Club, Durham
5. Governors Club, Chapel Hill

Sandhills
1. Pinehurst Nos. 1-5, Pinehurst
2. Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club, Southern Pines
3. Forest Creek Golf Club, Pinehurst
4. Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club, Southern Pines
5. Country Club of North Carolina, Pinehurst

Eastern
1. River Landing, Wallace
2. Wilson Country Club, Wilson
3. Benvenue Country Club, Rocky Mount
4. Highland Country Club, Fayetteville
5. Walnut Creek Country Club, Goldsboro

Coastal
1. Cape Fear Country Club, Wilmington
2. Eagle Point Golf Club, Wilmington
3. The Currituck Club, Duck
4. Bald Head Island Club, Bald Head Island
5. St. James Plantation (Reserve), St. James

Top North Carolina’s All-Time Best Golfers

From an initial list of 30 names, panelists were asked to vote on the top 10 North Carolina golfers of all time, based on their career accomplishments. These are players who were either born in or have had significant ties to our state.
1. Arnold Palmer
2. Raymond Floyd
3. Peggy Kirk Bell
4. Davis Love III
5. Harvie Ward Jr.
6. Estelle Lawson Page
7. Paul Simson
8. Webb Simpson
9. Scott Hoch
10. Charlie Sifford

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