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 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 Buffalo Shoals National Golf Club Cabarrus Country Club Carmel Country Club Carolina Golf & Country Club Cedarwood Country Club Charles T. Myers Public Golf Course Charlotte Country Club Charlotte Golf Links Cowans Ford Country Club Crowders Mountain Golf Club Crystal Creek Golf Club The Divide Emerald Lake Golf Club Fox Den Country Club Firethorne Country Club Gaston Country Club Gastonia Municipal Golf Course The Golf Club at Ballantyne Green Meadows Golf Course Green Oaks Golf Club Highland Creek Golf Club Kannapolis Country Club Lakewood Golf Course Larkhaven Golf Club Linwood Springs Golf Course Mallard Head Country Club Monroe Country Club Mooresville Country Club Myers Park Country Club NorthStone Club Oak Hills Golf Course Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation Pawtuckett Golf Club The Peninsula Club Pine Island Country Club Pine Lake Country Club The Point Providence Country Club Quail Hollow Country Club Raintree Country Club Renaissance Park Golf Course Revolution Park Golf Course River Hills Plantation Country Club River Run Golf & Country Club Rocky River Golf Club at Concord Skybrook Statesville Country Club Sunset Hills Public Golf Course TPC at Piper Glen Twin Oaks Verdict Ridge |
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