Charlotte NC Trip

[pozzit]

I help plan a golf trip every April and we are comparing 2 locations currently Richmond VA and Charlotte NC. I'm in charge of trying to plan out some courses for Charlotte and was curious if any of you had any suggestions of courses around that area. We usually target up to 90 minutes from our hotel. We haven't booked any hotel yet am trying to get a good idea of the area. We are coming from the midwest (Iowa & Indiana) so we are looking for something different but mostly just good quality courses.

Searching the area I have seen good reviews about Eagle Chase and Moorseville. Are there any other suggestions?

 

[JohnSmalls]

These options should come out to average $50/round.  I have missed a few that are actually in Charlotte, but this should give you an idea.

Golf Club at Ballantyne is a resort course that will run on the pricer side of things but is a reasonably fun course.  Fort Mill, SC is just 30 min from Charlotte and has 3 good courses to play.  Further south is Rock Hill, SC.  Just off of the interstate is Waterford Golf Club--just bought by the owner of the Panthers, it once was a good course and should be again soon.  West of Charlotte is a course called Crowders Mountain ironically in Kings Mountain, NC.  I haven't played there in a few years, but it is a tight course, not overly difficult but definitely was worth more than the greens fee at that time.

My personal favorite is a course that will certainly stretch your 90 minute radius but it is worth every minute of driving.  It is a well kept secret and a hidden gem.  Edgewater in Lancaster, SC--if you can make the trek GO THERE.

Charles Sifford is a muni just outside of uptown Charlotte, and is not a destination by any means, but it is a good extra toss in round.  I played it last around October and it was surprisingly well kept for the traffic it receives being a muni in the city limits.  Again, it is a good toss in for close by bonus round, don't plan your trip around it.

What time of year are you traveling?

[pozzit]

These options should come out to average $50/round.  I have missed a few that are actually in Charlotte, but this should give you an idea.
Golf Club at Ballantyne is a resort course that will run on the pricer side of things but is a reasonably fun course.  Fort Mill, SC is just 30 min from Charlotte and has 3 good courses to play.  Further south is Rock Hill, SC.  Just off of the interstate is Waterford Golf Club--just bought by the owner of the Panthers, it once was a good course and should be again soon.  West of Charlotte is a course called Crowders Mountain ironically in Kings Mountain, NC.  I haven't played there in a few years, but it is a tight course, not overly difficult but definitely was worth more than the greens fee at that time.
My personal favorite is a course that will certainly stretch your 90 minute radius but it is worth every minute of driving.  It is a well kept secret and a hidden gem.  Edgewater in Lancaster, SC--if you can make the trek GO THERE.
Charles Sifford is a muni just outside of uptown Charlotte, and is not a destination by any means, but it is a good extra toss in round.  I played it last around October and it was surprisingly well kept for the traffic it receives being a muni in the city limits.  Again, it is a good toss in for close by bonus round, don't plan your trip around it.
What time of year are you traveling?

Thanks for the great suggestions. I'll have to look at those courses more in-depth. We usually plan mid to late April for a trip of 8 guys. We usually play 18 on the way to the location then 36/day for 5 days then 18 on the way home. We usually end up paying $60-100/day but one of the guys haggles like crazy and usually gets replay rates for next to nothing.
I'll definitely look into Edgewater and Fort Mill if they have 3 courses that could be a place to bounce back and forth every few days.@Middler that's always a little disappointing when it's dormant fairways. I know we have had issues before with dormant fairways and aerated greens being early season.

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[HardcoreLooper]

If you're looking at Richmond as well, let me know.

[pozzit]

O yes we are definitely looking at Richmond as an option. That's actually the 1st choice since we have never been there. A few of the guys are worried about the weather there so we are making sure we have a plan B which is Charlotte area.
If you have any suggestions let me know for sure.

If you're looking at Richmond as well, let me know.

