The Dogwood and Cardinal courses at The Country Club of North Carolina each again hold positions in the top 15 of the 2026 North Carolina Golf Panel rankings of the top 100 courses in the state. Additionally, CCNC is the only private club in the state with this distinction.
The Dogwood Course, originally designed by Ellis Maples and renovated by Kris Spence in 2016, holds fifth place, and the Cardinal Course, designed by Willard Byrd and Robert Trent Jones Sr., is 13th on in the list, which is recognized as the most authoritative statewide source of golf course ranking in a state that arguably has some of the nation’s best courses.
Additionally, the club will add to its legacy as a home for amateur golf by hosting the 2027 Southern Amateur and two USGA Championships – the 2030 U.S. Senior Amateur and the 2037 U.S. Women’s Amateur.
Third hole on Dogwood (Kevin Murray)
Pinehurst, North Carolina is called the Home of American golf and CCNC stands proudly as a shining example of that grand description,” said CCNC President Charlie Rivers. “We extend our sincere gratitude to the North Carolina Golf Panel for listing our Dogwood and Cardinal courses in high places in its annual ranking. That placement confirms what we see when we tee it up on our courses every day.
The North Carolina Golf Panel/Business North Carolina was founded in 1995 and consists of a 135-member panel that includes golf media, club professionals and general managers from many outstanding courses, accomplished amateur players and college golf coaches and others who play an active role in promoting golf in North Carolina.
The Country Club of North Carolina was established in 1963 and has hosted numerous large-scale golf events including three USGA championships: the 1980 U.S. Amateur won by Hal Sutton; the 2010 U.S. Girls’ Junior won by Doris Chen; and the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur won by Nick Dunlap.
The club hosted the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Golf Championships won by national runner-up Georgia Tech.
Feature: 15th hole on Cardinal Course (Kevin Murray)