62 B u s i n e s s n o r t h C a r o l i n a

At an elevation of 4,000 feet, this Fazio-designed course opened in 2006. Open only to Mountaintop’s 350 members and their guests, the course marks the highest debut on the N.C. Golf Panel’s Top 100 list since the group began compiling it in 1995.

Mountaintop Golf and lake ClubCaSHieRS

Par 70 | Yardage 7,126 | Course rating/sloPe: 73.9/145

Starting this fall, No. 4 will undergo a redesign aimed at restoring the course’s original character, including the addition of exposed sand, native wire grass and wider fairways. Restoration of courses No. 1 and No. 3 are also planned.

pineHuRSt no. 4

Par 72 | Yardage 7,117 | Course rating/sloPe: 74.2/135

pinehurst

Last year, the Robert Trent Jones II-designed course, which opened in 2003, converted from semiprivate to a members-only model. Nonmembers can still play Rock Barn’s Jackson course.

Par 72 | Yardage 7,126 | Course rating/sloPe: 74.4/141

RoCk baRn CountRy Clubconover

2017 2016 Course (Par / Yardage / Course rating/slope)

1 1 Pinehurst no. 2, Pinehurst 72 / 7,497 / 76.4/141

2 2 grandfather golf and Country Club, linville 72 / 7,085 / 74.3/145

3 — Mountaintop golf and lake Club, Cashiers 70 / 7,126 / 73.9/145

4 3 old north state Club, new london 72 / 7,102 / 74.8/142

5 5 Pine needles lodge and golf Club, southern Pines 71 / 7,015 / 73.5/135

6 7 Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte 72 / 7,396 / 75.0/140

7 4 the Country Club of north Carolina (dogwood), Pinehurst 72 / 7,204 / 75.2/134

8 6 elk river Club, Banner elk 72 / 6,826 / 73.4/141

9 8 Charlotte Country Club, Charlotte 71 / 7,335 / 75.9/146

10 9 Pinehurst no. 8, Pinehurst 72 / 7,092 / 74.1/138

11 10 Wade Hampton golf Club, Cashiers 72 / 7,154 / 74.0/144

12 11 Pinehurst no. 4, Pinehurst 72 / 7,117 / 74.2/135

13 13 sedgefield Country Club (ross), greensboro 71 / 7,117 / 72.9/130

14 12 Cape Fear Country Club, Wilmington 72 / 6,856 / 73.4/135

15 14 Biltmore Forest Country Club, asheville 70 / 6,606 / 71.5/127

16 16 old town Club, Winston-salem 70 / 7,042 / 74.5/140

17 15 eagle Point golf Club, Wilmington 72 / 7,170 / 74.5/137

18 17 the Country Club of north Carolina (Cardinal), Pinehurst 72 / 7,212 / 75.0/141

19 19 Mid Pines inn and golf Club, southern Pines 72 / 6,528 / 71.3/127

20 18 raleigh Country Club, raleigh 71 / 6,816 / 73.7/135

21 21 old Chatham golf Club, durham 72 / 7,210 / 74.0/131

22 20 Forest Creek golf Club (south), Pinehurst 72 / 7,067 / 74.6/143

23 26 rock Barn Country Club (Jones), Conover 72 / 7,126 / 74.4/141

24 22 trump national golf Club, Mooresville 72 / 7,037 / 74.2/140

25 25 river landing (river), Wallace 72 / 7,009 / 73.5/141

26 23 linville golf Club, linville 72 / 6,946 / 73.4/139

27 24 Forest Creek golf Club (north), Pinehurst 72 / 7,139 / 74.7/144

28 27 Prestonwood Country Club (Highlands), Cary 72 / 7,082 / 74.4/138

29 29 Country Club of landfall (dye), Wilmington 72 / 7,026 / 74.3/132

30 34 Pinehurst no. 9, Pinehurst 72 / 7,125 / 75.1/143

31 35 governors Club, Chapel Hill 72 / 7,062 / 75.1/144

32 28 Myers Park Country Club, Charlotte 71 / 7,120 / 74.3/138

33 31 High Point Country Club (Willow Creek), High Point 72 / 6,972 / 73.9/139

Opened in 1974, the George Cobb-designed course underwent a nearly $4 million renovation led by Sunset Beach-based architect Tim Cate in 2010.

