Wade Hampton, a private mountain club in Cashiers, is No. 1 on Golf Digest’s 2025-26 North Carolina list, with Pinehurst No. 2 second. Of the best golf courses in North Carolina you can actually book, start with Pinehurst No. 2 (with a resort stay), Tobacco Road, Mid Pines and Pinehurst No. 10.
North Carolina has two golf personalities. The first is Pinehurst and the Sandhills, the sandy, pine-covered country an hour south of Raleigh where Donald Ross lived and worked for more than four decades, and where you can play more great public golf within 20 minutes than almost anywhere in America. The second is everywhere else: private mountain clubs in the Blue Ridge, Tour venues in Charlotte and Winston-Salem, university courses in the Triangle and resort golf on the coast. The Sandhills is where a visiting golfer should spend most of their money. The rest of the state rewards a bit of local knowledge.
How we built this. The state rankings come from Golf Digest’s Best Golf Courses in North Carolina for 2025-26, as published by Golf Digest and reported by the Village of Pinehurst’s tourism office and Triad Golf magazine, and from the national lists we compare in our guide to every major national ranking. Green fees come from each course’s own site where they’re published and are dated September 2026; where the only figure is from a third party, we say “reported”. Pinehurst sells most of its golf with resort stays rather than a public rate card, so for Pinehurst we explain the access rules and give the published premiums. We haven’t played every course here. Where a note leans on the rankings, published data and the architecture rather than our own scorecards, we say so.
At a glance
- Best golf course in North Carolina: Wade Hampton Golf Club, Cashiers, private, No. 1 on Golf Digest’s 2025-26 state list and No. 27 in America
- Best course you can play: Pinehurst No. 2, No. 2 in the state, for resort guests with a two-night minimum stay; caddie $85
- Best course anyone can book without a stay: Tobacco Road, Mike Strantz’s wild design near Sanford, with dynamic pricing and a cart or push cart included
- Best value in the Sandhills: Southern Pines Golf Club, a Donald Ross course, from $105 in the off-season to $245 in peak, with a cart
- Cheapest good round: Charlotte’s city courses, from $17 for nine holes (reported), and Wilmington Municipal, a Donald Ross course, $35 walking for locals and $45 for visitors
- Best new course: Pinehurst No. 10, Tom Doak’s 2024 design, walking only
- Best months: April to May and September to November in the Sandhills; June to October in the mountains
The best golf courses in North Carolina at a glance
The table lists Golf Digest’s top 10 first, then the best public and resort courses by region. “Access” is what a golfer without a membership can expect: private means members and their guests only; resort guests means you need a room; public means anyone can book; “muni” marks a city-owned course.
| Course | Region | Access | Architect (year) | Green fee (Sept 2026) | Ranking or note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wade Hampton | Mountains | Private | Tom Fazio (1987) | Members’ guests only | Golf Digest NC No. 1; U.S. No. 27 |
| Pinehurst No. 2 | Sandhills | Resort guests | Donald Ross (1907); Coore and Crenshaw restoration (2011) | $250 premium on a package | NC No. 2; U.S. No. 32 |
| Old Town Club | Winston-Salem | Private | Perry Maxwell (1939) | Members’ guests only | NC No. 3; U.S. No. 39 |
| Diamond Creek | Mountains | Private | Tom Fazio (2003) | Members’ guests only | NC No. 4; U.S. No. 95 |
| Mountaintop | Mountains | Private | Tom Fazio (2006) | Members’ guests only | NC No. 5 |
| Eagle Point | Wilmington | Private | Tom Fazio (2000) | Members’ guests only | NC No. 6 |
| Quail Hollow | Charlotte | Private | George Cobb (1961) | Members’ guests only | NC No. 7; 2025 PGA Championship |
| Pinehurst No. 10 | Sandhills | Resort guests | Tom Doak (2024) | $125 premium; extra round about $450 (reported) | NC No. 8 |
| Pinehurst No. 4 | Sandhills | Resort guests | Gil Hanse redesign (2018) | Extra round about $395 (reported) | NC No. 9 |
| Grandfather | Mountains | Private | Ellis Maples (1968) | Members’ guests only | NC No. 10 |
