Playing Through (Spring 2022)
How ‘bout we take this outside?
No, we are not just talking about teeing off on hole No. 1 at Greystone Golf Course as you try to quiet your nerves in front of a starter and members of your regular foursome; or shaping a shot around a dogleg-left at the Woodlands or a dogleg right at Fox Hollow; or getting a putt past the hole at Diamond Ridge or Rocky Point for fear of hearing your opponent’s tired cliche, “never up, never in.”
Golf is a game meant to be played outdoors and not by slugging a ball a few yards into an indoor hitting screen. Of course, this extends beyond the normal course of activity. The folks at Baltimore (Maryland) County Golf understand this, and that’s why they are stressing it to their guests as they enter the 2022 golf season.
“Our efforts are to do more with club fitting and merchandise sales in the Baltimore area,” says Chris Smith with Baltimore County Golf. “At our Fox Hollow Training Center (located adjacent to the Fox Hollow Golf Course in Timonium), you get the benefit of actually seeing the ball flight as you set up your new equipment – that really sets us apart.”
Still, it’s Baltimore County Golf’s collection of courses that has kept it shining over the years. Its layouts are second to none in the region and offer an amazing value and experience. With dedication to exceptional customer service, great playing conditions and a commitment to pace of play, it’s no wonder Tony Leodora of The Traveling Golfer called Baltimore County Golf a “must-stop” in the Mid-Atlantic.
Welcome to Baltimore County Golf's collection of courses:
Greystone is a championship course nestled in the beautiful countryside of northern Baltimore County. Famed architect Joe Lee’s last-designed course is a masterpiece in layout, challenge, and entertainment. Once you finish this memorable round, plan to stay for a meal at the Greystone Grill. The course’s full-service restaurant and bar. Rotating taps, top-shelf liquor, and a delicious menu, highlighted with homemade shrimp salad, amazing burgers, and Maryland crab cakes, makes this place a destination unto itself. Play and stay for the day.
Diamond Ridge and Woodlands share a clubhouse and are an easy drive from the D.C. area. Designed by Ed Ault, Diamond Ridge has provided golfers a unique links-style front nine and tighter, tree-lined back nine for over 40 years. The Woodlands, self-described by architect Lindsay Ervin as “my best design,” has been ranked by Golf Digest as a “Four-Star Places to Play Award Winner.” It’s destination golf just off the Baltimore beltway.
The Fox Hollow Training Center is located adjacent to the Fox Hollow Golf Course. Ranked as a national Top-50 driving range by the GRAA, the FHTC is central Maryland’s premier destination to improve your game. FHTC is also home to Baltimore County Golf’s growing custom club fitting and merchandise center where they offer more incentives for purchases than other retailers. Get Fit – Outside.
The scenery of Rocky Point, the only golf course along the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, is unrivaled. You’ll want to opt off the cart and enjoy the walk of this gem to really take in the views. Be sure to stop and get a social media-worthy profile pic on the tee (or the green) of the par-three 11th, but don’t affect the pace-of-play.
Baltimore County Golf: Where you Play More and Pay Less.
BOAR'S HEAD RESORT 
Old Versus New at Birdwood Golf Course
There’s nothing quite as calming as driving through the succession of sycamore trees leading up to Charlottesville’s Boar’s Head Resort. The famed luxury hotel is in the heart of the property – 600 acres of tranquility spreading out across Central Virginia countryside and transporting you back in time with every inch of their old-world charm.
But the newly modernized Birdwood Golf Course, an easy walk from the resort’s lodging, forms somewhat of a different picture. The most prominent man-made fixture is still a throwback – a 175-foot water tower uniquely designed in the shape of a lighthouse. It, along with the adjacent Birdwood mansion built in the 1800s, hold vigil over the green shaping what many now consider to be the Davis Love III design’s signature offering, the par-3, 17th hole. This masterpiece is part of a linkage with 17 others and features stone walls surrounding the green and offering up special views of the memorable course.
Though the property is steeped in history, the newly redesigned Birdwood Course is nothing less than a modern marvel. With his keen eye and skill for golf course design, Love and his team opened 50 acres of unused property south of the old layout and built nine completely new holes. These holes, along with the reimagined nine holes residing on the incumbent land, form a championship course worthy of a major university’s golf program’s training and playing facility, which happens to be the case. While serving resort guests and members of the Charlottesville community, Birdwood is also the official home course of the University of Virginia’s men’s and women’s golf teams.
