Analysis Ranks Winston-Salem One of the Top Cities for Golfers

Heads up Raleigh golfers! If you’re looking for a great day at the links, you may not have to look further than an hour and a half to the West. Winston Salem was recently rated as one of the best cities in the country for golfers.

The analysis scored America’s 100 largest cities based on a number of factors like proximity of highly-rated golf courses, availability of tee times, weather conditions, and general quality of life. Then, they ranked the cities based on their cumulative scores. Winston-Salem scored 56.1 from a possible 100 points, notably close in point values to the top-ranked cities of Scottsdale, Glendale, and Gilbert, AZ. In terms of Southern cities, Winston-Salem was the second-best city in the region, only outscored by St. Petersburg, FL.

Winston-Salem is certainly an amazing place to play golf. The city is home to the beautiful, private Old Town course. If you are a member or are able to play a round at Old Town, you will see the uniquely tricky greens of architect Perry Maxwell. Old Town is also where the nearby Wake Forest’s golf team practices, for any proud alumni. If however, you don’t have an in at the prestigious club, other public clubs like the Winston Lake Golf Course and the Heather Hills Golf Course are open to schedule a tee time.

Still, Winston-Salem isn’t the only great North Carolina city for golfers. The famous Pinehurst course in Pinehurst, NC has been at the top of American golf course lists since its opening in 1907, and it offers a pretty challenging set of holes for especially adept golfers. Or, for those looking for a golf course with views, the beautiful Grandfather golf course in Linville is surrounded by the beautiful foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina.

If, however, you are looking to get in some swings without traveling to Winston-Salem or anywhere else in the state, Raleigh does have some local options. The Raleigh Golf Association is a short course open for a quick round of golf, and the Lonnie Poole Golf Course, where the NC State golf team practices are open to the public. Or, head to the newly popular Drive Shack to get in some swings over some beer at night.

Good luck improving your game, Raleigh. And if you get bored of all of North Carolina’s courses, you can check out the best cities for golfers in the country here.