Charlotte, Ballantyne

Accommodations:

Hampton Inn

Location:

Charlotte. A visit to the Queen City of the South is a treat for NASCAR fans, historians, water sport fanatics and golfers.  The variety of activity is limitless and the golf is very memorable.  With rolling terrain, towering pines and hardwoods and plenty of water challenges, the courses are fun and exceed expectations.  South of the city, the Courtyard by Marriott will be you place of residence during your stay.  Located next to the Ballantyne Resort, you will be close to the course as well as many of the other area tracks.  The facility includes a swimming pool, exercise room and restaurants nearby.  Includes green fees, cart fees, range balls and taxes.

Ballantyne Golf Club
Voted the “Best New Golf Course in the State” by North Carolina Magazine in 1998, this track is one of the premier courses in the area.  The layout features mounds throughout the rough, which is a trademark of Rees Jones’ designs.  The backside is very hilly and plays like a mountain course.  The fairways are tight and tree-lined and the green are challenging.  Water comes into play on 11 holes.  The most difficult is #6, a 430-yard par 4 that requires a tee shot to a narrowing fairway.  The tenth hole is the shortest on the course.  With a lake carry to triple tiered green, you need to pick the correct club.  The clubhouse is magnificent … plan on relaxing with a cold one and reflect on your round.

Charlotte Golf Links
This Tom Doak design was built in 1993 on rolling terrain and has plenty of water and trees that come into play throughout the course.  Primarily a links course, you will encounter great par 3 holes and challenging greens.  The routing takes each golfer over subtle rolling piedmont as you bypass ponds, streams and heathery rough.  If you stay out of the rough, you could score well.  Even though it has a wide open feel to it, there are times when you must put your ego aside and play target golf.  The signature hole is #16, a 201-yard par 3, which will distract you with the view.

  Regent Park Golf Club
Located just across the border in South Carolina, this course is very special.  The king of Florida design, Ron Garl, came north to tackle the creation of this 1994 course.  His normal flat courses differ with this rolling terrain track so expect some uneven lies.  The greens are all undulating and include some multi-tiered surfaces.  Garl added some man-made water hazards to go with the natural ones and the wet stuff comes into play on ten holes.  The most difficult hole is #8, a 467-yard par 4 that features a dogleg right fairway that deceives you.  You must really right your tee shot to the left side of the fairway to have a clear shot at the green.  Good luck!

Waterford Golf Club 
Just across the border in South Carolina is a Hale Irwin classic.  This scenic course features rolling fairways and trees line both sides.  Irwin increased the challenge by using many dogleg configurations, plenty of bunkers and water hazards.  The signature hole is #13, a 423-yard par 4 where a creek starts in front of the tee box, then winds along the left side of the fairway and then across in front of the green.  If that is not enough, the green is surrounded by bunkers.  There’s more … the hole also has a split-level fairway.  Have fun!

  Stonebridge Golf Club
This classic style course with rolling fairways weaves through hardwood trees.  Your goal is to keep your ball out of these trees.  There are no tricks here, just 18 very good holes with a wide variety of looks.  Featured in Golf Magazine, this track will be fully private, so play it before that happens.  Built in 1997 and designed by Richard Osborne, this course has matured to the point where you can’t believe it is only 5 years old.  As is his signature, Osborne designed the Stonebridge course not only for breathtaking vistas, but for play that can be enjoyed by both occasional players and those whose experience level dictates greater challenges. Enjoy the experience.

Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation
Also built in 1997, this Tom Jackson design (his 99^th course) can eat you up from the back tees and can be very challenging from the front ones.  Many of the fairways are tight and tree-lined, which places accuracy and precise ball placement at a premium.  The greens are fairly fast and several are double-tiered.  #5 is a great challenge with a right dogleg bend that requires a big drive to have shot at a narrow green.  The 12^th hole is the longest at 601-yards where you’ll find well-placed bunkers in the landing area and then the hole doglegs left into a narrow green with a small creek protecting the front.  The finishing 528-yard par hole is reachable in two if you avoid the right bunkers.  Trees and 5 sand traps protect the left side and front of the green.  What a finish!