North Carolina: Plenty of good golf in those Sandhills
Mike Dudurich
Posted 2009-05-15
“If I want to go to the beach, I can get there in a couple hours. If I want to go to the mountains, I can get there in two or three hours. And if I want to play golf, I sure don’t have to go very far to find all the good golf I can handle.”
Welcome to the Sandhills of North Carolina, an area rich in the history of our country and rich in what people annually visit for: golf and entertainment.
For starters, the village of Pinehurst and Pinehurst Resort are the crown jewels. Pinehurst (www.pinehurst.com) is known as the birthplace of American golf and with eight very good courses – including No. 2, which is one of the best in the world – it doesn’t get much better.
But you can venture no further than 25 or 30 miles away from the center of the quaint Village of Pinehurst to find plenty of good golf, good golf courses and an item of utmost importance in today’s economy, good value.
On a recent trip there, we spent a few days visiting the areas around Chapel Hill, Fayetteville, Pinehurst and Raleigh – the latter three making up what’s known as the Triangle Golf Trail -- and many points in between.
Little River Golf & Resort (www.littleriver.com) – Less than five miles from Pinehurst, this place, for now, has the tag of “one of the best places you most likely not heard of.” The golf course is a Dan Maples design, chosen by Golf Digest and Washington Golf Monthly as one of the stars of the class of 1996. It combines great playability, with plenty of challenge whether you play it from the white or the blue tees.
Figure on paying approximately $100 per round unless you’re part of package.
But Little River is much more than a really good golf course. Purchased last year by the Oceanico Group, there are big plans in progress to make Little River a must-see in North Carolina golf destinations. Golf villas, upscale clubhouse, full service restaurant and sports themed bar are already in place. In addition to the 64 golf suites already in place, single family dwellings, apartments, condos, and townhouses are planned for the 630 acres.
The golf course is managed by Troon North and Oceanico (www.oceanicogroupusa.com), one of the leading property developers and golf operators in Portugal, is running the development side. They are one of the leaders in fractional ownership in properties they own worldwide.
Anderson Creek (www.andersoncreekgolf.com) – This is Davis Love III’s first signature design in his home state of North Carolina. It was the winner of the best new golf course in North Carolina in 2001 and got 4 ½ stars by Golf Digest in 2008. It’s a big-boy golf course, a true testament to modern architecture.
It can be stretched to 7,180 on the back tees, but is plenty of course from the 6,201 whites. And the best news? The most you’ll pay to play a beauty like this is: $75 on weekends and holidays in the spring and $65 during the week in the same time of year.
Located in Spring Lake, Anderson Creek offers a variety of golf packages as well.
Bayonet at Puppy Creek (www.bayonetgolf.com) – Like Anderson Creek, Bayonet is closer to Fayetteville. But it’s an enjoyable ride through horse farms that dot the North Carolina countryside to get to Raeford, where Bayonet is located. And once you’re there, a real treat awaits.
Well-conditioned, challenging and fun to play, Bayonet at Puppy Creek has a lot going for it. And talk about value? How about $55 Monday through Thursday, $65 on Fridays and $75 on Saturdays and Sundays.
We’re talking wonderful scenery, tall pines, lakes, streams, plenty of wildlife. And that’s just on the golf courses!
North Carolina, however, is much more than golf and the area we visited is great proof of that.
Cultural areas, the arts, wide-ranging recreational and leisure activities are all part of what makes up the Tarheel State.
Fort Bragg, the massive home of the Airborne and Special Operations Forces, is the home for the XVIII Airborne Corps and the 82nd Airborne Division. The US Army Special Operations Command and the US Army Parachute Team (the Golden Knights) also call Fort Bragg home. How big is the installation? Ten counties border the installation.
Fayetteville is a city built on tradition and patriotism and is the proud home to the Airborne and Special Operations Museum.
There are no more quaint shopping areas than the Village of Pinehurst and the downtown area in nearby Southern Pines.
Even better news for golfers who might want to pack up the clubs and head south: it has never been more affordable to spend time in North Carolina. While it’s a something of stretch to say they’re giving it away this year, but with the economy struggling, better deals on golf, accommodations and dining may never be had.
Courses, resorts, hotels, motels, clubs are all making deals and very willing to put together packages.
What’s mind-boggling about the state as a whole is that while we encountered wonderful golf on the Triangle Golf Trail, that’s just a small portion of the state.
There’s a lot of golf to be played in North Carolina. The internet can get you pointed in the right direction and can help you find the best deals of the day.
If you get there, hope you enjoy yourself and the golf as much as we did.
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As a sports writer for over 35 years, Mike Dudurich has seen a lot of great things, covered spectacular events, but his passion is, and has been golf.
He recently ended a 29-year career at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and will now be a frequent contributor on GolfGearReview.com.
Mike hosts a weekly golf radio show on 1250 ESPN in Pittsburgh from the beginning of April through the end of August.
The show airs Saturdays from 8-9 a.m. and can be heard online at