“People are going to love the new Birdwood Golf Course because it is actually a new course,” confirmed Davis Love III upon reopening of the course in July of 2020. “There are holes on all-new land, holes going in different directions than people remembered.”
Now ranked as one of the best courses in all of Virginia by Golf Magazine and Golf Digest, Birdwood has opened the eyes of the traveling golfer. It is truly one of the major players in the category of resort golf offerings in the Middle Atlantic.
Birdwood, with its views up into the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains, originally opened in 1984 but saw its recent rebirth with the entirely fresh championship design. It rolls across more than 200 acres of Charlottesville countryside and features long fescue grass buffers and, according to Golf Digest, “holes are infused with references to Pete Dye and classical-era template presentations.”
In addition to the championship course, Birdwood showcases many modern amenities like the Ridges putting course. This strictly flat-stick challenge spans nearly a full acre and is located right next to the Birdwood clubhouse where players can dine inside or out with selections from the Birdwood Bar & Grill menu.
Birdwood’s golf component is also home to the newly created par-3 course known as “The Nest,” an inherently designed challenge with the wedge game in mind. The Nest allows players to hone their short-game skills across six well-crafted par-3 holes.
www.BoarsHeadResort.com
| 434.293.4653
BOYNE GOLF
Michigan’s Magnificent 10
By Scott Kramer
It only takes one visit to discover why Northern Michigan has become one of America’s premier summer golf and vacation destinations. It offers mile after mile of majestic Lake Michigan coastline, towering sand dunes, idyllic small towns, deep hardwood forests, vast serene lakes, meandering rivers and breathtaking elevations. With 10 acclaimed BOYNE Golf courses across three separate and distinctive resort properties and a variety of options to fit a broad array of itineraries, you can’t go wrong putting your next golf trip in their hands.
So, how does one golf destination present 10 different golfing experiences? Starting in Harbor Springs, The Highlands resort greets you with a stately inn resembling a Scottish country estate and four sensational golf courses, all carved through 3,500 acres of densely forested terrain. New for 2022 will be the renovated elegant luxury accommodations. The Highlands made its name as a golf property in 1966, when Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed the Heather Course. The classic parkland layout that was recognized as the 2019 National Golf Course Owners Association Course of the Year.
The Highland’s Donald Ross Memorial Course pays homage to the spectacular design work performed by the legendary designer, including holes from Seminole, Oakland Hills, Oak Hill, Pinehurst, Inverness, Bob O’Link, and Aronomink, among others. The Arthur Hills course uses the most dramatic land on the property. And, indeed, the tremendous elevation changes on the 13th hole allow for not just a great hole but a breathtaking 4,000-acre view of Northern Michigan forests. The Moor Course has recently undergone renovations to create a more relaxing and rewarding round for guests.
BOYNE Golf’s flagship property, Inn at Bay Harbor and Bay Harbor Golf Club are draped along Lake Michigan and Little Traverse Bay. Bay Harbor Golf Club offers 27 dazzling holes designed by Arthur Hills that are played in three 18-hole combinations (Links/Quarry, Quarry/Preserve, and Preserve/Links). Bay Harbor’s Links/Quarry routing has been a staple on Golf Digest’s biannual list of America's 100 Greatest Public Courses.
The Links course is full of daring, imaginative holes with the reachable 490-yard par-5 seventh, providing big-time thrills and a shot at glory. The Quarry is full of fantastic holes, but the three finishing holes are noteworthy with intimidating tee shot over rocks and wetlands, a shot onto an island green on Lake Michigan, and finishing with a most beautiful green setting along the shoreline. The Preserve plays up to the lofty standards of the Links and Quarry, winding extensively through the hardwoods for much of the nine and opens to the calming Lake Michigan shoreline.
Across the street, scenic 18-hole Crooked Tree Golf Club is perched atop a scenic bluff facing the Inn with breathtaking views of the Bay and Lake Michigan.
At Boyne Mountain Resort, just 20-minutes away, the Alpine and Monument courses open with a breathtaking 10-minute golf cart ride from the clubhouse upwards to the first tees. Both courses weave their way from atop the mountain down toward beautiful Deer Lake, featuring fantastic views.
BOYNE Golf guests can also enjoy award-winning spas, waterfront dining, sandy beaches, water sports, gaming, microbreweries, wineries, and more, capped by the spectacular million-dollar northern Michigan sunsets. Getting there has never been easier with direct service from 17 U.S cities into Traverse City (TVC).
www.BOYNEGolf.com | 844.665.0297
As the adage goes, if you can get past holes 10 and 11 at the Caverns Country Club in Luray, Virginia, you can really be headed for a good round.
