Updated on November 8, 2026
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What is the best golf course in North Carolina? Pinehurst No. 2, Donald Ross's masterpiece, which has hosted four U.S. Opens, ranks No. 1 in nearly every ranking. It ranks ahead of two private clubs, Wade Hampton in the mountains and Old Town Club in Winston-Salem. Pinehurst and the surrounding area account for nine courses in our top 25.
Top photo: fairway and bunkers on Pinehurst’s No. 4 course, North Carolina. Dan Perry from Atlanta, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The 25 Best Golf Courses in North Carolina
25 courses shown.
| Rank | Course | Location | Access | GOLF | Top100 | Golfweek public | Golfweek private | N.C. Golf Panel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pinehurst No. 2 | Pinehurst | Resort | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 |
| 2 | Wade Hampton Golf Club | Cashiers | Private | 3 | 3 | — | 2 | — |
| 3 | Old Town Club | Winston-Salem | Private | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 7 |
| 4 | Tobacco Road Golf Club | Sanford | Public | 6 | 5 | 8 | — | — |
| 5 | Pinehurst No. 4 | Pinehurst | Resort | 5 | 9 | 3 | — | 10 |
| 6 | Roaring Gap Club | Roaring Gap | Private | 11 | 4 | — | 6 | — |
| 7 | Quail Hollow Club | Charlotte | Private | 10 | 12 | — | 3 | 4 |
| 8 | Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club | Southern Pines | Resort | 9 | 13 | 5 | — | 5 |
| 9 | Pinehurst No. 10 | Aberdeen | Resort | 4 | 16 | 2 | — | 14 |
| 10 | Diamond Creek | Banner Elk | Private | 15 | 10 | — | 3 | — |
| 11 | Grandfather Golf & Country Club | Linville | Private | 17 | 14 | — | 7 | 2 |
| 12 | Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club | Southern Pines | Resort | 7 | 7 | 4 | — | 25 |
| 13 | Charlotte Country Club | Charlotte | Private | 14 | 6 | — | 9 | 17 |
| 14 | Country Club of North Carolina – Dogwood | Pinehurst | Private | 19 | — | — | 15 | 3 |
| 15 | Dormie Club | West End | Private | 12 | 8 | — | 13 | 27 |
| 16 | Eagle Point Golf Club | Wilmington | Private | 18 | 15 | — | 8 | 20 |
| 17 | Mountaintop Golf & Lake Club | Cashiers | Private | — | 18 | — | 5 | 13 |
| 18 | Woodlake Country Club – Maples | Vass | Public | 16 | — | 11 | — | — |
| 19 | Pinehurst No. 8 | Pinehurst | Resort | 24 | — | 9 | — | 16 |
| 20 | High Hampton | Cashiers | Public | — | — | 6 | — | — |
| 21 | Cape Fear Country Club | Wilmington | Private | — | — | — | 14 | 15 |
| 22 | Biltmore Forest Country Club | Asheville | Private | 20 | 20 | — | 10 | 30 |
| 23 | Southern Pines Golf Club | Southern Pines | Public | 8 | 11 | 10 | — | 70 |
| 24 | Forest Creek Golf Club – North | Pinehurst | Private | 23 | 17 | — | — | 39 |
| 25 | Tot Hill Farm Golf Club | Asheboro | Public | 13 | — | 7 | — | 95 |
Rank: our consensus rank (see methodology). Columns: the course’s position in each ranking; “—”: not listed. Access: public, resort (open to hotel guests), or private (by invitation); “not specified” when no source provides this information.
Our Method
We compared GOLF.com 2024–25, Top 100 Golf Courses in North Carolina, Golfweek 2026 Public Access, Golfweek private, N.C. Golf Panel 2025 (Top 100). The consensus ranking is the average of the rankings obtained; a course not included in a general list (GOLF.com, Top100GolfCourses) is assigned the ranking immediately following the last-ranked course. Partial lists (public or private courses from Golfweek, N.C. Golf Panel) are only included if the course appears on them. Golf Digest, whose state-by-state rankings are not available, is not used. This ranking is revised annually.
