10 best public golf courses around Charlotte, ranked
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Warrior Golf Club. Photo: Courtesy of Chris Beeman
There are more than 45 public and semi-private golf courses within an hour's drive of Charlotte. Chris Beeman has played them all and collected other golfers' reviews for over two decades.
- Beeman lives in South Charlotte, is a member at The Club at Longview and runs B-Man's Guide to Golf, a site he founded in 2002 "for the golfer, by the golfer."
- He runs competitive amateur golf tournaments for the N.C. chapter of TheGrint Tour.
- He also plans and hosts group golf trips to the best golf resorts in the world for TripCaddie.com.
- You can follow Chris on Instagram, Twitter (X) and Facebook – @charlottegolfer.
He uses five criteria to determine the top 10 courses:
- The "Wow" Factor: something about the course that is unique, makes you want to come back and that you tell your friends about
- Conditions: consistently great year-round conditions (especially on the greens) are a must for this list
- Layout: a mix of fun, challenges and good design throughout 18 holes
- Amenities: restaurant/bar, clubhouse, practice facilities, etc. that make your entire experience great
- Value: bang for the buck, how the rest of the rating factors stack up to the price of greens fees
Driving the news: While the Charlotte area's only true resort golf course continues to set the standard, one of the region's toughest public courses springs into the Top 10 this year.
- Charlotte's traditional green grass golf facilities are now competing with state-of-the-art indoor golf simulators, adult mini-golf and entertainment venues like TopGolf, Intown Golf Club, Puttery and dozens more. Several courses in this Top 10 list now feature their own indoor golf simulators (The 500 Club) and TopTracer driving ranges (Edgewater, Skybrook) to give golfers the best of both worlds.
- Consider carpooling with your foursome — the courses on this list range from 20-50 miles from Uptown Charlotte.
The Top 10 golf courses in the list below represent the best public-access golf around Charlotte. This guide was last updated in June 2025 with our 2025 rankings.
1. Rock Barn Country Club & Spa (Jackson Course)
Rock Barn remains the top public access venue in town, boasting resort amenities and a thrilling layout of memorable holes.
Location: Conover
Rates: $70 weekdays, $85 weekends
Type: Semi-Private
Scorecard: Par 72, 6427 yards
Description/analysis: This Tom Jackson-designed course built in 1963 is part of the Rock Barn resort that features a second 18-hole private course (designed by Robert Trent Jones II), a spa and several restaurants. The layout features well-maintained Bentgrass greens, breathtaking holes and risk-reward scoring opportunities that will increase your heart rate.
Signature hole: The par 5 10th hole challenges you with a visually stunning elevated tee shot to a dogleg left fairway some 50 yards below the tee box. On your second shot, you can choose to challenge the large pond between you and the green and have a go at eagle. Or, play it "safer" down the right side of the pond and try to avoid the fairway bunkers guarding the layup. Whichever route you take and no matter your score, you will talk about this hole after your round and want to play it again.
Best venue for a putting contest: The practice area features the largest putting green you'll find anywhere — in case you want to try a 200-foot putt!
2. Warrior Golf Club
Built around the 52-acre Lake Wright and convenient to both I-77 and I-85 north of Charlotte, Warrior Golf Club offers beautiful views, rolling terrain and immaculate Bermuda greens.
Location: China Grove
Rates: $65 weekdays, $85 weekends
Type: Semi-private
Scorecard: Par 71, 6609 yards
Description/analysis: Family-owned Warrior Golf Club celebrated its 25th anniversary last year and consistently receives the best reviews from area golfers on my website. The Champion G12 Ultra Dwarf Bermuda grass greens and the scenic lakeside views on holes 15-18 are private club-worthy.
Signature hole: The risk-reward par 5 17th is an exhilarating bookend to your round, offering a great chance to go for the green in 2 and score an eagle.
On-cart caddie: The golf carts feature touchscreen GPS to aid your distance measurements and course strategy.
3. Eagle Chase Golf Club
Once the hidden gem of the Charlotte area, Eagle Chase Golf Club is now widely known for its fun, picturesque layout tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the Queen City.
