The Triangle is a true golfer's dream. The
seasonal splendors that unfold on the courses add to the beauty of the perfect
golf shot, or the elusive birdie. You will find the public and semiprivate clubs
to be as challenging as the private courses. Except for an occasional hurricane
or deep winter freeze, golf in the Triangle is virtually year round.
If your
preference is to walk the 18 holes, you will be limited in your selection of
courses – call ahead if you are an avid walker who refuses to ride. Certain
restrictions often apply to the busiest days of the week.
Green fees are reasonable compared to other
North Carolina metropolitan areas, coastal resort courses or the famed
Pinehurst. While you will find weekday discounts, fees are typically elevated on
Fridays, though lower than the weekend rates.
Newer golf courses have joined the list of
options. In fact, golf course communities are becoming quite popular in the
Triangle area. Devil's Ridge in Holly Springs and The Neuse Golf Club in
Clayton, designed by John LaFoy, are two such courses built around housing
developments that opened in 1991 and 1994 respectively. Golf Digest
recognized both as top new courses in the ’90s.
The Tournament Players Club at Wakefield
Plantation in Raleigh joined the ranks of new clubs in 2000; it is accessible to
members only. Finley, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which
opened in 1950 and was designed by George Cobb, underwent a facelift recently
under the direction of Tom Fazio.
Crooked Creek in Fuquay-Varina is another
newcomer to the selection of courses. Opened in late 1995, it offers golfers a
traditional design by Chuck Smith. As the name implies, you will find several
holes that will test your skill with severe doglegs. And as soon as you are
certain that you have mastered your precision, scattered bunkers will grade your
approach shot.
Considered one of the most popular golf
courses in North Carolina, Hillandale Golf Course in Durham plays more than
50,000 rounds per year. Opened in the early 1900s, this course was redesigned by
Perry Maxwell – a former banker who rebuilt the putting surfaces of August
National, Pine Valley and the National Golf Links. The golf shop at Hillandale
was voted the "Nation's Most Outstanding" by the PGA of America. It is one of
the best-stocked and largest shops in North Carolina.
Another
course that has seen plenty of play is Cheviot Hills Golf Club – opened in 1930.
This course is absent of homes (except for the course owner's) and is set in a
wooded terrain with rolling fairways. You will find a 19th-century
clubhouse filled with friends who have played this course for 50 years.
Tradition runs deep at Cheviot Hills. Be warned, if your golf cart strays from
the path, a sound system will alert you to not make that mistake twice.
Looking for a little family tradition with your round of golf? You will find it at Duke University's course. Washington Duke Golf and Country Club in Durham, considered one of the finest in the Southeast, opened in 1957. Rees Jones redesigned this Robert Trent Jones original in 1993. Cut out of Duke Forest, the grounds are ablaze with color at peak season. Spend the night at the inn adjacent to the course to soak in the splendor around you. This weekend retreat will confirm your relocation plans to the Triangle area.
Keep it in the short grass!