The NC Golf Panel released its annual rankings of more than 600 North Carolina golf courses this week, and the Lonnie Poole Golf Course continues to maintain its rankings and move up in others:
- #1 Public Golf Course in Raleigh, four years in a row
- #2 Public Golf Course in the Triangle Area, up from # 3
- #13 in NC for Courses You Can Play, up from #16
- #54 overall out of 600+ courses, up from #57
Photo credit @livingforbirdies
“North Carolina is well known for its golf courses, so ranking so highly among 600 speaks to the quality of our course, our facilities and our staff,” said Chip Watson, general manager of the Lonnie Poole Golf Course. “As we continue to evolve and host high-profile events, we hope to move up the rankings further.”
The course is the only collegiate course in the world designed by Arnold Palmer and one of three prestigious college-affiliated courses in the Triangle. Until this year, it ranked third behind UNC Finley Golf Course and Duke University Golf Course, primarily due to its relative newness. For the first time, it moved to the second spot; a pride point for Watson.
“Duke and UNC’s courses opened in 1957 and 1949, respectively,” Watson explained, “whereas NC State’s course opened in 2009. It takes time to earn the respect of the NC Golf Panel, so this is quite an accomplishment for us.”
Lonnie Poole Golf Course has received recognition with the Carolinas PGA Merchandiser of the Year and with a national finalist (top three) for the Superintendent of the Year.
The course was recently named #9 for the Best Collegiate Golf Courses in the United States by Golf Advisor and maintains a ranking as one of the 100 best club fitters in America by Golf Digest