| Tobacco Road | Sandhills | Public | Mike Strantz (1998) | Dynamic, not published | GOLF you-can-play No. 27 |
| Mid Pines | Sandhills | Public | Donald Ross (1921) | $115-$285 with cart | GOLF you-can-play No. 34 |
| Southern Pines | Sandhills | Public | Donald Ross (1923) | $105-$245 with cart | GOLF you-can-play No. 38 |
| Pine Needles | Sandhills | Public | Donald Ross (1928) | Packages; rate not published | Four U.S. Women’s Opens |
| Tot Hill Farm | Asheboro | Public | Mike Strantz (2000) | About $75-$170 (reported) | GOLF you-can-play No. 48 |
| Tanglewood (Championship) | Clemmons | Public (county park) | Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1958) | About $68 (reported) | 1974 PGA Championship |
| Duke University Golf Club | Durham | Public | Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1957) | About $105 weekdays (reported) | Triangle’s best |
| Omni Grove Park Inn | Asheville | Resort/public | Donald Ross redesign | About $112-$190 (reported) | Historic mountain resort |
| Sequoyah National | Whittier | Public | Robert Trent Jones Jr. | $59-$240 dynamic | Eastern Band of Cherokee |
| The Currituck Club | Corolla | Semi-private | Rees Jones (1996) | About $65-$189 (reported) | Outer Banks |
| Wilmington Municipal | Wilmington | Public (city) | Donald Ross (1926) | $35 locals / $45 visitors, walking | GOLF muni No. 21 |
Rankings: Golf Digest Best Golf Courses in North Carolina and America’s 100 Greatest (2025-26); GOLF Top 100 Courses You Can Play (2024-25). Fees checked September 2026 from each course’s rate page except where marked “reported”.
Three things stand out. First, six of Golf Digest’s top 10 are private, and four of them are Tom Fazio mountain or coastal clubs; Fazio has his office in the state and has shaped its private golf more than anyone. Second, the three public courses in the top 10 are all at Pinehurst Resort, and all need a stay. Third, the Sandhills has the best concentration of great public golf in the eastern United States: Tobacco Road, Mid Pines, Southern Pines, Pine Needles and Tot Hill Farm are all on GOLF’s list of the top 50 courses you can play in America, and none needs a hotel room.
What is the best golf course in North Carolina?
Wade Hampton Golf Club in Cashiers, a private Tom Fazio design in the mountains, is No. 1 on Golf Digest’s 2025-26 North Carolina ranking, ahead of Pinehurst No. 2 and Old Town Club in Winston-Salem. The best course you can play is Pinehurst No. 2, for resort guests.
The top of the North Carolina list mixes private mountain clubs with the most famous resort course in the South. We don’t list green fees or course ratings for the private clubs below: none sells tee times or publishes rates, so the notes lean on the rankings, the clubs’ histories and their architecture.
Wade Hampton Golf Club
Cashiers · private · Tom Fazio (1987) · Golf Digest North Carolina No. 1; America’s 100 Greatest No. 27 · members and their guests only
Wade Hampton sits at about 3,500 feet in the Blue Ridge, in a valley under Chimney Top Mountain, and Fazio routed it along streams and through hardwoods and rhododendron. It’s the classic North Carolina mountain club: cool in summer, spectacular in October, and open for a short season. It was Golf Digest’s best new private course when it opened, and it’s been near the top of the state list ever since. There’s no public access.
Old Town Club
Winston-Salem · private · Perry Maxwell (1939); Coore and Crenshaw restoration · Golf Digest North Carolina No. 3; America’s 100 Greatest No. 39 · members and their guests only
Old Town is the best old course in the state after Pinehurst No. 2, a Perry Maxwell design built on land from the R.J. Reynolds family estate. Maxwell, the architect of Prairie Dunes and Southern Hills, gave it bold, rolling greens, and Coore and Crenshaw’s restoration brought them back to life. It’s private.
Quail Hollow Club
Charlotte · private · George Cobb (1961); later redesigns · Golf Digest North Carolina No. 7 · host of the 2017 and 2025 PGA Championships and the PGA Tour’s annual Charlotte event · members and their guests only
Quail Hollow is the Tour venue golf fans know from television, a long, tree-lined course in south Charlotte with a closing stretch, the “Green Mile”, that has decided two PGA Championships. There’s no public access.
