STARMOUNT FOREST COUNTRY CLUB

Donald Ross carved these tree-lined fairways through the Carolina Piedmont in 1927, and his strategic brilliance remains intact despite decades of modifications. The sloping greens demand precise approach shots, especially the devilish 14th where anything above the pin means three putts. This is old-school North Carolina golf where course management trumps raw distance, and the towering hardwoods punish wayward drives with authority.