Golf
The gorgeous scenery of the Lake Norman area makes a perfect backdrop for golf courses. Many are surrounded by luxurious communities; others simply provide a challenging game of golf.

Across from Birkdale Village in Huntersville, Birkdale Golf Club covers 200 acres of rolling terrain, with trees, natural streams, Bermuda fairways and bent greens. This Arnold Palmer design is hailed as one of the best public courses in the area, rated four stars by Golf Digest. Birkdale Golf Club also includes a wide driving range, two putting greens, a large chipping green with two bunkers, banquet and conference rooms, a pro shop, lessons and clinics.

Just east of Huntersville, Skybrook is an 18-hole championship course with beautiful, rolling fairways and scenic views. With 7,000 yards of play, each hole offers four tee boxes for various skill levels. The surrounding community of Skybrook offers homes from the $250s to $700s as well as a highly acclaimed swim and racquet club.

Between Rocky River Road and Davidson-Concord Road in Davidson, River Run Country Club includes a 7,000-yard course with tree-lined fairways, lakes and a forest. The course also provides a clubhouse overlooking a lake and waterfall, a bar and lounge, dining room and ball room for events, 12 outdoor and four indoor tennis courts, an Olympic-size pool, fitness center, pro shop and child care facility. Custom homes in the River Run community range from the $400s to more than $1 million.

One of the most exclusive addresses on Lake Norman is The Peninsula in Cornelius, which sits along 11 miles of Lake Norman’s shore. The centerpiece of this resort community is an 18-hole championship course designed by Rees Jones. The Peninsula also provides a swim and tennis center, a clubhouse overlooking the lake and the Peninsula Yacht Club, which has 400 boat slips, a swimming pool and an upscale restaurant.

Another resort community on Lake Norman is The Point, a 1,200-acre community with 18 miles of shoreline off of Brawley School Road in Mooresville. A Greg Norman-designed golf course offers 13 holes that play along the lake. A community tavern overlooks the 18th hole.

One of the most challenging courses is Mooresville Municipal Golf Course. With a Donald Ross designed front nine and a Porter Gibson back nine, Mooresville Golf Course provides both short- and long-game challenges and appeals to all skill levels. The course offers plenty of water hazards and tree-lined fairways.

The west side of the lake also features some highly acclaimed courses. In Denver, Verdict Ridge is a country club community developed by Eddie Knox, former mayor of Charlotte. Its varying course captures the feel of the North Carolina landscape, from mountainous terrain to the forested Piedmont to the low-lying areas along the coast. The course hosted the U.S. Open Qualifying tournament in 2001. With hills and valleys, creeks and wetlands, Verdict Ridge is probably best known for its ninth hole, a 351-yard, par 4 with a waterfall hazard to the left of the green. The community also features a clubhouse, junior Olympic-size pool with a cabana, three lighted tennis courts and a children’s playground.

Golf Courses
Ballantyne Country Club
11120 Ballantyne Country Club Drive Charlotte, NC 28277
704-544-1404
private

Birkdale Golf Club
16500 Birkdale Commons Parkway Huntersville, NC 28078
704-895-8038
public

Buffalo Shoals National Golf Club
1000 Broken Arrow Drive Statesville, NC 28677
704-873-4653
semi-private

Cabarrus Country Club
3247 Weddington Road Concord, NC 28025
704-786-8154
private

Carmel Country Club
4735 Carmel Road Charlotte, NC 28226
704-542-2457
private

Carolina Golf & Country Club
2415 Old Steele Creek Road Charlotte, NC 28208
704-392-6363
private

Cedarwood Country Club
5000 Pineville Matthews Road Charlotte, NC 28226
704-542-0206
private

Charles T. Myers Public Golf Course
7817 Harrisburg Road Charlotte, NC 28215
704-536-1692
public

Charlotte Country Club
2465 Mecklenburg Ave. Charlotte, NC 28205
704-333-9809
private

Charlotte Golf Links
11500 Providence Road Charlotte, NC 28277
704-846-7990
public

Cowans Ford Country Club
761 Club Drive, Stanley, NC 28164
704-827-3219
private

Crowders Mountain Golf Club
Linwood Road Gastonia, NC 28053
704-739-7681
public

Crystal Creek Golf Club
N.C. 51 & Miller Road Pineville, NC 28134
704-588-2640
semi-private