The rest of Golf Digest’s top 10 is private too: Diamond Creek in Banner Elk (Fazio, 2003, with a green below a quarry waterfall), Mountaintop in Cashiers (Fazio, 2006), Eagle Point in Wilmington (Fazio, 2000) and Grandfather Golf and Country Club in Linville (Ellis Maples, 1968). Linville Golf Club, a 1924 Donald Ross mountain course, is private too, though guests of the nearby Eseeola Lodge have long had playing privileges; check with the lodge. The Dormie Club in West End, a Coore and Crenshaw course from 2010, became fully private in 2020.
Which of North Carolina’s top-ranked courses can you play?
Three of the top 10 on Golf Digest’s 2025-26 state list can be played by resort guests: Pinehurst No. 2 at No. 2, No. 10 at No. 8 and No. 4 at No. 9. Anyone can book Tobacco Road, Mid Pines, Southern Pines, Pine Needles and Tot Hill Farm, all on GOLF’s list of the top 50 courses you can play.
That makes the Sandhills the obvious place to start. The rest of this guide goes region by region. Every course with its own heading gets a data line: location, who can play, architect and year, par and yardage, course rating and slope from a named tee where one is published, the green fee with the date we checked it, and walking and booking details. Course rating is what a scratch golfer is expected to shoot; slope measures how much harder the course plays for a bogey golfer, on a scale where 113 is average. The USGA explains both.
Pinehurst and the Sandhills
The Sandhills is a strip of sandy, rolling pine country around the villages of Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen. The sand drains fast, so the courses play firm, and the longleaf pines and wiregrass give the region its look. It’s the heart of North Carolina golf, and it has its own guide to Pinehurst golf courses.
Pinehurst No. 2
Pinehurst · resort guests and members only, with a two-night minimum stay · Donald Ross (1907, revised over four decades); Coore and Crenshaw restoration (2011) · Par 72, 6,961 yards (Blue); U.S. Open setup par 70, 7,588 yards · Rating and slope not published · No stand-alone green fee; a $250 premium on a stay-and-play package · caddie $85; forecaddie $45 (Pinehurst FAQ, September 2026)
Pinehurst No. 2 is Donald Ross’s masterpiece and the most important golf course in the South after Augusta National. Its crowned, “turtleback” greens fall away on every side, so an approach that’s a few feet off the target rolls down into short grass, and the recovery shot, a putt, chip or bump from a tight lie, is where the course is won or lost. Coore and Crenshaw’s 2011 restoration removed the rough and brought back the sandy native areas and wiregrass Ross would have known. After the men’s and women’s U.S. Opens in 2014, the greens were converted to Champion ultradwarf bermudagrass, and the 2024 U.S. Open was played on them. The USGA has made Pinehurst an “anchor site”, so more Opens are coming.
Getting on: you need a stay at one of the resort’s hotels with a two-night minimum, or a membership. The No. 2 premium is added to a package. Our Pinehurst No. 2 green fee guide sets out the package maths.
Which tees: the greens decide your score, not the length. A 10-handicap should play the Blue tees at about 6,961 yards or one set forward; an 18 should play around 6,000; a 25 the forward tees. Take a caddie: reading the greens and the recovery options is most of the value.
Verdict: worth building a golf stay around for anyone who cares about architecture. It’s not a round for someone who wants to keep score happily; it’s a round for someone who wants to understand why golfers love Donald Ross.
Pinehurst No. 10 and No. 4
Pinehurst · resort guests and members, two-night minimum · No. 10: Tom Doak (2024), walking only; No. 4: Gil Hanse redesign (2018) · Ratings not published · No. 10 premium $125 on a package; extra rounds reported at about $450 (No. 10) and $395 (No. 4) · caddie $85, forecaddie $45
Pinehurst No. 10, the newest course at the resort, was built by Tom Doak on an old sand mine a few miles from the village, and it’s big, bold, walking-only golf across open sandy ground, with huge greens and native areas. It’s already No. 8 in the state. Pinehurst No. 4 was rebuilt by Gil Hanse in 2018 in the same sandy, native style as No. 2, and it’s more playable for most golfers, No. 9 on Golf Digest’s state list.
Verdict: No. 10 is reason enough to book a second night at Pinehurst, and No. 4 is the best second round for a mid-handicapper. The resort’s other courses, including No. 7 (Rees Jones, 1986) and No. 8 (Tom Fazio, 1996), are mainly sold with packages too; extra rounds were reported at about $275 in 2024.
