Best 18 In High Point
- prowledpantherspod
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 21 hours ago
You feel that in the air???
That's Fall!
Post Labor Day, we're moving into the BEST time of the year. And included in that, I would argue, it's the best time of the year to hit the links. Forget the sweltering Carolina Summers of a swamp in your pants and a miserable walk. The temps are manageable, the grass is still Green, the greens aren't being punched on courses with the "right" grass types, and the courses won't be over-run.
Given the timing, and having HPU guard Chase Johnston recently share he's a 5-handicap with little-to-no playing time (eye roll...), it got me thinking...
What's the best course to play in High Point?
Here's what Chase himself has played....
Before my rankings, I have some precursors to make it fair and accessible for all.
I started with a simple Google Search, as anyone would that's not a local. The courses listed, and the ONLY courses considered in these rankings, were: Holly Ridge Golf Links, Blair Park Golf Course, Oak Hollow Golf Course, Jamestown Park Golf Course, Winding Creek Golf Course, High Point Country Club, Golf at Grandover Resort, Gillespie Golf Course, Colonial Country Club, High Point Country Club Willow Creek, Olde Homeplace Golf Club, Meadowlands Golf Club, Pine Knolls Golf Club, and Sedgefield Country Club.
Immediately, there's a couple flaws in the list. The first is: technically not all these courses are in High Point. But for the sake of a rankings list, we can work-around since they're all within the Triad footprint. The second is: not all these are publicly accessible -- meaning if you want to punch out a quick 18 and don't "know somebody", then you're out of luck.
Sadly, I have to eliminate, High Point Country Club, Colonial Country Club, High Point Country Club Willow Creek, and Sedgefield Country Club.
In that list... holds the best courses in “High Point” (1. Sedgefield 2. Willow Creek...)
Here's the Net ranks:
Holly Ridge
It's a bit of a trip outside the city limits, but the relatively new Bermuda greens make up for the extended time of travel. It's fairly priced, it's got enough shape and character to not just be a pasture, while still being open, and they've improved the tech of the carts to listen to tunes and have instant yardages at the push of a button.
It really does all come back to those greens -- they roll great.
If the weather's no good, go to the lodge-like clubhouse, enjoy food, and play some on the simulators.
Jamestown
Also, relatively new changes have been made to the greens and clubhouse at Jamestown. For a city-owned course, this remains maintained like it were closer to a private club. Bermuda greens are easily the way to play in NC.
There are some slightly unfair tee box set-ups, but they actually require more shot-shaping than our number 1, Holly Ridge.
Oak Hollow
Play golf long enough, and you'll recognize the name Pete Dye.
Famous course designer that designed courses like Kiawah, Whistling Straits, TPC Sawgrass, and.... Oak Hollow golf course in High Point.
I've always felt significant similarities of how the water comes into play around Oak Hollow lake, to what's seen on TV during the Players Championship at Sawgrass. And again, for a city-owned course, it's kept in pretty good shape.
Why it gets knocked down some in my books? Bent grass greens take a BEATING in the blazing HP summers. Ball marks plentiful. They just don't roll as true.
Golf at Grandover
Aside from telling your kids that the Tower of Terror at Disney is designed to look like Grandover in Greensboro, these two courses leave a lot to be desired for me.
The positives: It is a resort, so you can golf and your spouse can luxury. It does have 2 courses so there's more openings. If you play in the heat of the Summer, there's lots of Bermuda. And go when the Wyndham is near, and it will be in top-notch shape.
But Grandover drops in my rankings because of the "bang for your buck" factor.
For the price tag of playing a resort course, I don't feel that either are worth the added expense when compared to the top 3 on this list.
Meadowlands
Nice community, in the quaint Wallburg. There's a pool, a dress code, and membership opportunities.
Overall a solid course. Nothing to go crazy about, and nothing to really complain about.
I do think the front 9 is better than the back.
Olde Homeplace
This course ranks ahead of the others because it is a VERY fair course. Yardages are approachable, it's immensely open, and if Meadowlands is booked -- It's a hop away, also in Wallburg.
Just imagine that grain silo, to be a beautiful watch tower.
Winding Creek
We-re going the opposite direction now.
Situated down in Thomasville, a little-known fact about this course is that it sits atop what was once a city dump. While that's a great repurpose of land-space, it makes it hard to rank the course but so high.
Another fun-fact: I once watched someone hit on a par 3, at this course, during a tournament, for a MILLION dollar annuity, with a hole-in-one.
They didn't make it.
Pine Knolls
To be fair, I really don't know lots about the course. Other than, again, having a pool and sitting in a community.
It's at 8 since course ownership has changed within the last 10 years and uncertain tradition remains.
Blair Park
Let me tell you a quick story about an outing I once had at Blair Park....
I was no more than a teen at the time, when my Pops and I decided to grab a quick 9 holes late in the evening. Being that we aren't picky, it was getting late in the day, we decided on a course local to home, in High Point.
As we were minding our own business, about to hit approach shots into the green around holes 2 or 3, we watched as some neighborhood boys emerged from along the roadway on Nathan Hunt, ran onto the green, pulled the flag from the cup, and took off with it, likely to be thrown into a nearby creek.
The perfect summary of High Point city-owned, Blair Park.
Gillespie
Last, and certainly least -- Why would you go outside the city limits of High Point to play another park-style, public course?
Enough said.
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