Of course, that would mean you have had to survive the diabolical 509-yard first hole where a snap hook off the tee could send your ball into the Shenandoah River; or where a straight, downhill drive of some 298 yards might end up in a cave opening that shares the same rock formation containing the famous Luray Caverns shaped 400 million years ago.
Then there’s the second and third holes – both tree-lined and difficult. After this testy trio, the remaining holes on the front nine are pretty wide open, which lead to an even more demanding bottleneck to begin the second nine. As one player put it, “you might have to turn your shoulders to get through No. 10 (a 382-yard, dogleg-right par 4).”
No matter how you handle the first two-thirds of the course, expect to enjoy the opportunity you have to continue your hot round or get back into it down the stretch.
But that’s just a sample of the Caverns Country Club golf thrill ride. At a total yardage of only 6,499 yards, the Mal Purdy design is not considered long by modern standards. But as a resort destination located in the historic Shenandoah Valley, The Caverns is plenty stretched on breathtaking scenery and is a ton of fun to play.
Not much has changed over the years at The Caverns in the way of how the course flows. But in terms of maintenance, it has kept up with the times as it consistently boasts conditions equal to the memorable experience you’ll discover underground when visiting Luray Caverns – Eastern America’s largest and most popular caverns located less than two miles down the road.
After taking in a game (or two) at the Caverns CC, you’ll owe it to yourself to explore the nearby attraction. Visitors can tour the caverns on well-lighted, paved walkways, explore cathedral-sized rooms with high ceilings and filled with towering stone columns and crystal-clear pools.
As a bonus for those who plan on a multiple-day stay in Luray, The Caverns is now offering golf packages with an option for overnight stays at the town’s historic Mimslyn Inn. A wide portico supported by high columns sets the tone for the classic charm of this 1931 establishment. The gracious lobby, with its winding staircase, quickly transports visitors back to the era of the Old South – all within walking distance from the downtown Luray historic district.
Visitors can catch the hotel’s colonial vibe while in the lobby and enjoy a glass of wine or choose a bottle from the wine shop. The chef prepares seasonal dishes in Circa ’31 and the "Speakeasy" Tavern is ready to entertain a variety of appetites with entertainment on most nights.
Golf, scenery, an internationally famous natural wonder and now a landmark hotel guarantee a hole-in-one experience at The Caverns – situated a mere 90 minutes from the nation’s capital.
www.LurayCaverns.com | 540.743.6551
The art of the successful golf road trip is like going to The Beach Boys’ “Kokomo” – you get there fast and then you take it slow. So if you intend to skid to a halt to tee it up for a few days, it might as well be at someplace real and not just a state of mind, where 1,500 acres of oaks, pine and dogwood covered hills frame 36 holes of world-class golf right outside your hotel door. This dream spot is Grandover Resort & Spa, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and centrally situated between Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, Georgia.
As the holder of the nation’s largest state-maintained highway system, North Carolina knows how to get folks to places in a hurry. Grandover is a perfect example, being located off Interstate 85 and just minutes from Piedmont Triad International Airport. But location is just a start to what the resort brings to the table as a fresh look from top to bottom in recent years has it playing above and beyond its nearly quarter-century of dedication to quality.
Grandover’s most prominent feature has always been its luxury hotel. The building rises high above the North Carolina foothills and operates 244 guestrooms, a Spa and two award-winning 18-holes championship golf courses. These layouts include the East and West Courses, which opened for play in 1996 and 1997, respectively. The routings were designed by U.S. Open and PGA Championship champion David Graham and Gary Panks, both world-renownedcourse architects. The two courses offer definite points of distinction, including terrain over natural rolling landscapes and elevation changes so unusual for the area that some of the holes are reminiscent of mountain courses. There are also strategically placed bunkers, waterfalls, lakes and streams.
In addition, the resort boasts a luxurious indoor/outdoor pool, whirlpool, sauna, tennis and fitness center. The AAA award-winning restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner as it overlooks the picturesque golf courses. Grandover is also the perfect choice for a getaway for meetings and events that can be held in its 45,000-square-feet of flexible event space, on-site catering, and audio/visual support.
With its recent $10 million renovation, Grandover has created even higher standards of expectation. The renovation projects included refreshing the main dining room, DiValletta Restaurant, adding The Grounds Keeper coffee bar and expanding The Gallery at Grandover, which features fine art from local artists. The conference center spaces have also been reimagined.
