PINE KNOLLS GOLF CLUB

Rolling through the Piedmont's gentle hills, this Pete Dye design delivers his signature railroad ties and strategic bunkering without the punishing length that defines his resort tracks. The par-3 14th plays downhill to a green guarded by a stone wall and lake, while the closing stretch demands precision over power as fairways tighten through mature hardwoods. At under $50 for weekend play, it's the kind of honest, well-maintained public golf that North Carolina does better than anywhere else.