The Divide
6803 Stevens Mill Road Matthews, NC 28104
704-882-4899
public

Emerald Lake Golf Club
1 Tournament Drive Matthews, NC 28105
704-882-7888
semi-private

Fox Den Country Club
136 Fox Den Circle Statesville, NC 28677
704-872-9999
semi-private

Firethorne Country Club
1108 Firethorne Club Drive Waxhaw, NC 28173
704-843-0289
semi-private

Gaston Country Club
3700 Country Club Drive Gastonia, NC 28056
704-865-7949
private

Gastonia Municipal Golf Course
530 Niblick Drive Gastonia, NC 28054
704-866-6945
public

The Golf Club at Ballantyne
10000 Ballantyne Commons Parkway Charlotte, NC 28277
704-341-4653
public

Green Meadows Golf Course
957 Kelly Road Mount Holly, NC 28120
704-827-9264
public

Green Oaks Golf Club
4775 Hamby Branch Road Concord, NC 28025
704-786-4412
public

Highland Creek Golf Club
7001 Highland Creek Parkway Charlotte, NC 28269
704-875-9000
public

Kannapolis Country Club
1196 Fairway Drive Kannapolis, NC 28081
704-933-4336
private

Lakewood Golf Course
15 Lakewood Road Belmont, NC 28032
704-825-2852
public

Larkhaven Golf Club
4801 Camp Stewart Road Charlotte, NC 28215
704-545-4653
semi-private

Linwood Springs Golf Course
2900 Linwood Road Gastonia, NC 28052
704-867-1642
public

Mallard Head Country Club
185 Mallard Way Mooresville, NC 28115
704-664-7031
semi-private

Monroe Country Club
N.C. 601 S. Monroe, NC 28110
704-282-4661
public

Mooresville Country Club
West Wilson Ave. Mooresville, NC 28115
704-663-2539
public

Myers Park Country Club
2415 Roswell Ave. Charlotte, NC 28209
704-376-0745
private

NorthStone Club
15801 Northstone Drive Huntersville, NC 28078
704-948-4286
private

Oak Hills Golf Course
4008 Oakdale Road Charlotte, NC 28216
704-394-2834
public

Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation
7504 Olde Sycamore Drive Charlotte, NC 28227
704-573-1000
semi-private

Pawtuckett Golf Club
1 Pawtuckett Road Charlotte, NC 28214
704-394-5890
public

The Peninsula Club
19101 Peninsula Club Drive Cornelius, NC 28031
704-896-7060
private

Pine Island Country Club
1701 Stoney Ridge Drive Charlotte, NC 28214
704-394-1011
private

Pine Lake Country Club
5504 Lebanon Road Charlotte, NC 28227
704-545-5204
private

The Point
120 Meeting House Square Mooresville, NC 28117
704-799-7300
private

Providence Country Club
6001 Providence Country Club Drive Charlotte, NC 28277
704-846-6325
private

Quail Hollow Country Club
3700 Glen Eagles Drive Charlotte, NC 28210
704-552-1726
private

Raintree Country Club
8600 Raintree Lane Charlotte, NC 28277
704-542-0260
private

Renaissance Park Golf Course
1525 W. Tyvola Road Charlotte, NC 28217
704-357-3373
public

Revolution Park Golf Course
2661 Barringer Drive Charlotte, NC 28208
704-342-1946
public

River Hills Plantation Country Club
1 Country Club Drive Lake Wylie, SC 29710
803-831-2249
private

River Run Golf & Country Club
19125 River Falls Drive Davidson, NC 28036
704-896-7355
private

Rocky River Golf Club at Concord
6900 Speedway Blvd. Concord, NC 28075
704-455-1200
public

Skybrook
14720 Northgreen Drive Huntersville, NC 28078
704-948-6611
public

Statesville Country Club
635 Deauville Road Statesville, NC 28625
704-873-8376
private

Sunset Hills Public Golf Course
800 Radio Road Charlotte, NC 28216
704-399-0980
public

TPC at Piper Glen
4300 Piper Glen Drive Charlotte, NC 28277
704-846-1515
private

Twin Oaks
320 Twin Oaks Road Statesville, NC 28625
704-872-3979
public

Verdict Ridge
7332 Kidville Road Denver, NC 28037
704-748-6676
semi-private