Truly a “grand” resort destination featuring 36 holes of championship golf, day spa, tennis, resort events, and a live entertainment schedule, Grandover’s “Getaway” packages are a great value. In terms of golf, check out the Golf Getaway package. It includes one-night accommodations along with two rounds of golf, range balls and full breakfast for two for $399 (yes, for two). For additional savings, there is no resort fee at Grandover.
Grandover Resort & Spa grew its market share of leisure visitors during the pandemic by offering friendly service and a safe environment for guests to enjoy. The East and West Courses are the perfect green spaces for such an escape.
www.grandoverresort.com | 336.294.1800
Like the three-day Battle of Gettysburg that took place across an unsuspecting Pennsylvania landscape during the Civil War, the Links at Gettysburg golf experience begins slowly. But by the time you reach its 18th green – a near perfect par-5 finisher with two ponds leading up to the green and water guarding the back of it between the putting surface and a red-rock cliff – you’ll know if you have won or lost your own rapidly escalated golf battle.
That’s because at the Links at Gettysburg, it’s the strength of your finish that will define your score.
Now with more than 20 years of recorded history, this Lindsey Ervin routing and course design by owner Steve Klein remains a tactical success. Located near hallowed ground where Union and Confederate soldiers marched and camped during the defining battle of America’s Civil War, the Links at Gettysburg’s supreme golf challenge saw its first shots fired in 1999 and the volleys haven’t quieted since.
The Links at Gettysburg is an upscale championship course nestled amongst the rolling hills of the Pennsylvania countryside. Located just south of downtown Gettysburg, the layout offers one of the most beautiful settings in the Middle Atlantic. Pristine conditions, large undulating greens, dramatic red rock cliffs and beautiful scenery form some of the most memorable holes you will ever play. The 7,069-yard, par-72 design is a supreme challenge and a rewarding experience every golfer should seek out to play.
This classic layout is also known for its water on almost every hole, blind doglegs and elevated tee shots to pure putting surfaces fronting the red rock cliffs. The first six holes place an emphasis on the tee ball. A few good drives will set up short-iron approaches on the three par 4s and a par 5.
The middle six holes, meanwhile, feature some daunting lake-bordered holes and reveal another red-rock cliff (first introduced back on the par-3 third hole) on No. 8.
But the real battle begins at No. 13, where water on the left and woods on the right suggests that some straight shooting be applied here, as well as the next five holes. After two lengthy par 4s comes the par-5 closer. It is here that an eagle is possible, but a double bogey is just as likely.
Year in and year out, accolades from professional and amateur golfers pour in about the magnificent routing. This is due to its superior playing conditions and its signature service.
Of course, a trip to play one or two rounds at The Links at Gettysburg would not be complete without a visit to the nearby historic Gettysburg Battleground and town. For stay-and-play package information, contact any of the course’s lodging partners – including The Federal Pointe Inn and the Gettysburg Hotel – and ask them about golf packages with The Links at Gettysburg.
The Links at Gettysburg is a brilliant championship course and, as the tag line says, it is truly “Golf’s Gettysburg address.”
www.thelinksatgettysburg.com | 717.359.8000
While savoring its rich history, the Home of American Golf also looks forward to its championship future.
The Pinehurst-Southern Pines-Aberdeen region’s excitement boils down to two words: championship golf.
Next up is the 77th U.S. Women’s Open Championship at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines from June 2-5, 2022. This will be the fourth Women’s Open at Pine Needles, where Annika Sorenstam (1996), Karrie Webb (2001) and Cristie Kerr (2007) notched previous titles.
The Country Club of North Carolina (CCNC) recently played host to the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur.
Meanwhile, the USGA is busy constructing a second home at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club called “Golf House Pinehurst,” which will eventually be the site of the USGA’s equipment research and testing center, turfgrass agronomy, and management offices, as well as a museum and welcome center. The resort’s crown jewel, Pinehurst No. 2, was awarded the USGA’s first U.S Open anchor site, with five championships scheduled from 2024 through 2047. For the second time in 2029, it will host both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Opens in back-to-back weeks.
The Cradle Short Course has been an overwhelming smash hit with all golfers, but particularly with the millennials. Golfers can plunk down $50 and play as many holes as they like on the Hanse-designed, par-3 layout. The Cradle is now a “must play” – 789 yards of the most fun you’ll enjoy on a golf course.
