New 2010 North Carolina Golf Course Rankings

[Dunlop_White]

Every year, I post the new "North Carolina Golf Course Rankings" published by Business North Carolina magazine. As always, they create much discussion and debate among the golf course enthusiasts on Golfclubatlas. Here goes....

1. Pinehurst No. 2 

2. Grandfather

3. Old North State

4. Quail Hollow

5. Pine Needles 

6. CCNC Dogwood

7. Charlotte CC

8. Forest Creek South

9. Elk River

10. Pinehurst No. 4

11. Linville

12. Pinehurst No. 8

13. Cape Fear CC

14. Eagle Point

15. Biltmore Forest

16. Forest Creek North

17. Rock Barn

18. Sedgefield CC

19. Wade Hampton

20. CCNC Cardinal

21. National Golf Club

22. Brights Creek

23. Raleigh CC

24. Old Town Club

25. River Landing

26. Balsam mountain Preserve

27. Myers Park CC

28. Willow Creek CC

29. Longview

30. Treyburn

31. Hasentree

32. Duke University

33. The Cliffs at Walnut Cove

34. Irish Creek

35. Legends Chase

36. Linville Ridge

37. Tigers Eye

38. Finley

39. Pinehurst No. 7

40. St James Plantation

41. Forsyth CC (other notables)

46. Alamance CC

53. Tanglwood Championship

63. Tobacco Road

74. Mimosa Hills

Diamond Creek, Carolina Golf Club, and Roaring Gap Club were unranked.

[Richard Hetzel]

Tobacco Road #63? I do declare!

[Paul Jones]

I love Old Town Club and it is 24th... and Wade Hampton at 19th?

[jonathan_becker]

Richard,

You beat me to it!!

[Paul Carey]

Wow,

I haven't played all of these courses but I can't believe that 23 courses are better than Old Town.    Is it because of the low play and low key image of the place?

[Paul Carey]

Three comments on the Old Town spot within 30 seconds.

[Richard Hetzel]

Is St. James Plantation a Dye course? Was it called The Gauntlet at St. James Plantation at one time?

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

The only thing I can say is I am glad they have interest. The ranking are so crazed that it is silly to even discuss them individually.

[JNC Lyon]

We see this list every year and every year it is terrible.  It is easy to be outraged, but I am not really surprised at the list.  If I remember correctly, much of this list is based on how many ratings the course gets and not on how high it is rated.  That is why Old North State is in the top five and an ultra-private Diamond Creek is unranked.

[Dunlop_White]

The voting process fortunately was changed two years ago (from aggregate voting points to average score). The system at that time was based mostly on access, in my opinion, with the most points representing best. Today, the system thankfully has been changed to an "average score" for the purpose of getting private clubs, like Wade Hampton, Eagle Point, and Old Town Club etc. a fair shake. Turns out that Old Town's poor ranking wasn't because we didn't have enough votes.  In reality, it's because the votes we had were not very good in the first place. (We slid from 18th to 23rd under the new system.)

Golfweek ranks Old Town 93rd (down from 85th) in the country. I believe the only other Carolina courses ranked are No. 2, Pine Needles, Grandfather, Quail, and perhaps Forest Creek?

Golf Digest ranks Old Town Club in the Top 11 in state (7th in 2007, 11th in 2009)

[PCCraig]

Um...no.

[Matt MacIver]

The voting process fortunately was changed two years ago ...

Dunlop - for the sale of discussion, can you remind me who is doing the voting?  NC businessmen?  The same each year? 

There are several on the list where one argue a ranking is "off" by 50-100%...is that true on other lists, with an argument between "reasonable" people? 

[Dunlop_White]

about 150 panelists -- virtually the same every year -- made up of many business leaders and leaders in the golf industry -- golf editors, publishers, college coaches, etc. -- who regularly attend outings sponsored by interested clubs.

[Carl Johnson]

about 150 panelists -- virtually the same every year -- made up of many business leaders and leaders in the golf industry -- golf editors, publishers, college coaches, etc. -- who regularly attend outings sponsored by interested clubs.

Dunlop,

So, as I am reading you, a course's chances for a ranking, or a better ranking, might be helped by hosting these guys (and gals?) at outings at your course or club.  Is my read correct?

[JNC Lyon]

Again, I am still not sure why we are concerned about these rankings, especially since most of the ratings are done by people who probably know little to nothing about golf course architecture.

[jim_lewis]

Many (if not most) of the panelists have a personal interest in seeing their favorite course ranked high. All of the panelists are from NC. I contend that you get more reliable rankings when done by outsiders who have no "agenda". This panel is hosted at many outings thoughout the year. The more hospitality, the higher the ranking.  I know some members of this panel who have no qualifications to rate a course. They just know what their favorite courses are (that they have played). I would be embarrassed to be associated with this joke.

[JC Jones]

If there are 100 golf courses better than Carolina Golf Club in North Carolina then to hell with Scotland and England. 

[Jud_T]

Tobacco Road #63! Jay Flemma please pick up the white courtesy phone.....

[Greg Tallman]

I see one particular course in the top 10 that has absolutely no business there. Not even top 50.

[Bart Bradley]

I see one particular course in the top 10 that has absolutely no business there. Not even top 50.

Greg:

Enlighten us with your wisdom?  What do you think of Elk River anyway?

Bart

[Greg Tallman]

I see one particular course in the top 10 that has absolutely no business there. Not even top 50.

Greg:

Enlighten us with your wisdom?  What do you think of Elk River anyway?

Bart

Bart, You are a wise man! For the record I did not say anything about Elk River... I believe it to have a fine landing strip!!

[M. Shea Sweeney]

Mid Pines?

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

love Midpines

[John Moore II]

Yeah, I don't agree with a lot of this. Eagle Point should be higher, IMO. And I have to wonder which course at River Landing was rated (the have 2) and which course at St. James Plantation (they have 4 courses). National in Pinehurst has no business being as high as it is, and Mid South not being in the top 50 I think is wrong. Tobacco Road, while I tend to say negative things about it, should be far higher than 63, its top 20 at worst. Same with Tanglewood, it should be a lot higher than it is. I put almost no trust in this list, it must be based on nothing more than financial handouts and free plays.

[Ed Oden]

I do not know anyone who takes this particular ranking seriously.  More often, it is the subject of total ridicule.  Business NC Magazine is not a golf publication.  I doubt anyone who is truly interested in the relative stature of NC courses would ever consider this list a legitimate source.  It just has never had any basis in reality whatsoever.  So its hard for me to get too worked up over it. 

Ed