Combined, the Carolinas have 488 miles of ocean coastline that creates some of the most scenic and most challenging golf courses in the nation.
Inland, the rolling hills flowing out of the Smoky and Blue Ridge mountains create a different type of windy, uneven terrain to challenge golfers.
If your meeting groups enjoy a good tee time, consider one of these popular golf destinations for future events.
Pinehurst, North Carolina
Pinehurst Resort is often called the home of American golf, and with more than 120 years of history and more major American golf tournaments played on its grounds than any other golf club in the country, Pinehurst is one of the most significant golf resorts in the country.
Over the years, Pinehurst has greatly expanded its offerings. In addition to standard professional workshops and group tournaments, the golf staff can organize special activities like night-light golf, zip lining, carriage tours, poolside putting and historic walking tours that end with high tea.
While No. 2 is the bucket list course that draws both leisure and professional golfers to Pinehurst, the resort currently has nine courses, including two by Tom Fazio, which groups can experience up close from the Centennial Veranda and the Centennial Dining Room. Groups also have views of No. 2 from the ballrooms and verandas of the clubhouse. Rounding out the meeting spaces are the resort’s three hotels: the 1901 Carolina Hotel, with 230 guest rooms and 61,000 square feet of meeting space; the 1923 Manor Inn, with 42 rooms; and the Holly Inn, the resort’s first hotel, which dates back to 1895.
Nags Head, North Carolina
When the wind is up, Nags Head Golf Links in the middle of North Carolina’s narrow Outer Banks barrier islands offers golfers one of the toughest set of holes in the country. Golf Digest called it “the longest 6,126 yards you’ll ever play,” and since the wind never really dies here, where the Atlantic breaks against the dunes, your group is almost guaranteed a challenge.
The Scottish-style course designed by Bob Moore makes the most of Nags Head’s rolling dunes and seaside flora and provides a stunning backdrop to the club’s meeting and event spaces. The golf club has two event spaces available for rental: the Village Beach Club; and the greens themselves, which can be tented for private events after the golf carts have gone in for the day. The nautical-themed clubhouse can accommodate up to 150 and includes a small deck with views of the shoreline.