The Cradle, Pinehurst’s nine-hole short course by Gil Hanse, is the best $50 to $65 (reported) you’ll spend at Pinehurst, and children 17 and under play free. We have a separate guide to The Cradle at Pinehurst.
Tobacco Road Golf Club
Sanford · public · Mike Strantz (1998) · Rating and slope not published · Green fee: dynamic pricing, not published; cart or push cart included (September 2026) · walking allowed
Tobacco Road is the most dramatic course in North Carolina, and possibly the most polarising. Mike Strantz built it in old sand quarries north of the Sandhills, and it’s full of blind shots, huge sandy waste areas, crazy greens and holes that look like nothing else in golf. GOLF ranks it No. 27 among the courses you can play in America.
Which tees: the carries over sand are the issue. A 10-handicap should be at around 6,000 yards; an 18 around 5,500; a 25 the forward tees. Accept that you won’t see where some shots finish.
Verdict: a must for anyone who loves architecture or adventure. If you like fair, predictable golf, play Mid Pines instead.
Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club
Southern Pines · public; outside golfers book 30 days ahead · Donald Ross (1921); Kyle Franz restoration · Rating and slope not published · Green fee in peak season $265 Monday to Wednesday and $285 Thursday to Sunday; off-season $115 and $125; cart included (2026, official) · walkable
Mid Pines is the purest Donald Ross experience you can book without a Pinehurst stay, a gentle, rolling course among the pines with sandy native areas restored by Kyle Franz. It’s not long or brutal; it’s charming, strategic and a joy to walk, and GOLF ranks it No. 34 among courses you can play in America.
Which tees: play one set longer than usual if you hit it straight; the course rewards thought more than length.
Verdict: the best all-round round in the Sandhills for most golfers, and at $115 in the off-season, a steal. At $285 in peak season it’s more than Southern Pines for a similar experience.
Southern Pines Golf Club
Southern Pines · public; outside golfers book 30 days ahead · Donald Ross (1923); Kyle Franz restoration · Rating and slope not published · Green fee in peak season $225 Monday to Wednesday and $245 Thursday to Sunday; off-season $105 and $115; cart included (2026, official) · walkable
Southern Pines, Mid Pines’ sister course under the same ownership, is hillier and a little rougher around the edges, with more elevation change and bolder green sites. It’s No. 38 on GOLF’s list and many locals’ favourite of the two.
Verdict: the best value among the Ross courses in the Sandhills. Play it and Mid Pines on consecutive days.
Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club
Southern Pines · public; book 30 days ahead · Donald Ross (1928) · Rating and slope not published · Green fee not published on the official site, which shows packages · walking option; no caddies
Pine Needles has hosted the U.S. Women’s Open four times, in 1996, 2001, 2007 and 2022, and it was owned for decades by Peggy Kirk Bell, one of the pioneers of women’s golf. It’s a classic Ross course with rolling fairways and domed greens, No. 39 on GOLF’s list.
Verdict: the most welcoming of the Sandhills’ historic courses, and a good choice for a group with mixed abilities. Ask for a rate when you book, since the course publishes packages rather than a green fee.
Near the Sandhills, Tot Hill Farm in Asheboro, Mike Strantz’s other North Carolina course, is a wild, rocky ride through hardwood hills, reported at about $75 to $170 and No. 48 on GOLF’s list. Talamore in Southern Pines, a Rees Jones design, is reported at about $170, and Legacy Golf Links in Aberdeen, by Jack Nicklaus II, at about $75 to $100.
Charlotte, the Triad and the Triangle
North Carolina’s cities have excellent Tour and university golf, most of it private, plus good-value daily-fee and city courses. Our guides to the best public golf courses in Charlotte and the best public golf courses in Raleigh cover the metro areas in detail.
Tanglewood Park (Championship Course)
Clemmons (near Winston-Salem) · public (Forsyth County park) · Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1958) · Par 70, 7,101 yards · Rating and slope not published · Green fee reported at about $68, plus a $2 park entry fee (September 2026)
Tanglewood’s Championship Course hosted the 1974 PGA Championship, won by Lee Trevino, and later the senior tour. It’s a long, tree-lined par 70 with Trent Jones’s signature big bunkers and elevated greens, in a county park west of Winston-Salem.
Verdict: a major-championship course for under $70. Hard to beat for value in the Triad.
