Courses

  • The Club at Chapel Ridge

  • The Crossings Golf Club

  • Eagle Ridge Golf Club

  • Duke University Golf Course

  • Falls Village Golf Club

  • Hedingham Golf Club

  • Hillandale Golf Club

  • Knights Play Golf Center

  • Lochmere Golf Club

  • NC State Lonnie Poole Golf Course

  • The Preserve at Jordan Lake

  • Raleigh Golf Association

  • UNC Finley Golf Course

The Club at Chapel Ridge

18 hole course designed by Bob Moore and Fred Couples. It can play long and measures just over 7,100 yards from the back tees. Layout is one of the most unique in the area. It has lots of elevation change and some holes with water. Pretty good value for the money and all rates include cart. The greens were renovated in 2021 and turned to championship Bermuda. The course does have a range, putting green, and short game facility.

Chapel Ridge is one our favorites in the area primarily due to the layout. Lots of doglegs mixed with elevation and uneven lies. Not the easiest course, but one that has memorable holes. Distance control is tested as with the elevation changes and forced carries throughout the course. Conditions are pretty good throughout the year as well which moves it up on our list. It is also a sister course of The Preserve and Falls Village and as conditions go, it falls in between the two.

The Crossings Golf Club

The Crossings is a local spot, popular among casual golfers. Located in east Durham, the course sits back in the woods with only a handful of houses around the course. It’s tree lined on every hole, but multiple water hazards make the design of certain holes stand out.

It is not a difficult course due to the length, par 71 measuring at 6,590 yards from the back tees. Some of the greens have larger slopes but they are slower greens for the area. For course condition, The Crossings ranks pretty low on our list. It has the feeling of a municipal course, but the price matches pretty fairly. There definitely are better maintained courses in the area, but they do come at a higher price.

Eagle Ridge Golf Club

Not your typical course design. At a par 71, it has five par-5s and six par-3s, however only one of the par-5s could be considered and easy birdie hole. It is nestled inside the Eagle Ridge community and has houses on most holes. Lots of elevation change makes the simpler design much more interesting. Multiples holes on the course require less than driver for position shots due to creeks, ditches, or ponds bisecting fairways. The greens are mostly flat and not too fast, so the course rewards better ball striking rather than an exceptional short game.

Price was not bad, but we felt there were some better deals in the area for slightly better course conditions and a batter layout. We felt it was a fun course to play, but given the poor customer service we received during our visit, we felt it wasn’t a good enough course to warrant returning anytime soon.

Duke University Golf Course

The best conditioned of the University courses in the area. Extremely hilly and difficult to walk, but all of their rates do include cart. The layout makes every hole feel different with a wide range of short and long par-4’s and risk-reward par-5’s. Wide fairways allow for aggressive play off the tee. The greens are fast and have lots of slope. The wide fairways are offset by the difficulty the different tiers on the greens present. The course has a grass range and a putting green that is fast and sloppy like the course. The chipping green leaves a little to be desired as it’s small and close to the outdoor dining area. A bladed chip my end up in someone’s cocktail.

All together, this makes for one of our favorite courses in the area, but it does come at a steep price. With an in-season rate of $125+ dollars, it is not a course most people will play weekly, but it is a great place to stop a few times a year.

Falls Village Golf Club

Home town course with a lot of character. The layout is very unique with winding holes and lots of elevation changes on the back nine. Feels secluded deep in the woods with very little houses or buildings visible. Most holes are entirely tree lined making each hole feel secluded in nature. It has a small pro shop and full bar inside. Cheap drinks and well priced hot dogs tend to keep the usual weekend crowd happy.

The course is fun to play and typically comes at good prices. The greens are typically in great shape, but very little can be said for the conditions on the rest of the course. Fairways lack full coverage in grass and the bunkers are in major need of repair. Overall, a great budget course.

