GOLF DESTINATIONS

Charlotte:
Not your father's Queen City

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – -- With destinations such as Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, and Pinehurst, the Carolinas seldom look at their metropolitan centers for as golf meccas. Once upon a time, this was justifiable. Even as recently as the late 1980s, the Charlotte and Raleigh/Durham metro areas were severely lacking in daily fee golf facilities.

My, how the times have changed. In Charlotte - the Carolinas largest city - a recent influx of high end, pay-for-play tracks have put the Queen City on the golfing map to stay.

Few cities have developed like Charlotte over the past decade. Once a sleepy southern city with a few small skyscrapers, the Charlotte metro area is now home to more than one million residents and is the second largest financial center in the U.S. Twenty-story buildings have given way to 40, and even 60-story towers. The downtown pulses with an energy that is the envy of many a mid-size city and an arts and music scene that would make many a larger city blush.

So what does all this mean for the game of golf in this bustling Piedmont burg? Charlotte has transformed from a private course oriented community to a city with enough quality public access golf to be considered a top golf business destination. The real draw of Charlotte golf, however, may be monetary - to play a top notch course in and around Mecklenburg County, you'll pay about $35 on the weekdays and $50 on weekends.

Where to Play

A slew of great courses have opened in Charlotte over the past ten years, so a complete treatment of each course is beyond the scope of the piece! But here is a sampling of where to find some topshelf, affordable golf in the land of the hornet.

Ballantyne Resort Golf Club (704-341-4653) opened on Charlotte's prestigious southeast side in 1998, and since it opened it's doors, it has been one of the busiest courses in the city. Not to be confused with the Ballantyne Country Club, Ballantyne resort is open for daily play from the public, and is well worth the time and effort.

Why is Ballantyne Resort, a course that was designed by a developer and not a golf course architect, so popular with locals? Many players enjoy the layout of the course, which happens to be on some of the more interesting land in the city. As is the case with most Piedmont cities, the land in and around Charlotte is fairly flat. But Ballantyne sports some great elevation changes and undulating greens, but remains player friendly with it's wide fairways.

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Arnold Palmer is no stranger to the Charlotte area, and it seemed only a question of time before he put his stamp on daily fee golf in the Queen City. In 1996, Palmer and his right-hand man Ed Seay did just that with the opening of Birkdale (704-895-8038).

Birkdale is a clever course, and they do not hesitate to charge for it - for a few years, the course was about the most expensive public track around. The idea behind Birkdale (and the price) was that the course could be your country club for a day; a place where you could be pampered and maybe even called by your first name if you played enough. Tired old marketing plan aside, the course is immaculately maintained, and the routing through Carolina woodlands (and unfortunately some homes and condos) is solid enough to garner much repeat play.

One of the great things about Charlotte is that you can drive twenty minutes from downtown (er, technically "Uptown" as it has been tagged) and be in unspoiled countryside. If you were to point yourself south-southeast from Uptown and drive for about thirty minutes out Providence Road towards the town of Monroe, you're sixth golfing sense will ultimately land you at Stonebridge Golf Club (704-283-8998).

Stonebridge is all golf course and no frills. The clubhouse is somewhat small and bleak, the practice range is on the other side of the highway, and the cart garage has been known to flood after a summer shower. But the course is fantastic and pleasantly devoid of housing (although, that may change in the future.)

Stonebridge was designed by Richard Osborne, a former associate of the prolific Ron Garl. If you enjoy courses that offer two completely different sets of nines, then Stonebridge is for you. The front nine is routed through some stately Carolina hardwoods, and is old school parkland course at heart. The back nine is wide open, and while not quick a links-style course, it certainly comes close.

Just as Stonebridge is located in the countryside of southeast Charlotte, Verdict Ridge (704-489-1206) is located in the rural town of Denver, just thirty minutes northwest of the city. It seems that everyone is trying their hand at course design these days, and it is only fitting that the ex-mayor of Charlotte get involved.

Eddie Knox (said ex-mayor) designed Verdict Ridge, which opened it's doors in 1998, and there may be no better golf course in the Charlotte area. Verdict Ridge runs up and down hills, through forests, and can play havoc on the average player's game. If you are a golfer/naturalist, there is no better place to be in Charlotte in the fall, when the droves of trees that line the fairways at Verdict Ridge change colors.

Where to Stay

You could find a ubiquitous hotel on the outskirts of Charlotte, pay a little less, and have great access to one or two golf courses. But why not blow a few more bucks and hunker down in one of the most up and coming downtowns in the United States, within a half an hour's drive of dozens of great tracks?

The Dunhill Hotel (704-332-4141) is located right in the heart of "Uptown" on Tryon Street, and appeals to those who spurn the monotony of motels in favor of the ambiance of bed and breakfasts. The Hotel offers a number of business traveler-like services that rival the larger chains, and is in a five minute walk of a seemingly endless menu of great restaurants.