Duke University Golf Club
Durham · public, at the Washington Duke Inn · Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1957) · Rating and slope not published · Green fee reported at about $105 on weekdays and $100 to $120 at weekends (May 2026)
Duke’s course, next to the campus and the Washington Duke Inn, has significant elevation changes and forced carries over narrow, winding creeks, and it’s the best public course in the Triangle.
Verdict: the round to book if you’re in Durham or Raleigh with one day for golf.
The Triangle’s other university courses are good too: UNC Finley in Chapel Hill, a Tom Fazio course, is reported at about $102 to $136, and Lonnie Poole at NC State in Raleigh, an Arnold Palmer Design course, at about $75 to $130. In Raleigh, Wildwood Green charges $47 Monday to Thursday, $55 on Fridays and $66 at weekends (rates effective January 1, 2026).
Rocky River Golf Club
Concord (north of Charlotte) · public; book 7 days ahead · Rating and slope not published · Green fee $66 Monday to Thursday, $76 on Fridays and $86 at weekends; walking $46 to $66; Concord residents get a discount (2026, official)
Rocky River, owned by the City of Concord, is one of the best-value daily-fee courses in the Charlotte area, with water in play on many holes along the river.
Verdict: a very good choice for a Charlotte visitor who can’t get on a private club, especially walking at $46.
Charlotte’s own city courses are the cheapest golf in the state’s biggest city: Dr. Charles L. Sifford Golf Course at Revolution Park, a nine-hole course renamed for the pioneering Black golfer from Charlotte, is reported at $17 to $29, and Charles T. Myers, par 72 and 6,586 yards, at $21 to $28.
The North Carolina mountains
The mountains are summer golf country: from June to October, the courses at 3,000 to 4,000 feet are 15 to 20 degrees cooler than Charlotte or Raleigh, and the scenery is spectacular. Most of the best mountain courses are private, but a few resorts and public courses are excellent. Our guide to the best golf courses in the North Carolina mountains covers the region, and the Blue Ridge clubs, in more depth.
Omni Grove Park Inn
Asheville · resort guests and public · Donald Ross redesign · Par 70, about 6,600 yards · Rating and slope not published · Green fee reported at about $112 to $190 (July 2026)
The Grove Park Inn’s course is one of the oldest in the mountains, a Donald Ross redesign below the landmark stone hotel on the edge of Asheville, with views across the city to the Blue Ridge. It’s short and hilly, and the setting is the reason to go.
Verdict: a pleasant, historic round if you’re staying in Asheville. Don’t drive across the state for it. Note that Asheville’s city course, another Ross design, has had only its back nine open since Hurricane Helene damaged the front nine in 2024.
Sequoyah National Golf Club
Whittier (near Cherokee) · public (owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) · Robert Trent Jones Jr. · Par 72, about 6,600 yards · Rating and slope not published · Green fee $59 to $240, dynamic (2026)
Sequoyah National is the best public mountain course in western North Carolina, a dramatic layout in the Great Smoky Mountains foothills with big elevation changes and long views.
Which tees: the mountain air adds a little distance, but the slopes and forced carries take it back. A 10-handicap should be around 6,000 yards; an 18 around 5,500.
Verdict: the best public mountain round in the state, and great value at the lower end of its dynamic range.
The North Carolina coast
The coast runs from the Outer Banks in the north to Wilmington and the South Carolina border, and its golf is mostly resort and semi-private, with a few great-value public courses. Our guide to the best golf courses on the North Carolina coast covers every stretch of it.
Wilmington Municipal Golf Course
Wilmington · public (City of Wilmington); book one week ahead · Donald Ross (1926) · Par 71, 6,784 yards · Rating and slope not published · Green fee on weekdays: three-county residents $35 walking and $50 riding; visitors $45 and $60; weekends $3 more (2026, official)
Wilmington’s city course is a restored Donald Ross design, No. 21 on GOLF’s list of the best municipal courses in America, with enlarged greens and rebuilt bunkers.
Verdict: a Ross course for $45 walking, and the best-value round on the coast. See our guide to the best municipal golf courses in America.