Hedingham Golf Club

Tight course in eastern Raleigh. Short drive from the city and is nestled into a neighborhood. Lots of blind shots and out-of-bounds on many holes, sometimes on both sides of the same fairway. Layout is mediocre but has a handful of really fun holes. Course conditions are pretty middle of the road for the area, but it is one of the few public courses at the mid-price tier that has a good practice facility.

Middle of the road course that is nice to have nearby if you’re in the city of Raleigh. Not a “must play” course in the area and probably not too friendly to first timers who don’t know the right lines off the tee.

Hillandale Golf Club

Classic Donald Ross design in the north part of Durham. Easy course for beginners with wide fairways and short rough. It’s a classic layout with short, straight forward holes and but with some tricky greens. Super easy to walk and always in decent condition.

Low greens fees and a snack bar that serves great breakfast sandwiches in the morning and burgers at the turn. Always fun to play, with the main downside being the distance makes it a less challenging to long hitting low handicaps.

Knights Play Golf Center

The local favorite for all your practice needs. Knights Play boasts a massive driving range that stays busy all season long. The 27-hole par-3 facility has a large putting green, a lackluster chipping area, and two practice bunkers at the end of the range. Hence the name, the course stays open as late as midnight in the summer months, illuminated with stadium lights on both the range and the course.

Looking at conditions, the course gets tons of play and the greens are slow and bumpy. The holes are short but do range anywhere from 60 to 180 yards. But you can grab a cart, grab some drinks, and play up to 27 holes of golf at 10:00pm. Great place for casual golfers or anyone who wants a fun night out where you get to hit a few shots.

Lochmere Golf Club

A flat golf course located in the center of Cary. Always in decent condition, but the layout features virtually no change in elevation. Greens stay healthy and quick throughout the year, but besides the occasional dogleg and a few forced carries over water, the tree lined course doesn’t leave a lasting impression.

Nick-named “Swamp-mere” by local golfers, the course sits in a low lying area and stays wet even days after it rains. Only course we have ever seen that has restricted push carts to the cart paths. Nice track to play in the summer, but sty away if there has been rain in the forecast that week.

NC State Lonnie Poole Golf Course

The university course for North Carolina State University. Definitely one of the most difficult courses on this list. It plays long and is riddled with fairway and greenside bunkers. Large putting green, but the chipping area is only open to members. The range is small but features plenty of targets and does come with a great elevated view of downtown Raleigh.

It’s a gorgeous course and presents plenty of challenge. It is one of the few public courses in the heart of Raleigh so it stays busy.

The Preserve at Jordan Lake

A little out of the way for some, The Preserve sits on the west edge of Chapel Hill in the Preserve neighborhood. It’s long and unforgiving. Tons of forced carries off the tee and into the greens. Possibly the hardest course in the area when it comes to tee shots as think brush sits just outside the rough. Greens are usually quick and good conditioned.

It’s a fun and challenging layout. It’s fair but definitely favorers your long and high ball hitters. Always in decent shape year round and sits about mid-price compared to most area courses.

Raleigh Golf Association

It’s technically not a municipal course, but it feels just like one. Short and tight, but the holes have plenty of doglegs to keep it interesting. It maxes out around 6,000 yards from the back tees. It has a loyal stream of golfers who want to play a casual round in under four hours. It’s the cheapest regulation course on this list and it’s visible in the conditions of the greens. They have some bumps and run slow most of the year, but for around $30 dollars, including cart, it’s a hard deal to pass.

RGA is great for beginners or families. five different tees offer plenty of variance for all players. The fairways are small, but the front nine has plenty of room off the tee to miss. Biggest downside is it doesn’t have a range, but for the price, it’s still a fun track.

UNC Finley Golf Course

The University course for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Tom Fazio design that plays different from every tee box. The back tees play long and challenging at 7,100 yards, but the middle tees offer scoring opportunities. Tall pines line the course, but are sparse enough so you can typically find a wayward drive. Fairways are wide and let you hit driver on most holes.

Fun course with good conditions. No holes stand out to make it super memorable, but none of them are bad. Similar to the the other university courses on this list, it’s in good condition and a great championship layout, but comes a higher price for a public course.