North Carolina's Most Scenic Golf Courses

By KEVIN BRAFFORD

If it is indeed true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then a lot of beholders on the North Carolina Magazine Golf Panel see things the say way.

Proof is that there were three runaway winners in a special category panelists were asked to vote on this year: North Carolina’s most visually appealing courses.

Grandfather Golf and Country Club in the mountains, the Old North State Club in the Piedmont/Sandhills, and Tiger’s Eye on the coast were selected as the state’s Most Scenic Courses by the 108 panelists who submitted ballots.

Not surprisingly, the three courses also rank highly among the state’s top 100 courses. Old North State is the state’s second-ranked course, trailing only Pinehurst No. 2, and Grandfather is fifth. Tiger’s Eye, which has been open less than three years, is 24th this year, up eight spots from a year ago.

“We are fortunate to have so many beautiful courses in the state,” said Stephanie Neill Harner of Charlotte, a three-time All-American in her college days at Wake Forest, “and architects have done a magnificent job of blending the courses with nature, providing a high esthetic quality.”

Fifty-two courses around the state received votes in what one panel member said was “an impossible task.” Panelists voted for their top three courses in each region, with a first-place vote worth three points, a second-place vote two points and a third-place vote one point.

Grandfather, designed by Ellis Maples and opened in the mid-1960s, was named on 101 of the ballots and received 56 first-place votes. A Tom Fazio creation, the Old North State Club had the most first-place votes with 60 and was cited by 94 panelists. Architect Tim Cates’ Tiger’s Eye was included on 65 ballots and received 33 first-place tallies.

Rounding out the selections were Linville Ridge, Elk River, Mountain Air and Wade Hampton in the mountain region, the Country Club of North Carolina’s Dogwood Course, Pinehurst No. 2, Tobacco Road and Pinehurst No. 8 in the Piedmont/Sandhills, and Bald Head Island, Rivers Edge, River Landing and the Country Club of Landfall’s (Dye) in the coastal region.

“The classic images of these courses offer lifetime remembrances,” offers panelist Bob Liu of Chapel Hill. “They show our state in its best light.” And his fellow townsman, legendary sports announcer Woody Durham, agrees. “When you play these courses, you know immediately why they were selected,” he said. “The difficulty for me was the order of selection.”

Some other panelists’ comments:

• “Tim Cates’ work at Tiger’s Eye is masterful and very appealing to the eye.” — Eddie Hughes, Burlington.
• “Playing golf at Grandfather is like playing golf in a painting.” — Dave Droschak, Apex.
• “Old North State has the best lake views imaginable. A real showplace.” — Steve Johnson, Winston-Salem.
• “Tiger’s Eye is a magnificent use of a beautiful piece of land.” — Reid Spencer, Davidson.
• “Grandfather, Linville Ridge, CCNC and Bald Head … fantastic views and unbelievable beauty.” — Keith Suttle, Wilmington.
• “Ellis Maples used the land beautifully at CCNC and created a masterpiece layout that is a visual treat.” — Harris Prevost, Linville.

Reprinted with permission from North Carolina Magazine