The Currituck Club
Corolla, Outer Banks · semi-private; public tee times with member and renter discounts · Rees Jones (1996) · Par 72, 6,885 yards · Rating and slope not published · Green fee reported at about $65 to $189, typically about $110 (August 2026)
The Currituck Club runs through the dunes and maritime forest between the Atlantic and Currituck Sound, and it’s the best course on the Outer Banks, with wind and water on almost every hole.
Verdict: the one to book on the Outer Banks. Play early, before the afternoon wind.
Also on the coast: Nags Head Golf Links, a links-style course on Roanoke Sound, is reported at about $144 to $150, and Kilmarlic, near the Wright Memorial Bridge, at about $86 to $155. Near the South Carolina border, Tiger’s Eye at Ocean Ridge Plantation is the best of the Sunset Beach courses, with dynamic pricing. And Bald Head Island Club, a George Cobb course on a car-free island reached by ferry, sells guest passes for $100 (another $100 if you book less than seven days out), with members-only Saturdays from May 23 to September 6, 2026.
Where are the best-value and municipal courses?
North Carolina’s best-value rounds are the Sandhills’ Ross courses out of peak season (Southern Pines from $105, Mid Pines from $115, with a cart), Wilmington Municipal ($45 walking for visitors), Tanglewood (about $68, reported) and Charlotte’s city courses, from $17 for nine holes (reported).
| Course | Region | Green fee (Sept 2026) | Why it’s good value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte city courses (Sifford at Revolution Park, Charles T. Myers) | Charlotte | $17-$29 (reported) | Cheapest golf in the state’s biggest city |
| Wilmington Municipal | Coast | $35 locals / $45 visitors walking | A restored Donald Ross course |
| Wildwood Green | Raleigh | $47-$66 | Solid daily-fee round in the Triangle |
| Rocky River | Charlotte area | $46-$86 | City-owned; walking rates |
| Tanglewood (Championship) | Triad | About $68 (reported) | 1974 PGA Championship venue |
| Southern Pines | Sandhills | $105-$245 with cart | Ross course; off-season from $105 |
| Mid Pines | Sandhills | $115-$285 with cart | Ross course; off-season from $115 |
| The Cradle | Sandhills | $50-$65 (reported) | Nine holes at Pinehurst; kids free |
Fees from each course’s official rate page, September 2026, except where marked “reported”.
For the long list of public courses across the state, including the dozens of daily-fee courses outside the rankings, see our guide to the best public golf courses in North Carolina.
Which North Carolina courses are best for beginners?
The Cradle at Pinehurst is the best place to start: nine short par 3s, walking only, at a reported $50 to $65, with children free. Southern Pines, Mid Pines and Pine Needles are friendly, walkable Ross courses from the forward tees; avoid Tobacco Road, Tot Hill Farm and Pinehurst No. 2 at first.
For a first round, the Cradle and Charlotte’s nine-hole Revolution Park course are ideal: short, relaxed and cheap.
For a high handicapper’s first big round, Pine Needles and Mid Pines are gentle, walkable and fair. Southern Pines is hillier but equally welcoming.
For a 25-handicap at Pinehurst, No. 4 is more forgiving than No. 2, and the Cradle is the most fun you’ll have at the resort.
Avoid at first: Tobacco Road and Tot Hill Farm, where blind shots and forced carries punish inexperience, and Pinehurst No. 2, where the crowned greens can make a beginner’s day very long.
When is the best time to play golf in North Carolina?
In the Sandhills and on the coast, spring (April and May) and autumn (September to November) are best, with mild temperatures and peak conditions; that’s also when Mid Pines charges up to $285. In the mountains, play from June to October. Summer in the Sandhills is hot and humid, but cheaper.
| Region | Best months | Off-season | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandhills (Pinehurst) | April to May, September to November | December to February; July and August | Peak rates in spring and autumn; bermuda greens at No. 2 dormant in winter |
| Mountains | June to October | November to April | Many courses close or restrict play in winter; October colour is the highlight |
| Coast and Outer Banks | April to May, September to October | December to February | Summer is busy and humid; wind in spring |
| Charlotte, Triad, Triangle | April to May, September to October | Midsummer; winter cold snaps | Year-round golf with dormant bermuda in winter |
General seasons; individual courses vary.
Two practical tips. In the Sandhills, the off-season rates at Mid Pines ($115 to $125) and Southern Pines ($105 to $115) are less than half of peak, and winter days are often mild enough for good golf. In the mountains, book October early; the autumn colour draws crowds and the season ends soon after. For how warm-season grass affects winter play, see our guide to golf course grass.