The Resort recently acquired one of the Village of Pinehurst’s most iconic hotels, The Magnolia Inn, and Villaggio Ristorante & Bar. The Magnolia has served as the gateway to the Village since it opened in 1896, less than a year after Pinehurst was founded.
Of course, there is plenty of additional golf buzz around the famed Sandhills, including a rousing renovation of Southern Pines Golf Club, a vintage Donald Ross-designed course dating to the early 1900s that is now under management of the company that owns and operates Pine Needles and Mid Pines.
Architect Kyle Franz says the golf course project evokes the essence of a Ross original, staying true to the well-preserved routing while removing elements that have been added through the years. More than 700 trees were removed, accentuating dramatic vistas throughout the property. The Ross greens have been revamped and the bunkers restored. Franz also uncovered Ross’s “Lost Hole” — which is not part of the current routing — while researching historic materials prior to the restoration.
Other major renovation work has been done on area courses recently, including architect Gil Hanse’s facelift of Pinehurst No. 4, along with The New Course at Talamore Golf Resort, a popular Rees Jones original, and the neighboring Mid South Club, designed by Arnold Palmer.
The Home of American Golf remains proud of its past — and equally excited for its future. For the latest news about nearly 40 area courses and package information, please visit www.HomeofGolf.com
The history of Rock Harbor’s dual golf course property is well documented. Designer Denny Perry “mounted his trusted steed” (a bulldozer) and a quest began in the early 2000s to build an alternative golf course – alternative to the existing private club and the nearby Winchester, Virginia, public offerings.
Now approaching 20 years, Rock Harbor has matured into the visual and strategic delight Perry envisioned while moving more than five million yards of earth and rock. The 36-hole layout now encompasses the older sibling known as the Rock Course (2003) and the more recent one in The Boulder Course (2015). Between the two, they make up nearly 15,000 yards of golf fun and frolic.
What make the overall challenges at Rock Harbor so intricate are the variables. Both courses feature six sets of tees to accommodate all skill levels. Both courses have nine pin placements on generously sized greens to create the effect of a new hole each time you play, and both courses offer strategically placed bunkers, boulders, and lakes.
Aptly named for its abundance of limestone peering from its centuries-old domicile, Rock Harbor is a true Perry creation. Perry shaped, molded, and sculpted out of the soggy, swampy, rocky terrain to finally unveil a beautiful piece of artwork.
Between the Rock and Boulder Courses, some 380 acres of Virginia soil and water are now covered in imaginative golf holes. Across the variable terrain landscape you will find more than a thousand boulders, a heart-shaped green, an island green, eight waterfalls, eight waste bunkers, regular bunkers on every hole, a pair of peninsula greens, a 50/50 ratio of uphill and downhill holes, the largest double green in the region (35,000 square feet), a long par 3 at 260 yards, a long par 5 at over 700 yards, one “boulder field,” five alternate holes and 19 with water on them.
The making of Rock Harbor was certainly not designed to follow convention. But playing the “Rock” is not intended to be hard labor, and Perry did have some thoughts of fairness during the masterminding of his design.
“I tried to do a lot of strategic stuff and you don’t see any two holes alike,” he said. “I tried to make even the bad shot recoverable, not just hitting out of bounds or in tall grass. It might be a hill (that makes the next shot tough), it might be a group of trees – you may have to be innovative with your shot, but you can recover.”
Other facilities you’ll discover at the full-service destination are equally as bold and brilliant. There’s a practice tee area extending beyond 300 yards of driving distance; a wedge range area to hone the skills for placing the approach to the flagstick; practice bunkers to instill the confidence every player needs to take to the course, and then there’s the 14,000-square foot practice putting green where you can feel free to set up your own putting drills without stifling the practice of another player.
www.rockharborgolf.com
| 866.273.1934
The course was originally designed by a world-renowned golf course architect to be a one-of-a-kind Irish links style golf course. Its signature motto is an ancient Roman word Invicta – the motto of the County of Kent in England as well as the name (meaning undefeated or unconquered) for the course’s championship tees. Its bold title emulates the “Royal” courses of the British Isles, where layouts were granted “Royal” status only by the British Monarchy.
In all, Royal New Kent Golf Course, located in Providence Forge, Virginia (between Richmond and Williamsburg), had plenty of Old-World standards to uphold when it first opened in the mid 1990s. Apparently it delivered, though it has since been asked to redeliver. In fact, the layout’s recent restoration came out so well that it is likely the only course to be named the best new course in America (Golf Digest, 1997) and second-best golf course renovation (Golf, Inc., 2020) in just over two decades.