Location: Marshville
Rates: $49 weekdays, $75 weekends
Type: Semi-private
Scorecard: Par 72, 6723 yards
Description/analysis: Eagle Chase is hidden among the farms in Union County with no houses or other civilization intruding on your round of golf. The course features Diamond Zoysia grass greens and it plays like a mountain course with an elevated tee or green on almost every hole. The front 9 includes two reachable par 5's, a dramatic downhill par 3 (#6), and one of the toughest par 4's around town (#2).
Signature holes: The back nine's breathtaking stretch of Nos. 11-13 makes for awesome photo ops. The par 4 13th hole is one of my favorites, only 334 yards from the elevated back tee with a carry over the pond – a great birdie opportunity, with a view!
Bang for your buck: Eagle Chase is located in Marshville (hometown of country singer Randy Travis). With a $ 49-weekday rack rate and twilight rates available, this course remains one of the best values around town for your golfing dollar.
4. Verdict Ridge Golf & Country Club
One of the most visually stunning courses in the area, Verdict Ridge offers beauty, challenge, conditions and amenities on par with nearby private clubs around Lake Norman.
Location: Denver, N.C.
Rates: $72 weekdays, $92 weekends (must play as the guest of a member)
Type: Semi-Private
Scorecard: Par 72, 6926 yards
Description/analysis: After years at the top of the list, Verdict Ridge has fallen in these rankings primarily due to no longer allowing public play on the weekends. The course itself gets better every year, and its unique layout still plays like a mountain course, with steep hills and valleys throughout. The fast Champion Bermuda greens are kept in great condition year-round.
Signature hole: The 347-yard par 4 9th hole is one of the most beautiful in all of Charlotte. If you play the bounce off the hill left of the fairway just right, you will have a short iron approach into a green framed by a small creek on the left, a pond on the right and a scenic waterfall in the background.
Don't miss this: Be sure to rub the "Good Luck Gavel" next to the first tee before your round – it honors the club's founder, former Charlotte mayor and lawyer Eddie Knox.
5. Rocky River Golf Club
Within earshot of Charlotte Motor Speedway and paired with the Embassy Suites hotel and spa, Rocky River Golf Club offers resort-like amenities and course conditions in NASCAR country.
Location: Concord
Rates: $64 weekdays, $84 weekends
Type: Public
Scorecard: Par 72, 6970 yards
Description/analysis: Rocky River Golf Club sits right in NASCAR's backyard and you can often hear drivers making practice runs as you play the first several holes. This Dan Maples design feels like a resort course, with well-manicured fairways and Bermuda grass greens meandering through wetlands and Carolina pines. It is a tight layout with thick Bermuda rough, however.
Signature hole: The par 5 3rd hole features a humongous boulder in the middle of the fairway and gives long hitters a chance at an eagle. The boulder ("Gragg's Rock") is named in honor of Floyd Gragg, one of the area's longest-serving golf professionals who oversaw the opening of the course in 1997.
Treat the fam: With its great amenities, Rocky River is a great spot for family and friends in town for a visit. Let the non-golfers enjoy a spa package while you chase birdies on the golf course.
6. Mooresville Golf Club
A former municipal course, Mooresville Golf Club has transformed into a must-play, well-maintained layout with country club amenities and a superior practice complex.
Location: Mooresville
Rates: $52 weekdays, $68 weekends
Type: Public
Scorecard: Par 72, 6803 yards
Description/analysis: A well-executed $5 million renovation by renowned architect Kris Spence in 2016 included the installation of slick, challenging TifEagle Bermuda greens. With the elevation changes and several blind shots, play your first round here with a friend who knows the course or use a GPS app (e.g. TheGrint) to avoid trouble.
View from the tee: The elevated teebox on the par 3 7th hole offers a nice view of the front nine and the clubhouse. It's especially beautiful when you're playing a quick 9 before dusk.
Muni roots: The original layout of 9 holes was designed by famed architect Donald Ross and opened in 1948. It is very walkable and the $68 weekend rate is a steal for the quality of conditions and amenities.
7. Skybrook Golf Club
With its recently added TopTracer driving range, Skybrook's combination of great amenities and a fantastic course layout keep it firmly in the Top 10.
