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The mountains, the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean and the Sandhills to captivate golfers throughout North Carolina. All those diverse climates and terrains showcase some pretty epic public golf courses.
GolfPass releases a Top 25 Public Golf Courses in North Carolina every year thanks to YOU. We create our annual Golfers' Choice lists by curating the reviews submitted by everyday golfers. We use GolfPass' Ratings Index logic that weights newer reviews and combine it with a course's subcategory averages.
Each course needed at least two reviews and at least some public access to qualify. North Carolina's diverse terrain, ranging from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Pinehurst courses in the Sandhills and even the northern section of Myrtle Beach's Grand Strand. Donald Ross left his mark on the region with dozens of the best public golf courses, including at Pinehurst Resort. Pinehurst No. 2 is his most challenging course. Now that Pinehurst Resort has expanded to 11 courses and become a home base for the World Golf Hall of Fame and a testing facility for the United States Golf Association, it has cemented itself among America's top golf resorts.
We make our Golfers' Choice best-of lists user friendly. Simply click on the photo of each course to learn more about the facility or to book a tee time (in most cases).
Want to get involved with determining the top public golf courses in North Carolina or any other future Golfers' Choice lists? Click here to review the next golf course you play.
North Carolina golf courses reviewed in 2024: 166
Reviews of North Carolina golf courses in 2024: 7,945
Best public golf courses in North Carolina
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Occano
Green fee: $65-$117
What they're saying: "Lots of rolling off the greens. Punished for bad shots. Course was in amazing shape. Nice fairways well kept greens." - mad155 -
Thistle Golf Club
Sunset Beach, North CarolinaPublicGreen fee: $97-$229
What they're saying: "Played years ago for the first time! Couldn’t pass up a good hot deal on this course. Course (was) in fantastic shape especially for November." - CornejiusB -
Olde Beau Resort & Golf Club
Roaring Gap, North CarolinaSemi-Private/ResortWhat they're saying: "My absolute favorite course within an hour of drive time. There is absolutely nothing like it come fall time. I would recommend this course to anybody but be prepared for a challenge because this course is equally beautiful as it is challenging. Do yourself a favor and make the trip!" - CBennyz
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Southern Pines Golf Club
![Southern Pines GC: #12]()
Green fee: $95-$245
What they're saying: "Southern Pines post Kyle Frantz re-do is amazing! Elevation changes are unreal. Greens have way more undulation than the Mid Pines/Pine Needles combo. Way more severe. Conditions are great. Cannot wait for the new clubhouse. This will continue to be one of the best in the country with continued improvement." - joshsmith12 -
Rock Barn Golf and Spa - Jackson Course
Conover, North CarolinaSemi-Private/ResortGreen fee: $70-$85
What they're saying: "Drove 50 miles to play this course for the first time. WOW!! Just absolutely gorgeous fairways, greens and bunkers. Course is in great shape. I will be back." - GolfPass Reviewer -
Crystal Coast Country Club
Pine Knoll Shores, North CarolinaSemi-PrivateGreen fee: $60-$110
What they're saying: "I like CCCC and always enjoy playing there. The staff is friendly and the course is always in good condition. I always feel like a country club member for an afternoon. It’s very nice and I will be back soon." - GolfPass Reviewer -
Connestee Falls Golf Club
Green fee: $65
What they're saying: "We played the course for the first time yesterday. Had heard some good and bad about it. I loved it. Conditions were great, greens were very nice and played in 3 hours. The layout is fantastic and a good test of hitting different shots. Loved it!!" - GolfPass Reviewer -
Cypress Landing Golf Course
Green fee: $39-$62
What they're saying: "The course was in amazing condition. Great course layout and I really appreciate that they have the teal tees as I am somewhere between a beginner and intermediate player. Would highly recommend this course! -
Henderson Country Club
![Henderson CC: #8]()
What they're saying: "This course was one of the best I've played in awhile. The staff were super friendly and knowledgeable. The members were super nice. I'm a single handicap. And if I lived closer would join in a heartbeat. The course is a definite classic course (with) no goofy holes. And the condition was great. This is a club where everyone plays at a great pace." - GolfPass Reviewer
