Charlotte: Charlotte's Best Courses

CHARLOTTE, NC – When it comes to playing golf locally, most of us follow a pretty simple rule of thumb. We find the best golf course available that we can play at a reasonable price.

Some things we can tolerate for $25 to $35 a round, like a few scorched fairways, a couple burnt tee boxes and the occasional half empty bunker. Other things we have no patience for, such as banged up greens, poor service and five-hour rounds.

Nowhere is this more true than in Charlotte, the Carolinas’ biggest city.

Charlotte is an interesting study in golf dynamics. There are nearly 60 courses within a 45 minute drive of downtown that charge less than $60 a round to play on the weekends and under $40 on the weekdays.

Yet, the Queen City is by no means a golf destination.

If you visit Charlotte, you are all about business first, golf second. If you live here, and you golf, you are all about value. Ten years ago, Charlotte was so lacking in good daily fee golf that savvy duffers would drive all the way to Greensboro to find a decent public access course.

Now, chances are you just need to drive down the street.

A year ago, GolfCarolina.com set out to find the Top 10 values in daily fee golf in the Charlotte area, and we think we came up with a pretty solid list. But golf courses are living animals, so to speak, and are dynamic by definition.

Conditions change, rates change, and service levels change, and revisiting rankings becomes a necessary part of keeping golfers informed.

So that is just what we did.

Last season, the Tom Jackson designed Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation toped our list, and with good reason. The course was in excellent condition, offered country club style amenities and service, and was playable for $25 on the weekdays, including cart.

Twenty-five dollars will get you a round of golf on a dog patch, pitch and putt in most big cities.

Fast forward to Sunday, September 2, 2001 and not much has changed at Olde Sycamore. Sonny Weeks is still the head professional, and if you want to talk college football or golf course design, you better pull up a chair and sit down for a while.

You can still play the course for $25 with a coupon that is available in the Charlotte Observer every Monday. And while the rough is approaching U.S. Open proportions, the fairways and greens are still immaculately groomed.

“Our course and Charlotte National are my favorites out this way and I think they are a step above the others,” Weeks says. “But we offer things that Charlotte National doesn’t for the same price.”

According to Weeks, Olde Sycamore has been forced to keep its prices down because of the glut of competition on Charlotte’s east side.

“We are in ‘gas’ wars out here with Charlotte National, the Divide and Emerald Lake,” Weeks says. “We are having to stay with them and keep our budget as low as possible. Not only are we doing it, but I think we are winning.”

But its not just Charlotte’s east side. New daily fee courses have opened to the north and south of the city, forcing the older courses to remain in tip-top condition while keeping prices down.

“People in Charlotte are cost conscious, there are no two ways about it,” Weeks says. “There are a lot of golf courses to choose from here, and they will go to the cheapest one with the best conditions for the money. There is so much more choice than five years ago.”

So, without further ado, here is our Top Ten list for 2001.

No. 1 – Stonebridge Golf Club: Rich Osborne designed this traditional course, and it’s worth the drive out to Union County. Stonebridge is devoid of housing, in excellent condition, and a pleasure to walk. Head professional Tim Mervosh is knowledgeable and accommodating, and management keeps the greens fees in the $30 - $55 range. (704-283-8998)

No. 2 – Charlotte National: Char-Nat is a sneaky favorite of many of the local head pros. On a given day, you may find three or four of them testing their mettle from the tips of Russell Breeden’s 7200-yard layout. But National is a pleasure from the white tees as well. You simply will not find better greens in Charlotte, regardless of the price. And there is less trickery here than in Big 10 football play calling. (704-882-8282)

No. 3 -- Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation: Why no back-to-back title for this Jackson gem? Understand, the difference between No. 1 and No. 5 on this list is nominal. OSGP can still bring it, but the current state of the courses rough may make you want to hand over another $25 if the guys would just run a mower over the cabbage one more time. Still, an incredible play for the money with service you won’t soon forget. www.oldsycamoregolf.com (704-573-1000)

No. 4 – Crescent Golf Club: Crescent is not actually in Charlotte. Rather, its about 40 minutes up Interstate 85 in Salisbury. John LaFoy designed the course, which winds its way through an old dairy farm and is as interesting and in as good of shape as anything you’ll find in Charlotte for the money. (704-647-0025)

No. 5 – The Waterford Golf Club: By far and away the best course included in the consortia known as the “Carolina Collection.” Did not make our Top Ten list last year, and frankly, it should have. This Hale Irwin designed track is perched on the banks of the not so mighty Catawba River 25 miles south of Charlotte in Rock Hill, SC You can play (even walk) the course during the weekdays for under $30. (803-324-0300)

No. 6 – The Warrior Golf Club: The Warrior is in between Salisbury and Charlotte off I-85 in a small Piedmont dale called China Grove. If the adage “shoemakers” course may be used, then allow us to use it. The Stan Gentry designed layout is not long, but there are plenty of doglegs and blind shots to keep you guessing. Conditioning ranges between good and excellent, and the price is always right. www.warriorgolf.com (1-877-999-TEES (8337)

No. 7 – Skybrook Golf Club: Skybrook opened last year up in Huntersville, and we haven’t met the player yet that doesn’t dig this mountain-esque facility. Elevated tee boxes, huge fairways that funnel errant shots back to the middle and large greens tend to endear themselves to average golfers. (www.skybrook.com)

No. 8 – Regent Park: Let’s face it: Regent Park is the most immaculately groomed course in Charlotte. They also have a $700,000 a year maintenance budget, and charge around $60 per round on the weekends. You can’t walk, and it’s really hard to call the course a “value.” But, it’s a fantastic layout with service that would make a private club blush. This Ron Garl course, if located in Atlanta or at the beach, would run you $100-$120 a round, so that is why it appears here. (704-547-1300)

No. 9 – Verdict Ridge: What do you do when you retire from politics? Build a golf course, of course! That is what former Charlotte mayor Eddie Knox did with Verdict Ridge. Knox also designed the hilly track, which features some spectacular holes and (to be frank) some strange ones. But the scenery is unrivaled and the greens may be some of the best in the state. (704-489-1206)

TIE No. 10 – Firethorn Country Club: Another Tom Jackson designed course that will beat you up if you make mistakes. Think upscale Olde Sycamore and you have a pretty accurate description of a course that claims to be built on Andrew Jackson’s old stomping grounds. (704-843-3111)

No. 10 – Rocky River: Dan Maples typically sticks to the Pinehurst region and the beach, but he stopped into Concord long enough to bless the Charlotte area with this fine course. RR feels more like a Sand Hills course, with its native grasses and flat fairways. The course is actually owned by the City, and greens fees stay relatively low for the type of course you get here. (704-455-1200)

Honorable Mentions

Springfield Golf Club in Fort Mill, SC almost made the list, but the course lost its fairways this summer and has still not reduced its price accordingly. It’s a double-edged sword, because a course needs more money if it wants to fix some problems. Deer Brook Golf Club in Shelby is a wonderful track for the money, and if you are into clubhouses, they have one of the best in the area.

Who is Missing

If you are familiar with Charlotte golf, you may be saying, “where are Birkdale and Ballantyne?” Remember, this is not a list of Charlotte’s top ten courses. Both of these tracks would have to be included. Rather, it’s all about value, and Birkdale and Ballantyne charge along the same lines as Regent Park for slightly inferior products.

Chime in and let us know about your Top Ten Charlotte courses.