Moving to Durham,NC!! Help me find a new home club!!

[roll - gybe]

I think when you visit you will find you have a preference as to where you want to live. Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill and Raleigh all have wonderful places to live. The entire area is fantastic, and RTP is pretty easily accessible from each community.

You will find a different nature to each location though.

Once you know where you want to live, I think you will have about 3 good country club options within 15 minutes of your door.

[Jbird33]

If you end up in Chapel Hill, Finley Golf course may be to your liking. It is the University's golf course, and while it is public, you can pay "yearly green fees" Not sure how that works out, and maybe somebody can chime in. But it is a nice course and kept in very good shape.

[tarheelrx]

Finley

[tarheelrx]

Before I joined a private course was an annual member at Finley. Great deal, about 3k for the year for unlimited greens fees. They keep in great shape as they have unlimited water.
PM me if want more details. V

[afrank136]

i was a golf pro up until 2 years ago at one of the clubs mentioned and have played almost all of the courses except the McConnell. Feel free to ask me anything about the CH/Durham/Brier Creek courses.

Governors Club is a really nice layout and good practice facilities, but the membership is certainly older and tee times were difficult to come by. The best players were low single digit handicaps, so as a +2 i think you would have trouble finding a group your age and skill level, and would end up being pencil whipped in most club events. Perhaps the most dynamic of the courses because there are 3 very different 9s there, with a somewhat rotation between the 3.

Chapel Hill is a somewhat easier layout with limited practice facilities, however you can always get a time there. The staff is very friendly and really makes you feel relaxed. Much more of a laid back club. The family facilities are some of the best and the membership is very young and active. Some of the best players in CH tee it up at CHCC. This would be my pick of Chapel Hill courses to join because of the membership and good sticks.

Croasdaile CC is a very solid layout and will challenge you to hit a lot of different shots. The practice facility may be the best because it is generally pretty quiet, but has everything you will need as a +2 to get better. Membership is a mix, but not sure how many players are at your level there. Definitely play it and see what you think though as its worth a trip.

OC is a great layout and is what most men want from a country club. There are days where they have 40 total players, the practice facilities are huge, and they used to use NXT Tour Practice balls with the OC logo for range balls ($$$$). They have tour pros as members and you will even see MJ out there when he is in town. There are lots of good players, but not sure they have a weekly game set up. No family facilties as mentioned, so you would be out of luck there. it is also on the southern side of 40, so it still may be a little out of the way.

HVCC is a hidden gem. I love the Ross layout of HVCC, but the practice facilities are down there with CHCC. There are good players here as well, and it is more family friendly than GC or OC. This is where I would look if I was moving to the Durham area for the golf course alone, but I am just that big of a Ross fan. Not as fun as CHCC, but a good equivalent for Durham.

Treyburn is a great course, but it is pretty far north. 100% worth playing on your tour though. If you join Treyburn you will have reciprocal privileges at Raleigh CC, Old North State (top 3 in NC), Cardinal CC, and whichever courses he buys next.

With that being said, take a tour and play a round at EVERY course you can. We used to have prospective members play all the time, and we would generally pair them up with similar handicaps that were good ambassadors for the club. Dont overlook Hasentree or Brier Creek because they are not that far from the HV area and are worth a look.

Go Heels!

[Oilman83]

[quote name='afrank136' timestamp='1349470105' post='5755995']
i was a golf pro up until 2 years ago at one of the clubs mentioned and have played almost all of the courses except the McConnell. Feel free to ask me anything about the CH/Durham/Brier Creek courses.

Governors Club is a really nice layout and good practice facilities, but the membership is certainly older and tee times were difficult to come by. The best players were low single digit handicaps, so as a +2 i think you would have trouble finding a group your age and skill level, and would end up being pencil whipped in most club events. Perhaps the most dynamic of the courses because there are 3 very different 9s there, with a somewhat rotation between the 3.

Chapel Hill is a somewhat easier layout with limited practice facilities, however you can always get a time there. The staff is very friendly and really makes you feel relaxed. Much more of a laid back club. The family facilities are some of the best and the membership is very young and active. Some of the best players in CH tee it up at CHCC. This would be my pick of Chapel Hill courses to join because of the membership and good sticks.

Croasdaile CC is a very solid layout and will challenge you to hit a lot of different shots. The practice facility may be the best because it is generally pretty quiet, but has everything you will need as a +2 to get better. Membership is a mix, but not sure how many players are at your level there. Definitely play it and see what you think though as its worth a trip.