bald Head iSland ClubBald head island

Par 72 | Yardage 6,855 | Course rating/sloPe: 73.7/143

Sweeping mountain views highlight Balsam Mountain, one of more than a dozen Tar Heel courses designed by the late Arnold Palmer. The Washington Post last year dubbed Sylva “an Asheville alternative for the crowd-weary.”

balSaM MountainpReSeRvesylva

Par 70 | Yardage 6,859 | Course rating/sloPe: 73.0/145

Opened 60 years ago, plans for this public course were conceived in the 1930s by three former university officials: football coach Wallace Wade, athletic director Eddie Cameron and President William Few. The course was designed by architect Robert Trent Jones Sr.; his son, Rees Jones, helped lead a major redesign in the 1990s.

duke univeRSity Golf Clubdurham

Par 72 | Yardage 7,105 | Course rating/sloPe: 73.9/141

2017 2016 Course (Par / Yardage / Course rating/slope)

34 30 treyburn Country Club, durham 72 / 7,070 / 74.5/140

35 37 Macgregor downs Country Club, Cary 72 / 6,812 / 72.9/134

36 42 the Hasentree Club, Wake Forest 71 / 7,074 / 73.9/139

37 36 Country Club of landfall (nicklaus), Wilmington 72 / 7,100 / 75.1/144

38 46 Bright’s Creek golf Club, Mill spring 72 / 7,392 / 76.1/143

39 32 Forsyth Country Club, Winston-salem 71 / 6,784 / 72.8/136

40 33 greensboro Country Club (Farm), greensboro 72 / 7,302 / 75.1/140

41 38 Finley golf Course, Chapel Hill 72 / 7,119 / 75.2/141

42 40 the Club at irish Creek, Kannapolis 72 / 7,099 / 74.3/137

43 41 duke university golf Club, durham 72 / 7,105 / 73.9/141

44 39 dormie Club, West end 72 / 6,988 / 74.0/140

45 44 Bald Head island Club, Bald Head island 72 / 6,855 / 73.7/143

46 45 river landing (landing), Wallace 72 / 7,112 / 74.0/132

47 43 Pinewild Country Club (Magnolia), Pinehurst 72 / 7,446 / 76.4/139

48 53 leopard’s Chase, sunset Beach 72 / 7,055 / 74.3/140

49 48 Hope Valley Country Club, durham 70 / 6,671 / 73.1/133

50 49 scotch Hall Preserve, Merry Hill 72 / 7,257 / 76.3/139

51 56 tiger’s eye, sunset Beach 72 / 6,849 / 73.3/141

52 61 sedgefield Country Club (dye), greensboro 70 / 6,821 / 74.2/139

53 47 Balsam Mountain Preserve, sylva 70 / 6,859 / 73.0/145

54 51 river run Country Club, davidson 72 / 6,947 / 74.2/138

55 54 alamance Country Club, Burlington 71 / 6,900 / 72.8/128

56 50 Carmel Country Club (south), Charlotte 72 / 7,503 / 76.5/142

57 52 gaston Country Club, gastonia 72 / 7,042 / 74.2/135

58 55 Prestonwood Country Club (Meadows), Cary 72 / 7,108 / 74.6/138

59 57 Mid south Club, southern Pines 71 / 7,003 / 73.8/144

60 60 Pinehurst no. 7, Pinehurst 72 / 7,216 / 75.5/149

61 59 grandover (east), greensboro 72 / 6,800 / 72.5/136

62 62 Country Club of asheville, asheville 71 / 6,672 / 72.3/134

63 63 Bryan Park golf and Conference Center (Champions), Browns summit 72 / 7,255 / 75.4/140

64 58 st. James Plantation (reserve), southport 72 / 7,212 / 75.4/146

65 65 lonnie Poole golf Course, raleigh 71 / 7,358 / 74.7/142

66 64 the Currituck Club, duck 72 / 6,888 / 73.9/136

64 B u s i n e s s n o r t h C a r o l i n a

Designed by Ellis Maples, Cedarwood was built in 1964 as a public course. It was taken private in the 1980s, and a $1.8 million course restoration, which included expanded greens and tee box improvements, was launched in 2005.

