There are more than 45 public and semi-private golf courses within an hour's drive of Charlotte. Chris Beeman has played them all and collected other golfers' reviews for the past two decades.
- Beeman lives in south Charlotte and runs The B-Man's Guide to Golf, a site he founded in 2002 "for the golfer, by the golfer."
- He also plans and hosts group golf trips to the best golf resorts in the world for TripCaddie.com .
- He is a member at The Club at Longview in Waxhaw and plays on TheGrint Tour , a PGA-style amateur golf tour.
- You can follow Chris on Instagram, Twitter (X) and Facebook – @charlottegolfer .
He uses five criteria to determine the Top 10 courses:
- The "Wow" Factor: something about the course that is unique, makes you want to come back and that you tell your friends about
- Conditions: consistently great year-round conditions (especially on the greens) are a must for this list
- Layout: a mix of fun, challenges and good design throughout 18 holes
- Amenities: restaurant/bar, clubhouse, practice facilities and other features that make your entire experience great
- Value: bang for the buck, how the rest of the rating factors stack up to the price of greens fees
Driving the news: While the Top 3 held steady, a renovated and renamed club raced onto the list with its excellent amenities. Another popular course celebrating its 25th anniversary this year jumped into the Top 5.
- With weekend greens fees for many courses pushing triple digits, several clubs around town have put the additional revenue to good use and upgraded their venues to include Top Tracer driving ranges ( The Divide ), indoor golf simulators ( The 500 Club ), taprooms and live music events ( Highland Creek ).
The Top 10 golf courses in the list below represent the best public-access golf around Charlotte. This guide was last updated in June 2024 with our latest rankings:
Rock Barn has a firm hold on the top spot with its resort amenities and thrilling layout of memorable holes.
10th hole at Rock Barn Country Club & Spa. Photo: Chris Beeman
Location: Conover, about an hour north of Charlotte
Rates: $70 weekdays, $80 weekends
Type: Semi-private
Scorecard: Par 72, 6427 yards
Description/analysis: This Tom Jackson-designed course built in 1963 is part of the Rock Barn resort that features a second 18-hole private course (designed by Robert Trent Jones II), a spa and several restaurants. Conditions are always pristine with well-maintained Bentgrass greens. The layout features many breathtaking holes and risk-reward scoring opportunities that will increase your heart rate.
Signature hole: The par 5 10th hole features a visually stunning elevated tee shot to a dogleg left fairway some 50 yards below the tee box. For your second shot, you can choose to challenge the large pond between you and the green and have a go at eagle. Or, play it "safer" down the right side of the pond and try to avoid the fairway bunkers guarding the layup. Whichever route you take and no matter your score, you will talk about this hole after your round and want to play it again.
Worth the money: The Jackson Course is one of the best weekend public golf values around at $80 with cart and range balls included. The practice area features the largest putting green you'll find anywhere — in case you want to try a 200-foot putt!
One of the most visually stunning courses in the area, Verdict Ridge offers beauty, challenge, conditions and amenities on par with nearby private clubs around Lake Norman.
Verdict Ridge Golf & Country Club's "Good Luck Gavel." Photo courtesy of Chris Beeman
Location: Denver, about 30 minutes north of Charlotte
Rates: $69 weekdays, $89 weekends (must play as the guest of a member)
Type: Semi-private
Scorecard: Par 72, 6926 yards
Description/analysis: Verdict Ridge rivals Rock Barn for the No. 1 ranking despite not permitting public play on the weekends. It plays like a mountain course, with steep hills and valleys throughout. You're guaranteed to have some sidehill and uneven lies throughout your round. The course is kept in great condition year-round with fast Champion Bermuda greens and recently expanded and resodded tee boxes on both nines.
Signature hole: The 347-yard par 4 9th hole is one of the most beautiful in Charlotte. With water all along the right side, it's best to play an iron from the tee off the left slope. Then you have a short iron approach into a green guarded by a small creek on the left and the pond on the right – with a waterfall behind the green offering a scenic backdrop.
Don't miss this: Be sure to rub the "Good Luck Gavel" next to the first tee before your round – it was installed last Spring to honor the founder, former Charlotte mayor Eddie Knox.
Once the hidden gem of the Charlotte area, Eagle Chase Golf Club is now widely known for its fun, picturesque layout and some of the best-kept greens around.