OC is a great layout and is what most men want from a country club. There are days where they have 40 total players, the practice facilities are huge, and they used to use NXT Tour Practice balls with the OC logo for range balls ($$$$). They have tour pros as members and you will even see MJ out there when he is in town. There are lots of good players, but not sure they have a weekly game set up. No family facilties as mentioned, so you would be out of luck there. it is also on the southern side of 40, so it still may be a little out of the way.

HVCC is a hidden gem. I love the Ross layout of HVCC, but the practice facilities are down there with CHCC. There are good players here as well, and it is more family friendly than GC or OC. This is where I would look if I was moving to the Durham area for the golf course alone, but I am just that big of a Ross fan. Not as fun as CHCC, but a good equivalent for Durham.

Treyburn is a great course, but it is pretty far north. 100% worth playing on your tour though. If you join Treyburn you will have reciprocal privileges at Raleigh CC, Old North State (top 3 in NC), Cardinal CC, and whichever courses he buys next.

With that being said, take a tour and play a round at EVERY course you can. We used to have prospective members play all the time, and we would generally pair them up with similar handicaps that were good ambassadors for the club. Dont overlook Hasentree or Brier Creek because they are not that far from the HV area and are worth a look.

Go Heels!
[/quote]

AFrank, thanks for spending the time to write the club review. I really appreciate it more than you may think. As I research and get closer to choosing a club to belong to it will come down to the tours I take. Each membership director I speak to says they will pair me will someone to play one day and also give me a club tour.

The five most important features for me is:
1. Close to my home. - Which I will know where home is at the end of October when we get a place.
2. Good course layout
3. Nice practice facility
4. Got to have good greens (seems that most courses in the area are going to Champion Bermuda which is what my home course in New Orleans has)
5. Club ammenities need to be current

Overall I'm super excited to move to NC. The ability to chose a club is like a kid in a candy store feeling!

[Carolina Golfer 2]

[quote name='Oilman83' timestamp='1349471532' post='5756065']
[quote name='afrank136' timestamp='1349470105' post='5755995']
i was a golf pro up until 2 years ago at one of the clubs mentioned and have played almost all of the courses except the McConnell. Feel free to ask me anything about the CH/Durham/Brier Creek courses.

Governors Club is a really nice layout and good practice facilities, but the membership is certainly older and tee times were difficult to come by. The best players were low single digit handicaps, so as a +2 i think you would have trouble finding a group your age and skill level, and would end up being pencil whipped in most club events. Perhaps the most dynamic of the courses because there are 3 very different 9s there, with a somewhat rotation between the 3.

Chapel Hill is a somewhat easier layout with limited practice facilities, however you can always get a time there. The staff is very friendly and really makes you feel relaxed. Much more of a laid back club. The family facilities are some of the best and the membership is very young and active. Some of the best players in CH tee it up at CHCC. This would be my pick of Chapel Hill courses to join because of the membership and good sticks.

Croasdaile CC is a very solid layout and will challenge you to hit a lot of different shots. The practice facility may be the best because it is generally pretty quiet, but has everything you will need as a +2 to get better. Membership is a mix, but not sure how many players are at your level there. Definitely play it and see what you think though as its worth a trip.

OC is a great layout and is what most men want from a country club. There are days where they have 40 total players, the practice facilities are huge, and they used to use NXT Tour Practice balls with the OC logo for range balls ($$$$). They have tour pros as members and you will even see MJ out there when he is in town. There are lots of good players, but not sure they have a weekly game set up. No family facilties as mentioned, so you would be out of luck there. it is also on the southern side of 40, so it still may be a little out of the way.

HVCC is a hidden gem. I love the Ross layout of HVCC, but the practice facilities are down there with CHCC. There are good players here as well, and it is more family friendly than GC or OC. This is where I would look if I was moving to the Durham area for the golf course alone, but I am just that big of a Ross fan. Not as fun as CHCC, but a good equivalent for Durham.

Treyburn is a great course, but it is pretty far north. 100% worth playing on your tour though. If you join Treyburn you will have reciprocal privileges at Raleigh CC, Old North State (top 3 in NC), Cardinal CC, and whichever courses he buys next.

With that being said, take a tour and play a round at EVERY course you can. We used to have prospective members play all the time, and we would generally pair them up with similar handicaps that were good ambassadors for the club. Dont overlook Hasentree or Brier Creek because they are not that far from the HV area and are worth a look.

Go Heels!
[/quote]

AFrank, thanks for spending the time to write the club review. I really appreciate it more than you may think. As I research and get closer to choosing a club to belong to it will come down to the tours I take. Each membership director I speak to says they will pair me will someone to play one day and also give me a club tour.