Location: Huntersville
Rates: $68 weekdays, $85 weekends
Type: Semi-private
Scorecard: Par 72, 7028 yards
Description/analysis: Skybrook has a distinct mountain course feel, similar to Verdict Ridge, with large elevation changes tee to green, sloped fairways and undulating greens.
Signature holes: The closing 4-hole stretch is one of the best in Charlotte public golf, featuring: a short but well-bunkered par 4, a long par 3 over water, then a scary dogleg left pond-guarded par 4 and finally the S-shaped signature closing par 5. The risk-reward decisions on these four holes will make or break your round.
19th hole: The SkyTop Grill features an excellent menu and patio dining overlooking the 9th green — a great place to settle up bets and relax after your round.
8. Edgewater Golf Club
With a brand new, $20 million, 18,000 square foot clubhouse, 1-acre putting green and TopTracer hitting bays opening this summer, Edgewater now has top-tier amenities to match its already acclaimed course layout.
Location: Lancaster, S.C.
Rates: $63 weekdays, $83 weekends
Type: Semi-private
Scorecard: Par 72, 7103 yards
Description/analysis: Edgewater's A1/A4 Bentgrass greens are similar to the ones at Augusta National and they are typically smooth and felt-like all year round.
Downhill, uphill: The short, downhill opening par 4 and the front-nine closing, uphill par 4 9th hole provide opposite challenges and visuals but similar scoring opportunities. Closing out your round, you must navigate an uphill tee shot and approach into the par 5 17th followed by the breathtaking downhill, uphill par 4 finishing hole.
Let's play two: Playing Edgewater can be a long roundtrip, so make a day of it and play Springfield (No. 10 on this list) for a second round on your way back to Charlotte.
9. The 500 Club
The 500 Club raced into the Top 10 last year after renovating and rebranding in 2023 and continues to generate buzz with excellent dining and recreation amenities.
Location: Statesville
Rates: $65 weekdays, $85 weekends
Type: Semi-private
Scorecard: Par 72, 7005 yards
Description/analysis: This course — known for years as Fox Den and then Larkin Golf Club — put in TifEagle Bermuda grass greens in 2023 and upgraded the clubhouse with an open-air sports bar and indoor golf simulators. The back patio features a lighted putting course and deck chairs overlooking the 18th green.
Signature hole: The dramatically downhill tee shot on the par 5 8th hole is exhilarating enough but the second shot over a pond for a chance at eagle will test your nerve.
Auto racing pedigree: The 500 Club is privately owned by an investment group that includes multiple Daytona 500-winning NASCAR drivers, team owners and other industry professionals.
10. Springfield Golf Club
Springing into the Top 10 after years of honorable mentions, this course would be No. 1 based on difficulty.
Location: Fort Mill
Rates: $65 weekdays, $87 weekends
Type: Public
Scorecard: Par 72, 6906 yards
Description/analysis: Adjacent to the Anne Springs Close Greenway just across the state line southwest of Charlotte, Springfield Golf Club features four holes that flank Sugar Creek and 13 holes that play across and along streams that feed into the Catawba River. The course is known for its rolling hills, blind shots and slick, sloped Bermuda greens.
Tough test: From the 6,906-yard Championship tees, Springfield ranks among the top 5 toughest public golf courses in South Carolina by course rating (73.8) and slope rating (145).
Multi-course membership: Springfield is managed by Leroy Springs & Co. (the non-profit that operates the Greenway) and offers a membership with reciprocals across 3 other local courses (Fort Mill, Lancaster and Chester Golf Club).
Best of the Rest:
Emerald Lake Golf Club — Matthews: My former home course from 15 years ago is one of the last public golf courses in the area with Bentgrass greens. The course's signature hole (the par 5, No. 14) features two shots over the namesake lake.
Stonebridge Golf Club — Monroe: PGA Master Professional teacher Nick Jacobi runs the area's best junior golf program and the club maintains a comprehensive practice facility.
River Bend YMCA Golf Course — Shelby: This course combines the lowest greens fees of any course around Charlotte and some of the fastest, best-conditioned greens. I recommend playing a 36-hole day with one round here and one at nearby Deer Brook.