Eagle Chase Golf Club in Mashville. Photo courtesy of Chris Beeman
Location: Marshville, about 45 minutes southeast of Charlotte
Rates: $49 weekdays, $75 weekends
Type: Semi-private
Scorecard: Par 72, 6723 yards
Description/analysis: Eagle Chase is hidden among the farms in Union County with no houses or other civilization intruding on your round of golf. The course features Diamond Zoysia grass greens and it plays like a mountain course with an elevated tee or green on almost every hole. The front 9 includes two reachable par 5s, a dramatic downhill par 3 (#6), and one of the toughest par 4s around town (#2).
Signature holes: The back nine's breathtaking stretch of Nos. 11-13 makes for awesome photo ops. The par-4 13th hole is one of my favorites, only 334 yards from the elevated back tee with a carry over the pond – a great birdie opportunity with a view!
Bang for your buck: With a $ 49-weekday rack rate and twilight rates available, this course remains one of the best values around town for your golfing dollar.
Built around the beautiful 52-acre Lake Wright and convenient to both I-77 and I-85 north of Charlotte, Warrior Golf Club offers beautiful views, rolling terrain and immaculate Bermuda greens.
Warrior Golf Club in China Grove. Photo courtesy of Chris Beeman
Location: China Grove, about 45 minutes north of Charlotte
Rates: $59 weekdays, $79 weekends
Type: Semi-private
Scorecard: Par 71, 6609 yards
Description/analysis: Family-owned Warrior Golf Club celebrates its 25th anniversary this July and features rolling hills and sloping fairways with the lake providing a scenic backdrop (and a watery grave for your golf balls) on many holes.
Signature hole: The risk-reward par 5 17th is an exhilarating bookend to your round, offering a great chance to go for the green in 2 and score an eagle.
On-cart caddie: The golf carts feature touchscreen GPS to aid your distance measurements and course strategy.
A former municipal course, Mooresville Golf Club has transformed into a must-play, well-maintained layout with country club amenities and a superior practice complex.
Mooresville Golf Club. Photo courtesy of Chris Beeman
Location: Mooresville, about 30 minutes north of Charlotte
Rates: $50 weekdays, $65 weekends
Type: Public
Scorecard: Par 72, 6803 yards
Description/analysis: A well-executed $5 million renovation by renowned architect Kris Spence in 2016 included the installation of slick, challenging TifEagle Bermuda greens. With the elevation changes and several blind shots, play your first round here with a regular or use a GPS app ( TheGrint , for instance) to avoid trouble.
Signature hole: The par 4 9th hole features a dramatic elevation drop from the tee and a long, difficult approach shot over a creek to the green.
Muni roots: The original layout of 9 holes was designed by famed architect Donald Ross and opened in 1948. It is very walkable and the $65 weekend rate is a steal for the quality of conditions and amenities.
Built in 2008 and tucked among the majestic pines of the South Carolina countryside, Edgewater's quaint, natural setting makes for a memorable and peaceful round of golf.
Edgewater Golf Club's 18th hole. Photo courtesy of Chris Beeman
Location: Lancaster, SC, about an hour south of Charlotte
Rates: $63 weekdays, $83 weekends
Type: Semi-private
Scorecard: Par 72, 7,103 yards
Description/analysis: Edgewater's A1/A4 Bentgrass greens are similar to the ones at Augusta National and are typically smooth and felt-like all year round.
Signature holes: The toughest hole is the dogleg left par 4 7th that challenges you with a dramatically downhill tee shot and a pond guarding the corner. You might have better luck on the closing stretch, though. The short, uphill, dogleg left, par 5 17th hole gives even the average hitter a chance at eagle.
Pro tip: Playing Edgewater can be a long roundtrip, so make a day of it and play Carolina Lakes or Springfield for a second round on your way back to Charlotte.
Within earshot of Charlotte Motor Speedway and paired with the Embassy Suites hotel and spa, Rocky River Golf Club offers resort-like amenities and course conditions.
Rocky River Golf Club. Photo courtesy of Chris Beeman
Location: Concord, about 15 minutes north of Charlotte
Rates: $59 weekdays, $79 weekends
Type: Public
Scorecard: Par 72, 6,970 yards
Description/analysis: Rocky River Golf Club sits right in NASCAR's backyard and you can often hear drivers making practice runs as you play the first several holes. This Dan Maples design feels like a resort course, with well-manicured fairways and Bermuda grass greens meandering through wetlands and Carolina pines.
