|
THOSE arriving at one of the major international hubs will find air shuttle services available to several points in North Carolina. If you're heading for the coast make for Wilmington; for the Heartlands or the Mountains you should fly to either Charlotte or Raleigh-Durham. Both offer a convenient starting point; both are near cities with first rate facilities, a welcoming ambience and oodles of top class golf.
If you've arrived at Charlotte (population 600,000) your first treat awaits. Five miles from the airport and six miles from down-town in the diamond belt South Park area stands the Park Hotel, Charlotte's most elegant inn and renowned nation-wide for its facilities and service.
A bonus: it has its own golf course, Ballantyne's Country Club, where a Marriott's Courtyard Inn is ideal for groups or the budget conscious. Both hotels offer inclusive packages of uncommon value for a new course that's among the finest I've discovered in recent times.
Set in 1,300 acres and open barely four years, it's a site just made for golf, carved out of rolling woodland with acres of natural hummocks and swales. It has greens of baffling configuration, all different, all great fun that's enhanced if you've got a short game worth talking about.
It's a course to lift the spirits or raise the hackles, depending upon form and ambition. With a sumptuous clubhouse, it's an appetiser for the delights to come.
For those arriving at Raleigh-Durham, the locals claim that their city is a short drive from the mountains, a 5-iron from the coast and a wedge from the revered Pinehurst Country Club. In reality, Pinehurst is 70 miles away but that's nothing on the US highway system.
With a population of 280,000 and boasting 100 hotels, Raleigh is one of the fastest growing cities in America. It has been described by Fortune magazine as one of the best places to work and do business in the US and, like Charlotte, one of the finest places to live.
The golf's not too dusty, either. There are 20 public access courses in Wake County, of which Raleigh is part, all within a 25 minute radius of down-town. There's a TPC course designed by Hale Irwin, and Tom Fazio is building one that promises to be at least the equal.
Revived and refreshed after your halt, it's time to push on to your next port of call. We're heading towards the mountains now, stopping first at another city whose name will doubtless be familiar.
Winston Salem, 90 miles from Charlotte and about 100 from Raleigh, nestles in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is Moravian in origin; migrant Czechs settled here circa 1755, became prosperous and established industries that are still going strong.
Originally two towns, Winston and Salem, they're now one entity with a centre which is Old Salem. Here the locals, gentle folk, dress in period costume, give daily guided tours and still use the original buildings for living and working. It's all delightfully uplifting and a magnet for visitors.
It's a wealthy city, hilly in parts with many splendid homes on the high ground, and the venue for several ethnic festivals of arts and culture each year. It's a handsome, appealing place of great charm, where high class restaurants and hotels abound and to gild the lily the golf is also worth a rave.
There are several courses, most designed by big name architects. Jack Nicklaus laid out Salem Glen, Arnold Palmer has one at Oak Valley and two at Bermuda Run. There are others. All would have you drooling, all are within minutes of the down-town city area.
A major attraction is Tanglewood Park, once a family estate but since bequeathed to the city as a resort. There are 1,400 acres and, among other sporting and family attractions, two courses by Trent Jones Sr.
One, the Tanglewood, has staged the USPGA Championship, is a regular stop on the PGA Senior Tour and has been voted one of the finest public courses in America. Its sister course, the Reynolds, isn't far behind in quality, although shorter and tighter.
Pass through without playing Tanglewood and you'll never forgive yourself. Make that in the autumn, as the leaves are turning, and you'll discover why. It's a beauty in every sense.
Winston Salem will demand that you stay awhile but eventually the mountains up ahead will begin their siren song: you'll have to pack and move on. Prepare yourself for something utterly unforgettable.
Page [1], [2], [3], [4] - [next page]
|