The Top 10 in Detail
1. Pinehurst No. 2 🇺🇸
- Designed by Donald Ross (restored by Coore & Crenshaw)
Ranks: GOLF 1 · Top100 2 · Golfweek public 1 · N.C. Golf Panel 1
Donald Ross's masterpiece, restored by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw in 2011, is famous for its domed greens. It hosted the U.S. Open in 1999, 2005, 2014, and 2024.
2. Wade Hampton Golf Club 🇺🇸
- Designed by Tom Fazio
Ranks: GOLF 3 · Top100 3 · Golfweek private 2
A Tom Fazio-designed private club in the Blue Ridge Mountains, at the foot of Chimney Top. Ranked No. 2 among private clubs by Golfweek.
3. Old Town Club 🇺🇸
- Designed by Perry Maxwell
Ranks: GOLF 2 · Top100 1 · Golfweek private 1 · N.C. Golf Panel 7
A private club designed by Perry Maxwell, opened in 1939 in Winston-Salem. No. 1 in North Carolina for Top100GolfCourses.
4. Tobacco Road Golf Club 🇺🇸
- Designed by Mike Strantz
Ranks: GOLF 6 · Top100 5 · Golfweek public 8
Mike Strantz's most daring course, set in a former sand quarry in Sanford, featuring blind holes and giant dunes. Open to the public.
5. Pinehurst No. 4 🇺🇸
- Designed by Donald Ross (redesigned by Gil Hanse in 2018)
Ranks: GOLF 5 · Top100 9 · Golfweek public 3 · N.C. Golf Panel 10
Completely redesigned by Gil Hanse in 2018 amid the sand and pine trees of Pinehurst. Open to resort guests.
6. Roaring Gap Club 🇺🇸
- Designed by Donald Ross
Ranks: GOLF 11 · Top100 4 · Golfweek private 6
A private Donald Ross golf club in the Blue Ridge Mountains, opened in 1926.
7. Quail Hollow Club 🇺🇸
Ranks: GOLF 10 · Top100 12 · Golfweek private 3 · N.C. Golf Panel 4
The Charlotte club, host of the 2017 and 2025 PGA Championships and an annual PGA Tour event.
8. Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club 🇺🇸
- Designed by Donald Ross
Ranks: GOLF 9 · Top100 13 · Golfweek public 5 · N.C. Golf Panel 5
A Donald Ross-designed course in Southern Pines, which has hosted several U.S. Women's Opens. Open to the public, with a hotel on site.
9. Pinehurst No. 10 🇺🇸
- Designed by Tom Doak
Ranks: GOLF 4 · Top100 16 · Golfweek public 2 · N.C. Golf Panel 14
The Tom Doak course, which opened in 2024 in a former sand quarry south of Pinehurst. Ranked No. 2 on Golfweek's list of public courses.
10. Diamond Creek 🇺🇸
Ranks: GOLF 15 · Top100 10 · Golfweek private 3
A private mountain club near Banner Elk, ranked No. 3 among private clubs by Golfweek.
Fred’s Take
Pinehurst is a pilgrimage: No. 2, Gil Hanse’s No. 4 and Tom Doak’s No. 10 in one place, plus Pine Needles, Mid Pines and Tobacco Road within forty minutes. It is the best week of public golf in the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions About Golf Courses in North Carolina
What is the best golf course in North Carolina?
Pinehurst No. 2, ranked No. 1 by GOLF.com, in Golfweek's ranking of courses open to the public, and by the N.C. Golf Panel.
Can you play Pinehurst No. 2?
Yes, when staying at the Pinehurst Resort, which also features Courses No. 4, No. 8, and No. 10.
What public golf courses are there in North Carolina?
Pinehurst No. 2, No. 4, and No. 10; Pine Needles; Mid Pines; Tobacco Road; and Southern Pines.