Charlotte, NC public

[Stewart Abramson]

I don't see much posted about public golf courses in Charlotte. I'll have one afternoon to play on the tail end of a business trip. What's the most interesting public course within an hour of downtown or the airport?

[Wade Whitehead]

Stewart:

There are GCA multiple threads on public golf options in Charlotte.  It's a bare, bare cupboard.

WW

[Cory Lewis]

Play Verdict Ridge in Denver, 30 minutes from the airport.  Fun course with some elevation changes.  Ballantyne Resort & Rocky River would be 2 other options.  As many have said before, it's very hard to distinguish between all the public courses in Charlotte, they are all ok to good but none of them stick out above the rest.

[Greg Feldman]

I am a Charlotte public golfer, and as Wade said, there are not a lot of great options as far as interesting architecture.  The best of the not so great:


Fort Mill golf club has 9 holes by Ross, and would be possibly be worth a play.  The back 9 is significantly less interesting though. Same story at Monroe CC (9 holes Ross, 9 holes added later) but will take you a little far from the airport.  If you have time I'd put Monroe ahead of Fort Mill.


Among the many very similar other courses, I do like Carolina Lakes the best.  Granted, it is routed through a massive housing development which is not ideal.  However it had good width off the tee for the most part, and I think it has quite a few fun/interesting greens for a modern course of this type.


As Cory mentioned, Verdict Ridge has some fun elevation changes.  It's a fairly typical "housing development" course also.

[Theresa Stotler]

might want to try looking at Golfnow.com as the sometimes have some residential courses that might be open, along with some nice descriptions,

[Wade Whitehead]

If you play Verdict Ridge, keep your eyes open for a 56 degree oil can Vokey wedge (stamped WW).  It was lifted from my bag near the shop the last time I was there.

Is Skybrook still open?  How about Birkdale?

WW

[Matt MacIver]

Wade - both still open, both good choices among what there is. Springfield also fine, though given one choice I too would choose Carolina Lakes.


Red Bridge was built out in the country in '09 timeframe and I've only played it once, but liked the rolling terrain, width and green complexes. It also played F&F when I played it several years ago.

[James Brown]

I thought Charles T Meyers was pretty fun, even if it's built on a trash pile. 

[Greg Feldman]

I have mixed feelings on Red Bridge.  I think it has the best green complexes of all the Charlotte courses.  However I left feeling disappointed.  I actually think it lacked width in many places, and the biggest fault was the sameness of a lot of the holes.  A little too much target golf and forced carries.  Not a bad course, it just feels like it could have been so much more with the rolling terrain and great green complexes.

[Carl Johnson]

If you play Verdict Ridge, keep your eyes open for a 56 degree oil can Vokey wedge (stamped WW).  It was lifted from my bag near the shop the last time I was there.

Is Skybrook still open?  How about Birkdale?

WW

I was on a rating (slope/rating) team at Skybrook in the early summer -- at that time the conditioning was poor, but I understood they were trying to bring it back.

Irish Creek, north of CLT in Kannapolis is probably within an hour.  Technically private, but might have a liberal visitor policy.  Worth a call.  Much better, in my opinion, than the other options listed above.

[Wade Whitehead]

If you don't mind a short drive, I'd play Country Club of Salisbury.  The front nine there is pure Ross.

WW

[A.G._Crockett]

Last Friday, I played Deer Brook in Shelby, which fits your criteria, I think; it's under an hour's drive from the airport.  Well-conditioned and very affordable public course, good pace of play and very little housing.

Interesting course too, that I think a lot of GCA'ers would like; relatively open off the tee, with some of the most demanding greens you'll ever see.  Anyway, in a town with "difficult" public golf, it isn't a bad option.  I've played Fort Mill, and Deer Brook is better despite the 9 hole Ross pedigree at Fort Mill.