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[HardcoreLooper]

Oh boy, with a 90 minute drive from Richmond, you can get to some pretty good golf.  In April, our weather is pretty good.  It's usually shorts weather (or close to it), and it's not getting humid yet.

The preeminent public course in the area is Independence Golf Club, about 30 minutes southwest of the city (Chesterfield County).  Unfortunately, Michael Breed's brother bought the course and jacked up the rates.  If the April rates are the same as they were last year, it's $110 at peak.  $75 after 2 pm M-Th.  I played it plenty of times before the VSGA sold it, so I haven't bothered to play it since.

Magnolia Green is about the same distance away, also southwest.  They don't publish rates, and you can only book times a week in advance, so I can't tell what it'll cost in April.  Right now, it's $74 for a weekend morning tee time.  If memory serves me, it'll probably go up about $10 from that.

There are other courses south and west of the city that are OK and a little less expensive (Birkdale Golf Club, Providence Golf Club and Mill Quarter Golf Course).  None of them are anything to write home about, but they're all decent courses.  

Sadly, I cannot recommend either of the courses due west of the city and close in (the Short Pump area).  Both Hunting Hawk and Sycamore Creek seem to have fallen on hard times.  The Hollows (north and west of the city) is not that great either, but it's pretty cheap, especially in the afternoon.

Heading east of the city, The Brookwoods is a fun little course about 20 minutes from downtown in New Kent County.  The superintendent just bought it and the web site is under repair, so they don't have rates up, but you can probably get it for $50 or so on a weekend morning.    Also in New Kent, a little farther east, is Brickshire, a decent golf course at about $60.  Viniterra is another good course in that area for a few bucks more.  The reigning champ east of the city is the newly reopened Royal New Kent.  If you've never played a Mike Strantz course before and feel like playing something pretty unique, think about it.  It will set you back $95 on a weekend morning, and it's pretty tough until you've played it three or four times and know where to hit it off the tee.  Google Earth will help out with that as well.  I haven't played it since it reopened, but I'm planning on it.

North of the city, the best course is Mattaponi Springs.  Great design, and zoysia grass fairways.  Really a cool experience (at least around here, where we're usually playing bermuda).  Their web site is old, so I don't know if they're still charging $79 for a Saturday morning or not.  I played it on a Wednesday back in October and it was $65.  Worth it.

If you or anyone in your group belong to a private club, get your pro to write a letter and get you on Jefferson-Lakeside Country Club (about 15 minutes north of downtown).  It's an old Donald Ross course with everything that entails.  I guarantee you will hit at least one fringe and get completely ejected.  Guest fees are about $65.  If it were closer to my house, I might join.  But I know a few members and play it several times a year.   

Spring Creek is about an hour west of the city, and its a must play.  It's private on weekends, but it's worth the $95 to play on a Monday morning.  It's that good.  I've only played it once, but it's my favorite course within an hour of Richmond.  Strongly consider having a weekday on your trip so you can play it.  

Williamsburg is about an hour east of Richmond, with several great courses, but honestly it's a destination unto itself.  I spent the best four years of my life there (William and Mary), so I'm pretty partial to it.  Charlottesville is about 90 minutes west, the site of Mr. Jefferson's other school. 

The best food is in the city and some of the close-in surrounding neighborhoods.  The best beer is in an old warehouse district in the city called Scott's Addition (also where the Top Golf is).  The Short Pump area is all shopping centers and chain restaurants, but decent hotels are reasonably priced out there and there are a couple good breweries (a good friend of mine owns one).  An Uber from Short Pump to downtown is about $20 each way.  

Happy to answer any other questions.

 

 

 

[pozzit]

Wow thanks so much that's so much great information I know you hit on most of the courses we were looking at we may make a few changes because of your information. The only course we have been researching that you didn't mention was Golden Horseshoe in Williamsburg.

