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Nifty & Nearby
Far from the maddening crowds,
golf's great at these little-known gems

By Bill F. Hensley


North Carolina's Hidden Gems
Southern Pines Elks Club, S. Pines
Mt. Mitchell, Burnsville
Keith Hills, Buies Creek
Red Fox, Tryon
Wilmington Municipal, Wilmington
Boone GC, Boone
Meadowlands, Winston-Salem
Little River, Carthage
Greensboro National, Greensboro
Sapphire Valley, Cashiers
Bald Head, Bald Head Island
Pinewood, Asheboro
Colonial, Thomasville
Oak Hollow, High Point
Currituck, Corolla

Ask the average Tar Heel golfer to name the great Donald Ross courses in the Sandhills and he or she likely will reel off Pinehurst No. 2, Pine Needles, Mid Pines and some others of similar stature not far behind.

It's unlikely that the Southern Pines Elks Club will be included in many such lists, but it should, according to members of the North Carolina Magazine Golf Panel. In balloting by the panel, the old Ross course, which dates to 1906, was declared the best golf course in North Carolina that hardly anyone's ever heard of, a real “hidden gem.”

We had always figured there are courses across the state that aren't widely known because they're off the beaten path, proud but under-promoted. They offer a challenging round of golf at bargain prices.

To compile a list of “hidden gems” to recommend to readers, we asked the members of the Golf Panel to put on their thinking caps. They came up with 25 courses that received at least 20 ballot points. Most of them aren't widely known to the golfing public but a few are — some that rank in our elite Top 100.

They stretch from the coast to the mountains, meaning you won't have to drive far to find one: Bald Head Island off the coast from Wilmington, Hound Ears up in the mountains in Blowing Rock and The Challenge in Graham. Eight of the courses are in the mountains, eight in Piedmont, five in the Pinehurst area, and four on the coast.

Now, let's reacquaint ourselves with the stately old Southern Pines Elks Club. Ross started work on the course shortly after he arrived in Pinehurst around the turn of the century. He completed the first nine holes in 1906, the second nine in 1912 and the third around 1923.

Located just off Morganton Road in Southern Pines, the course, which had been a country club, was taken over by the Elks in 1949. It's open to Elk Club members and guests.

Although the course has had its ups and downs over the years, it has always provided a golfing thrill in true Ross fashion. Two of the state's best-known players, Billy Joe Patton and Harvie Ward, have long regarded the course as a favorite.

“I will put our Azalea and Bluebird nines up with the best,” said Southern Pines Elks Club golf pro Bob Flynt. “Both offer a variety of great holes and interesting challenges.”

Flynt said extensive work had been done on the course in the past few years, including new cart paths, an irrigation system, and Crenshaw bent grass on the greens.

Other panelists who cited the Southern Pines Elks Club as their best “hidden gem” include Peggy Kirk Bell, whose Pine Needles resort is a next-door neighbor; Jeff Dotson, another neighbor as the pro at CCNC; Joe Gay, the pro at Tobacco Road in Sanford; Charles Zeigler Jr., the Public Service Gas Co. executive; and Dave Droschak, the Associated Press sports writer.

Second on the panel's list of “hidden gems” is the Mt. Mitchell course, near Burnsville. It lies in the shadow of North Carolina's tallest mountain and offers scenic splendor and demanding shots. Its enthusiasts included Les Stradley, the pro at the Country Club of Asheville, Lee Pace, Sally Austin, Charles Price, Tim Peeler, Don Bryant and Bill McCord.

Keith Hills in Buies Creek, the Campbell University course, came in third. In the spring when the azaleas are in bloom, Keith Hills is one of the most beautiful spots on earth. Fourth was Red Fox in Tryon, followed by Wilmington Municipal.

Look over the list below and pick out a “hidden gem” near you. You could be in for a delightful adventure on some little known turf.

 

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