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River Ridge Golf Club
What they're saying: "Really enjoyed the course. Also was great to get a notification to order food on hole 8 and have it ready when we finished 9. That was smooth and the pizza was really good." - gn24925479
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Sequoyah National Golf Club
What they're saying: "Awesome course. If you get a chance to play this course, (it is) well worth the money. Every hole was in great shape from tee box to green." - dipperdan65
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Springdale Country Club
What they're saying: "This is the second time playing this course. Great shape. Back 9 challenging and Staff is just wonderful and pro shop has very nice merchandise." - golfitaly2924
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The Beaufort Club
Green fee: $95-$110
What they're saying: "Beaufort club is the best course in the county. (It) far exceeds the other two country clubs in the immediate area. Staff is great and amenities are top notch." - tculbertson83 -
Taberna Country Club
Green fee: $60-$75+
What they're saying: "Love this course. Great staff (inside and greenskeepers), nice practice area, fun layout, and course was in very nice shape. Play here whenever I am in town." - geronimo01 -
Eagle Chase Golf Club
Green fee: $49-$75
What they're saying: "First time visiting Eagle Chase on 11/24 and all I can say is wow! Excellent golf course with amazing views and awesome staff. Now that I have been to the course and played, it assured me that the price is absolutely worth it after all. Luckily I only live 10 minutes away from Eagle Chase so I believe I will start going there regularly now. I am a recreational not so great golfer who plays 3-4 times a month and I had no trouble playing this course despite lots of reviews saying it is challenging. Absolutely loved it." - GolfPass Reviewer -
Ryder Golf Course
Green fee: $22-$46
What they're saying: "The course is in excellent condition and the Staff is great. The pro shop has a great selection of a lot of things." - Peajay2375 -
Kilmarlic Golf Club
Green fee: $39-$69+
What they're saying: "It is an excellent course to play in the OBX. The staff was outstanding in every way. I would definitely play it again. The course is challenging on a number of holes, which only makes it more interesting." - algrouprc -
Tot Hill Farm Golf Club
![Tot Hill Farm GC]()
Green fee: $105-$170
What they're saying: "This place is legitimate, from the quaint buildings to a friendly staff. The Course is breathtaking beautiful. The layout is fantastic and fair. Depending on what tees you play from you will need to look closely for the following hole tee box as the markers and elevation make it a bit tricky to locate. A must play and will put this course on the yearly rotation." - marc1590 -
West at Grandover Resort
Green fee: $52-$72+
What they're saying: "Course conditions were good considering the amount of rain we had received lately. We were the only ones on the course due to our tee time being 3:45 on an overcast day so pace of play was excellent. 😂 Pro shop was great with excellent employees. " - epittman15 -
Cedarbrook Country Club
Green fee: $35-$54
What they're saying: "Enjoyed the day with good friends and the course/amenities were Outstanding!! Highly recommend to anyone." - Ssrimr -
Talamore Golf Club
Green fee: $79+
What they're saying: "I loved playing this course. It is hard but not unreasonable. Staff was very friendly." - Mark2099946 -
Cedar Rock Country Club
Green fee: $25-$64
What they're saying: "I really look forward to playing Cedar Rock every chance I get. The course has always been in great condition. Pace of play is good, and the course is interesting and challenging. I usually play here as a single and have really enjoyed playing with the various other golfers I've been paired up with. My go-to course when I'm in the area." - SkipDyer -
River Bend YMCA Golf Club
Green fee: $36-$50
What they're saying: "Great course, great price and and an even better staff!!!!" - Sterlo -
Leopards Chase
Ocean Isle Beach, North CarolinaPublicGreen fee: $54-$64+
What they're saying: "Leopards Chase is a great track with lots of sand and water. Have to make good shots! My wife and I played in 3 hours and 20 minutes. Course conditions were very good, overseeding was mostly completed." - Dave7755119 -
River Bend Country Club
Green fee: $45-$52+
What they're saying: "This was my first time playing River Bend and I was very impressed with the course conditions. The tee boxes were well kept, fairways were cut and clear of debris, and the greens were excellent. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Will play again." - GolfPass Reviewer
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