Oh boy, with a 90 minute drive from Richmond, you can get to some pretty good golf.  In April, our weather is pretty good.  It's usually shorts weather (or close to it), and it's not getting humid yet.
The preeminent public course in the area is Independence Golf Club, about 30 minutes southwest of the city (Chesterfield County).  Unfortunately, Michael Breed's brother bought the course and jacked up the rates.  If the April rates are the same as they were last year, it's $110 at peak.  $75 after 2 pm M-Th.  I played it plenty of times before the VSGA sold it, so I haven't bothered to play it since.
Magnolia Green is about the same distance away, also southwest.  They don't publish rates, and you can only book times a week in advance, so I can't tell what it'll cost in April.  Right now, it's $74 for a weekend morning tee time.  If memory serves me, it'll probably go up about $10 from that.
There are other courses south and west of the city that are OK and a little less expensive (Birkdale Golf Club, Providence Golf Club and Mill Quarter Golf Course).  None of them are anything to write home about, but they're all decent courses.  
Sadly, I cannot recommend either of the courses due west of the city and close in (the Short Pump area).  Both Hunting Hawk and Sycamore Creek seem to have fallen on hard times.  The Hollows (north and west of the city) is not that great either, but it's pretty cheap, especially in the afternoon.
Heading east of the city, The Brookwoods is a fun little course about 20 minutes from downtown in New Kent County.  The superintendent just bought it and the web site is under repair, so they don't have rates up, but you can probably get it for $50 or so on a weekend morning.    Also in New Kent, a little farther east, is Brickshire, a decent golf course at about $60.  Viniterra is another good course in that area for a few bucks more.  The reigning champ east of the city is the newly reopened Royal New Kent.  If you've never played a Mike Strantz course before and feel like playing something pretty unique, think about it.  It will set you back $95 on a weekend morning, and it's pretty tough until you've played it three or four times and know where to hit it off the tee.  Google Earth will help out with that as well.  I haven't played it since it reopened, but I'm planning on it.
North of the city, the best course is Mattaponi Springs.  Great design, and zoysia grass fairways.  Really a cool experience (at least around here, where we're usually playing bermuda).  Their web site is old, so I don't know if they're still charging $79 for a Saturday morning or not.  I played it on a Wednesday back in October and it was $65.  Worth it.
If you or anyone in your group belong to a private club, get your pro to write a letter and get you on Jefferson-Lakeside Country Club (about 15 minutes north of downtown).  It's an old Donald Ross course with everything that entails.  I guarantee you will hit at least one fringe and get completely ejected.  Guest fees are about $65.  If it were closer to my house, I might join.  But I know a few members and play it several times a year.   
Spring Creek is about an hour west of the city, and its a must play.  It's private on weekends, but it's worth the $95 to play on a Monday morning.  It's that good.  I've only played it once, but it's my favorite course within an hour of Richmond.  Strongly consider having a weekday on your trip so you can play it.  
Williamsburg is about an hour east of Richmond, with several great courses, but honestly it's a destination unto itself.  I spent the best four years of my life there (William and Mary), so I'm pretty partial to it.  Charlottesville is about 90 minutes west, the site of Mr. Jefferson's other school. 
The best food is in the city and some of the close-in surrounding neighborhoods.  The best beer is in an old warehouse district in the city called Scott's Addition (also where the Top Golf is).  The Short Pump area is all shopping centers and chain restaurants, but decent hotels are reasonably priced out there and there are a couple good breweries (a good friend of mine owns one).  An Uber from Short Pump to downtown is about $20 each way.  
Happy to answer any other questions.
 
 
 

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[HardcoreLooper]

14 minutes ago, pozzit said:

Wow thanks so much that's so much great information I know you hit on most of the courses we were looking at we may make a few changes because of your information. The only course we have been researching that you didn't mention was Golden Horseshoe in Williamsburg.

 

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Yeah, the Golden Horseshoe is pretty great, especially the Gold course.  The Green isn't bad.  Williamsburg can be a whole trip itself.  Kiskiack, Colonial Heritage and Ford's Colony are all worth playing as well.