Signature hole: The par 5 3rd hole features a humongous boulder in the middle of the fairway and gives long hitters a chance at eagle. The boulder ("Gragg's Rock") is named in honor of Floyd Gragg, one of the area's longest-serving golf professionals who oversaw the course's 1997 opening.
Treat the fam: With its great amenities Rocky River is a great spot for family and friends in town for a visit.
Since a 2019 renovation and change in ownership, Skybrook's upgraded amenities and course conditions have made it a fixture on this list.
Skybrook Golf Club in Huntersville. Photo courtesy of Chris Beeman
Location: Huntersville, 17 minutes north of Uptown Charlotte
Rates: $68 weekdays, $85 weekends
Type: Semi-private
Scorecard: Par 72, 7,028 yards
Description/analysis: Skybrook has a distinct mountain course feel, similar to Verdict Ridge, with large elevation changes tee to green, sloped fairways and undulating greens. Like many Charlotte-area courses, Skybrook switched from Bentgrass to Mini-Verde Bermuda greens in 2019.
Signature holes: The closing 4-hole stretch is one of the best in Charlotte public golf, featuring: a short but well-bunkered par 4, a long par 3 over water, then a scary dogleg left pond-guarded par 4 and finally the S-shaped signature closing par 5. The risk-reward decisions on these four holes will make or break your round.
19th hole: The SkyTop Grill features an excellent menu and patio dining overlooking the 9th green — a great place to relax after your round.
The 500 Club raced into the Top 10 after renovations and rebranding last summer that launched excellent new dining and entertainment amenities.
500 Club. Photo: Chris Beeman/Axios
Location: Statesville, 35 miles north of Charlotte
Rates: $60 weekdays, $80 weekends
Type: Semi-private
Scorecard: Par 72, 7,005 yards
Description/analysis: This course — known for years as Fox Den and then Larkin Golf Club — put in TIF Eagle Bermuda grass greens in 2023 and upgraded the clubhouse with an open-air sports bar and indoor golf simulators. The back patio features a lighted putting course and deck chairs overlooking the 18th green.
Signature hole: The dramatically downhill tee shot on the par 5 8th hole is exhilarating enough, but the second shot over a pond for a chance at eagle will test your nerve.
Auto racing ties: The 500 Club is privately owned by an investment group that includes multiple Daytona 500-winning NASCAR drivers , team owners, and other industry professionals.
The best value in the Top 10, Deer Brook features a scenic, challenging layout with top-notch course conditions that are worth the drive from Charlotte.
Deer Brook Golf Club in Shelby. Photo courtesy of Chris Beeman
Location: Shelby, 50 miles west of Charlotte
Rates: $37 weekdays, $49 weekends
Type: Public
Scorecard: Par 72, 6,950 yards
Description/analysis: This hidden gem's scenic layout features spots on both 9s with breathtaking views of several holes. Much of the difficulty of the course lies in the typically fast, tiered and sloped Bentgrass greens.
Signature holes: The par 5 17th tempts you to go for the green in two, but your approach will have to carry the water that runs all along the right side. The long par 4 18th also features an approach shot over water to a sloped green that sits right in front of the clubhouse.
Take note: The course does not provide online booking for tee times, so give them a call to reserve a spot and enjoy the sub-$50 weekend greens fees.
Best of the Rest:
Springfield Golf Club – Fort Mill, SC: This club is part of the Leroy Springs collection that includes Fort Mill, Lancaster and Chester Golf Club. The course could easily be in the Top 10 with its immaculate Bermuda greens and challenging, hilly layout.
Carolina Lakes Golf Club – Indian Land, SC: Only about 15 minutes south of Ballantyne and winding through a Del Webb retirement community, this course features a scenic and thrilling 4-hole stretch (holes 13-16).
River Bend YMCA Golf Course – Shelby, NC: This course combines the lowest greens fees of any course around Charlotte and some of the fastest, best-conditioned greens. I recommend playing a 36-hole day with one round here and one at nearby Deer Brook (#10 on this list).
Sign up for Axios Charlotte for free.
Local Charlotte, NC
Most Popular
Comments / 0