How much does it cost to play the best courses in North Carolina?
The top public courses cost from about $105 (Southern Pines off-season) to $285 (Mid Pines in peak). Pinehurst No. 2 is sold with a stay, with a $250 premium, plus an $85 caddie. City courses cost $17 to $45.
| Price band | Courses (September 2026) |
|---|---|
| Resort stay required | Pinehurst No. 2 ($250 premium), No. 10 ($125 premium; extra round about $450, reported), No. 4 (extra round about $395, reported) |
| $150-$300 | Mid Pines ($265-$285 peak); Southern Pines ($225-$245 peak); Sequoyah National (up to $240); Omni Grove Park Inn (up to about $190, reported); Currituck Club (up to about $189, reported); Talamore (about $170, reported); Tot Hill Farm (up to about $170, reported) |
| $75-$150 | Nags Head Golf Links (about $144-$150, reported); Duke (about $105, reported); UNC Finley (about $102-$136, reported); Lonnie Poole (about $75-$130, reported); Mid Pines and Southern Pines off-season ($105-$125); Rocky River weekends ($86) |
| Under $75 | Tanglewood (about $68, reported); Wildwood Green ($47-$66); Wilmington Municipal ($35-$60); the Cradle (about $50-$65, reported); Charlotte city courses ($17-$29, reported) |
North Carolina is mid-priced by national standards. GOLF’s analysis of Supreme Golf booking data put the average round booked in the state at about $64, the same as Florida and below Arizona and California. Our guide to how much a round of golf costs explains the national picture.
How do you book a tee time at North Carolina’s best courses?
Book directly with each course. Mid Pines, Southern Pines and Pine Needles take outside bookings 30 days ahead; Pinehurst No. 2, No. 4 and No. 10 need a resort package with a two-night minimum; Rocky River and Wilmington Municipal open 7 days ahead.
- Decide whether you want Pinehurst. If No. 2 or No. 10 is the goal, book the resort package first and build around it.
- Book the Sandhills public courses 30 days out. Mid Pines, Southern Pines and Pine Needles all open to outside golfers 30 days ahead, and spring and autumn weekends fill quickly.
- Check the season. Peak rates at Mid Pines and Southern Pines are more than double the off-season.
- Budget for caddies at Pinehurst. $85 for a caddie or $45 for a forecaddie, plus a tip.
- Use city and county courses for extra rounds. Wilmington Municipal, Tanglewood and Charlotte’s courses cost a fraction of the Sandhills.
- In the mountains, book early for October. The best weeks sell out.
- Check local residency discounts. Wilmington, Concord and Charlotte all offer lower rates to local residents.
Our full guide to how to book a tee time explains booking windows at more than 50 courses.
How to choose which North Carolina course to play
- For the best golf in the state: Pinehurst No. 2, with a stay and a caddie.
- For the best round without a hotel booking: Mid Pines, or Tobacco Road if you want adventure.
- For value: Southern Pines in the off-season, Wilmington Municipal and Tanglewood.
- For Donald Ross: Pinehurst No. 2, Mid Pines, Southern Pines, Pine Needles and Wilmington Municipal; our guide to Donald Ross golf courses covers his work nationally.
- For summer golf without the heat: Sequoyah National in the mountains.
- For a beginner or a family: the Cradle at Pinehurst.
- For the coast: the Currituck Club on the Outer Banks.
For the neighbouring state’s courses, including Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course and Myrtle Beach, see our guide to South Carolina’s best courses, and for how North Carolina compares with every other state, see the best golf courses by state.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best golf course in North Carolina?
Wade Hampton Golf Club in Cashiers, a private Tom Fazio design, is No. 1 on Golf Digest’s 2025-26 North Carolina ranking, followed by Pinehurst No. 2 and Old Town Club in Winston-Salem. The best course you can play is Pinehurst No. 2, for resort guests.
Can the public play Pinehurst No. 2?
Only with a resort stay. Pinehurst No. 2 is open to members and to guests of Pinehurst Resort’s hotels, with a two-night minimum. The No. 2 premium is $250 on a stay-and-play package, and a caddie is $85, or a forecaddie $45.
What is the best public golf course in North Carolina?