CedaRwood CountRy Club

Par 71 | Yardage 6.940 | Course rating/sloPe: 73.4/132

charlotte

Built in 1930, Starmount Forest is the only course in the Carolinas designed by architects Stiles and Van Kleek. The club recently completed a $4 million renovation that includes the addition of a new short-game practice facility and upgrades to its pool and dining areas.

StaRMount foReSt CountRy ClubgreensBoro

Par 71 | Yardage 6,518 | Course rating/sloPe: 72.0/136

This public, daily-fee course with 27 holes has more of a private-club feel after extensive renovations were completed in recent years. Opened in 1999, Thistle was inspired by a traditional Scottish club built in the 1880s.

Par 71 | Yardage 6,898 | Course rating/sloPe: 74.1/135

sunset Beach

tHiStle Golf Club

2017 2016 Course (Par / Yardage / Course rating/slope)

67 — thistle golf Club, sunset Beach 71 / 6,898 / 74.1/135

68 77 lake toxaway Country Club, lake toxaway 71 / 6,500 / 70.9/134

69 69 Pinewood Country Club, asheboro 72 / 6,830 / 73.5/134

70 66 Porters neck Country Club, Wilmington 72 / 7,112 / 74.8/138

71 68 linville ridge, linville 72 / 6,775 / 72.8/136

72 70 grandover (West), greensboro 72 / 7,100 / 74.3/140

73 71 tournament Players Club at Wakefield Plantation, raleigh 72 / 7,257 / 75.2/137

74 72 Cape Fear national golf Club, leland 72 / 7,217 / 74.5/143

75 75 Croasdaile Country Club, durham 72 / 7,068 / 73.4/140

76 86 Cedarwood Country Club, Charlotte 71 / 6,940 / 73.4/132

77 73 Country Club of salisbury, salisbury 71 / 6,665 / 72.0/128

78 67 the Club at longview, Weddington 72 / 7,068 / 74.5/140

79 74 Hound ears Club, Blowing rock 72 / 6,327 / 69.9/129

80 85 Wilson Country Club, Wilson 72 / 6,851 / 73.1/136

81 78 Kilmarlic golf Club, Powells Point 72 / 6,560 / 72.2/144

82 79 Brier Creek Country Club, raleigh 72 / 6,885 / 73.6/139

83 80 rocky river golf Club, Concord 72 / 6,970 / 73.5/137

84 84 Ballantyne Country Club, Charlotte 72 / 7,034 / 74.1/136

85 99 starmount Forest Country Club, greensboro 71 / 6,518 / 72.0/136

86 — north ridge Country Club (lakes), raleigh 72 / 6,880 / 73.8/136

87 76 the Cliffs at Walnut Cove, arden 72 / 7,278 / 74.7/138

88 88 Crow Creek golf Club, Calabash 72 / 7,101 / 73.9/130

89 87 the golf Club at Ballantyne Hotel & lodge, Charlotte 71 / 6,710 / 71.5/133

90 81 tanglewood Park (Championship), Clemmons 70 / 7,018 / 75.4/142

91 89 Mill Creek golf Club, Mebane 72 / 7,004 / 73.5/144

92 83 Carolina golf Club, Charlotte 71 / 7,011 / 73.2/138

93 — Carolina trace Country Club (lake), sanford 72 / 7,263 / 76.0/143

94 90 Blowing rock Country Club, Blowing rock 72 / 6,162 / 69.9/130

95 — southern Pines golf Club, southern Pines 71 / 6,268 / 70.3/130

96 92 Heritage Club, Wake Forest 72 / 7,016 / 73.1/133

97 82 tobacco road golf Club, sanford 71 / 6,554 / 73.2/150

98 91 Prestonwood Country Club (Fairways), Cary 70 / 6,475 / 71.2/134

99 — stoney Creek golf Club, Whitsett 71 / 7,016 / 73.8/139

100 94 talamore resort, southern Pines 71 / 6,840 / 73.2/140