The five most important features for me is:
1. Close to my home. - Which I will know where home is at the end of October when we get a place.
2. Good course layout
3. Nice practice facility
4. Got to have good greens (seems that most courses in the area are going to Champion Bermuda which is what my home course in New Orleans has)
5. Club ammenities need to be current

[color=#ff0000]Overall I'm super excited to move to NC[/color]. The ability to chose a club is like a kid in a candy store feeling!
[/quote]
Regardless of where you end up living or which club you choose. The highlighted part of your post...is good to hear and should be the case!!

[lightningbolt444]

I moved down to the triangle in April of this year. It has been amazing so far. The golf is great. There are a number of GREAT public tracks and of course some great private tracks. I have played a few of the private courses not all but I ended up deciding on a yearly membership at Lonnie Poole. It is a great course with an amazing layout. It does not offer the private feel however so while I don't suggest joining be sure to hit the course for a round or two once you move down.

Don't know if they are still offering yearly packages or not at Lonnie however when I got mine it was a smoking good deal. Now I just need to get out there and play a bit more. Been very busy and most of my golf partners are busy on the days I am not.

Also if you are looking for a great shop once you get down there check out GolfETC in Cary Joel the owner is a great guy and very good club builder.

The golf is just one of the great things about the triangle. The thing I have enjoyed the most since moving down here is the people. I have met many great people and almost everyone you run into is very friendly.

[Fresh.]

As a member at Hasentree, I can highly recommend checking it out depending where you land in Durham (it's located near Wake Forest). The course is incredible and the maintenance is consistently the best I've seen in the area. Everyone at the club is great and it stays pretty quiet year round.

[PlayinThru]

1-Hasentree. Wow, that place is beautiful! Pricey, though.
2-Treyburn. Underrated imo, but has an aging membership iirc. I love that course. One of Fazio's first major project (shortly after he did Wade Hampton) and it helped establish his reputation. The McConnell Golf reciprocals is a good bonus, too.
3-Finley. Admitting this as a Wolfpack alum is difficult, but Finley is certainly one of the best in the triangle, public or private. Not too crowded there either.
4-Hope Valley. Old, old Ross. They flattened it out in the about 10 years ago (give or take), but it still has that uneveness that one would expect of a Ross course. Old Durham money, or at least it was in the not too distant past.
5-TPC Wakefield. Nice modern course kept in good shape. May be a little expensive, idk. Some of the guys from the hockey team live and play out there. McConnell Golf.
6-CHCC. Alright course. Won't have a problem getting a game with some other really good players.
7-Prestonwood. I never was a fan of the courses there, but the neighborhood is nice and some of the best players in the area belong there. Very family friendly. Gets crowded sometimes. Greens and fairways get torn up.
8-Governor's club. A very nice Nicklaus design, but it has a pretty old membership. Great development. They've had problems with their agronomy several times in the last decade.

*haven't played Old Chatham or Croasdaile.

Where did you decide to join?

[Oilman83]

[quote name='PlayinThru' timestamp='1361011869' post='6438873']
1-Hasentree. Wow, that place is beautiful! Pricey, though.
2-Treyburn. Underrated imo, but has an aging membership iirc. I love that course. One of Fazio's first major project (shortly after he did Wade Hampton) and it helped establish his reputation. The McConnell Golf reciprocals is a good bonus, too.
3-Finley. Admitting this as a Wolfpack alum is difficult, but Finley is certainly one of the best in the triangle, public or private. Not too crowded there either.
4-Hope Valley. Old, old Ross. They flattened it out in the about 10 years ago (give or take), but it still has that uneveness that one would expect of a Ross course. Old Durham money, or at least it was in the not too distant past.
5-TPC Wakefield. Nice modern course kept in good shape. May be a little expensive, idk. Some of the guys from the hockey team live and play out there. McConnell Golf.
6-CHCC. Alright course. Won't have a problem getting a game with some other really good players.
7-Prestonwood. I never was a fan of the courses there, but the neighborhood is nice and some of the best players in the area belong there. Very family friendly. Gets crowded sometimes. Greens and fairways get torn up.
8-Governor's club. A very nice Nicklaus design, but it has a pretty old membership. Great development. They've had problems with their agronomy several times in the last decade.

*haven't played Old Chatham or Croasdaile.

Where did you decide to join?
[/quote]
Looks like I wil be joining Hope Valley CC.

[jshel]

Oilman,

Very solid choice there. It's very cool.

[jleclair10]

As a newer member to Old CHatham it is a gem. It is one of the best courses I have ever played.