Beyond the fancy designations and all the commemorative plaques to hang on Royal New Kent’s clubhouse walls, there flows a golf course that from its opening day to its recent re-awakening has not seen much deviation in the inherent principles of the Mike Strantz-designed course. The layout is once again big, bold, beautiful, and so reminiscent of the Irish courses that inspired its creation. It’s truly something right out of a seaside links setting – without the sea, that’s true, but also not requiring a flight over an ocean to get to it.
Royal New Kent’s fairways continue to wind their way through towering dunes and its bunkers are once again back to their strict standards. The layout demands a thinking-player’s approach and offers the vagrancies of links golf, occasionally turning a well-executed shot into a tricky recovery.
Still, from a playability perspective, RNK differs from the real deal in that it affords much wider fairways and much larger greens than its Irish brethren. Strantz was an avid follower of Dr. Alister MacKenzie and applied MacKenzie's timeless “13 Principles of Golf Course Design” into the routing. This included shaping holes to appear more difficult than they really are.
Great courses are ones you grow to appreciate the more you play them, and Royal New Kent certainly fits the bill. On every hole, Strantz gives the player a conservative route and an opportunity to "go for it," which makes the course enormously fun and memorable to play.
Now that it has been restored to Strantz’s original vision, Royal New Kent fits flawlessly into the Virginia timberland surrounds. Flowing across 7,440 yards of windswept, rugged landscape, Royal New Kent features newly transitioned and pure Champions Bermuda greens that are very large and provide inviting targets with bold swales and ridges. Each hole offers several playing options to fit a wide range of golfer abilities. The overall 282-acre property, in addition, presents golfers with open spaces and panoramic vistas unlike any other course along the east coast. So, head to Royal New Kent and see why the tag lines reads: “Golf Ireland in Virginia”.
www.royalnewkent.com | 804.966.7023
Famed architect and “U.S. Open Doctor” Rees Jones, the first-known llama caddie in the world (Dollie Llama, no relation) and a ‘thinker’s’ golf course (debuting in 1991) set in rolling wooded terrain are all a part of Talamore Golf Resort’s illustrious past. Still, it is the present and future wave of things that are generating the most excitement around the “Home of American Golf.”
The ownership’s progressive vision recently included taking a cutting-edge approach to enhancing the layout’s distinctive sod-wall bunkers. The popular Southern Pines, North Carolina, resort which features Talamore, along with the Mid South Club, designed by Arnold Palmer – has become one of the first golf courses in the country to install EcoBunkers at Talamore, providing the strongest and most efficient method of constructing stacked sod walls using synthetic grass tiles.
In more than a quarter century since the Talamore Resort first opened – offering llamas as caddies as the only walking option across its long and undulating corridors – the popular Sandhills golf getaway has remained on the cutting edge of resort innovation. Talamore was named the “Course of the Year” by the Village of Pinehurst Area Chapter of the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) after a major restoration in 2016. In Golf Advisor’s annual Golfers’ Choice rankings of the best golf courses in the U.S., Talamore was named the No. 1 public golf course in North Carolina and No. 22 in the “Top 25 U.S. golf courses for course conditions.”
The addition of the EcoBunkers at Talamore is part of an ongoing, multi-million-dollar resort enhancement that also includes the addition of a Toptracer Range at Talamore and a large new practice putting green. This state-of-the-art range includes 10 hitting stalls where Talamore guests can experience interactive golf entertainment powered by the same technology that viewers enjoy during televised PGA Tour events to track the shots of the game’s best players.
In addition, the Talamore practice range has been upgraded and a new, 15,000-square-foot putting course is being installed between the driving range and the 10th tee boxes that is expected to open in the fall. Guests can warm up or practice on the putting course while waiting for Toptracer, or simply settle some bets after their round.
A new 1,000-square-foot deck has also been installed on the back of Talamore, which overlooks the course’s memorable finishing hole. There is comfortable furniture and cozy fire pits, along with lights and several TVs, making it the perfect spot to socialize post round or wait to compete on Toptracer.
Last, but not least, the resort got some publicity with an early Christmas present in 2021 – the arrival of a 35-pound baby llama named “Jones” (after the architect), bringing the property’s herd to an even four.
Visitors to the renowned Talamore Resort can stay and play two of the area’s finest courses, Talamore and Mid South Club, both located on Midland Road midway between the Pinehurst Resort and Mid Pines and Pine Needles. Both courses regularly rank among North Carolina’s prestigious Top 100.
www.TalamoreGolfResort.com | 800.552.6292