Pinehurst No. 2 is the best course the public can play, with a resort stay. Without a stay, Tobacco Road, Mid Pines, Southern Pines, Pine Needles and Tot Hill Farm are the best, all on GOLF’s 2024-25 list of the top 50 courses you can play in America.
How much does it cost to play golf in Pinehurst?
Pinehurst Resort’s courses are sold mainly with stays: No. 2 carries a $250 premium on a package, and No. 10 a $125 premium. Nearby, Mid Pines costs $115 to $285 and Southern Pines $105 to $245, with a cart, depending on the season. The Cradle short course is reported at $50 to $65.
What is the best time of year to golf in Pinehurst?
April to May and September to November, when temperatures are mild and conditions are at their best; that’s also peak season for prices. Summer is hot and humid, and winter is cooler but often very playable, with off-season rates less than half of peak at Mid Pines and Southern Pines.
What are the best golf courses in the North Carolina mountains?
The top mountain courses are private: Wade Hampton, Diamond Creek, Mountaintop and Grandfather are all in Golf Digest’s state top 10. The best public mountain courses are Sequoyah National near Cherokee ($59 to $240) and the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville (reported at $112 to $190).
Is Tobacco Road worth playing?
Yes, for golfers who enjoy adventure and unusual architecture. Mike Strantz’s 1998 design near Sanford is No. 27 on GOLF’s list of courses you can play in America, full of blind shots and sandy waste areas. Golfers who prefer conventional, predictable golf may prefer Mid Pines.
What is the cheapest good golf course in North Carolina?
Wilmington Municipal, a restored Donald Ross course, costs $35 walking on weekdays for local residents and $45 for visitors. Tanglewood’s Championship Course, a 1974 PGA Championship venue, is reported at about $68, and Charlotte’s city courses from $17 for nine holes.
Our verdict
The best golf courses in North Carolina are split between private mountain clubs and one of the great public golf regions in the world. The mountain clubs are wonderful if you’re invited. The Sandhills is wonderful whether you are or not.
If you can play only one course, make it Pinehurst No. 2, with a stay and a caddie. If you don’t want a resort package, play Mid Pines and Southern Pines on consecutive days, and add Tobacco Road if you want to be amazed. If you want value, go in the off-season, when those Ross courses cost less than half of peak. And if you’re anywhere near Wilmington, walk the city’s Ross course for $45; it’s one of the best-value rounds in the South.
Sources
- The best golf courses in North Carolina, Golf Digest
- America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses, 2025-26, Golf Digest
- 2025 N.C. Golf Panel Rankings, Visit Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen
- Six Triad courses make Golf Digest Best in State list, Triad Golf Magazine
- Top 100 public golf courses: state breakdown, GOLF
- Pinehurst greens fees for every course, GOLF
- What exactly are Course Rating and Slope Rating?, USGA
- FAQs, Pinehurst Resort
- Pinehurst No. 2: The Same But Different, USGA Green Section Record
- Courses, Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club
- Courses, Southern Pines Golf Club
- Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club
- Tobacco Road Golf Club
- Tot Hill Farm Golf Club
- Talamore Golf Club
- Tanglewood Park golf courses, Forsyth County
- Washington Duke Inn
- Rates, Rocky River Golf Club
- Rates, Wildwood Green Golf Club
- Mecklenburg County golf
- Golf, Omni Grove Park Inn
- Sequoyah National Golf Club
- Rates and fees, Bald Head Island Club
- Wilmington Municipal Golf Course, City of Wilmington
- Asheville Golf Course, City of Asheville
- How much golf costs in each state, GOLF, September 21, 2024
Image credits
| Image | Photographer | Licence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tobacco Road Golf Club, 16th hole (featured image) | Joe Gay | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Wikimedia Commons |
| Pinehurst No. 4 | Dan Perry from Atlanta, USA | CC BY 2.0 | Wikimedia Commons |
| Pinehurst No. 4 bunkers | Dan Perry from Atlanta, USA | CC BY 2.0 | Wikimedia Commons |
| Golf at the Grove Park Inn, Asheville, early postcard | State Archives of North Carolina | no known restrictions | Wikimedia Commons |
| Pinehurst No. 2 sign | Zhans33 | public domain | Wikimedia Commons |
| Pinehurst No. 2, fourth hole, mid-century postcard | State Archives of North Carolina | no known restrictions | Wikimedia Commons |