Best Short(er) Courses

Not all courses have to be beasts from the championship tees to be outstanding. These are the five best that play less than 6,500 yards from “the tips” (rankings first published in April 2022):

1. Hound Ears Club, Boone
2. Blowing Rock Country Club, Blowing Rock
3. Southern Pines Golf Club, Southern Pines
4. Crystal Coast Country Club, Pine Knoll Shores
5. Nags Head Golf Links, Nags Head