TOP 100 golf COURSES IN NORTH CAROLINA: TOP NOTCHERS.

We're pleased to present the North Carolina Golf Panel's annual listing of the state's top 100 courses. The panel, which has ranked courses for more than 20 years, comprises more than 150 professionals, coaches, notable amateur players and business leaders. Everyone's opinion differs, of course, and we always welcome your feedback.

Along with the top 100, our writers have spotlighted three individuals who are having a major impact on North Carolina golf.

It takes special talent and painstaking attention to detail to restore or renovate a golf course created by a master like Donald Ross. Kris Spence is more than qualified in that regard. He has become the architect of choice when North Carolina clubs want to return their courses as closely as possible to the original.

Kelly Miller has led Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club for 34 years while also establishing a strong record as an elite amateur golfer. The venerable Southern Pines course is said to have been Ross' favorite to play. But Miller, even with his reverence for the game's traditions, knows that the desires of younger golfers will help shape the resort's future.

Zach Peed and his entrepreneurial family are breathing new life into Dormie Club, a critical success when it opened near Pinehurst in 2009. Unfortunately, the high-end course started amid the worst recession in generations, which hammered the golf industry especially hard. After hanging on by a thread for several years, Dormie's original mission of being a destination course for golf aficionados is being fulfilled by the Nebraska-based publishing family.

1. PINEHURST NO. 2

   PINEHURST

   PAR 72 | YARDAGE 7,497 | COURSE

   RATING/SLOPE RATING 76.4/141

   2017 rank: 1

2. GRANDFATHER GOLF

   AND COUNTRY CLUB

   LINVILLE

   72 | 7,085 | 74.3/145

   2017 rank: 2

3. MOUNTAINTOP GOLF &

   LAKE CLUB

   CASHIERS

   70 | 7,126 | 73.9/145

   2017 rank: 3

4. THE COUNTRY CLUB OF

   NORTH CAROLINA (DOGWOOD)

   PINEHURST

   72 | 7,204 | 75.2/134

   2017 rank: 7

5. OLD NORTH STATE CLUB

   NEW LONDON

   72 | 7,102 | 74.8/142

   2017 rank: 4

6. QUAIL HOLLOW CLUB

   CHARLOTTE

   72 | 7,396 | 75,0/140

   2017 rank: 6

7. PINE NEEDLES LODGE

   & GOLF CLUB

   SOUTHERN PINES

   71 | 7,015 | 73.5/135

   2017 rank: 5

8. CHARLOTTE COUNTRY CLUB

   CHARLOTTE

   71 | 7.335 | 75.9/146

   2017 rank: 9

9. ELK RIVER CLUB

   BANNER ELK

   72 | 6,826 | 73.4/141

   2017 rank: 8

10. PINEHURST NO. 8

    PINEHURST

    72 | 7.092 | 74.1/138

    2017 rank: 10

11. WADE HAMPTON GOLF CLUB

    CASHIERS

    72 | 7,154 | 74.0/144

    2017 rank: 11

12. SEDGEFIELD COUNTRY

    CLUB (ROSS)

    GREENSBORO

    71 | 7,117 | 72.9/130

    2017 rank: 13

13. CAPE FEAR COUNTRY CLUB

    WILMINGTON

    72 | 6.856 | 73.4/135

    2017 rank: 14

14. OLD TOWN CLUB

    WINSTON-SALEM

    70 | 7,042 | 74.5/140

    2017 rank: 16

15. THE COUNTRY CLUB OF

    NORTH CAROLINA (CARDINAL)

    PINEHURST

    72 | 7,212 | 75.0/141

    2017 rank: 18

16. EAGLE POINT GOLF CLUB

    WILMINGTON

    72 | 7,170 | 74.5/137

    2017 rank: 17

17. OLD CHATHAM GOLF CLUB

    DURHAM

    72 | 7,210 | 74,0/131

    2017 rank: 21

18. PINEHURST NO. 4

    PINEHURST

    72 | 7,117 | 74.2/135

    2017 rank: 12

19. MID PINES INN & GOLF CLUB

    SOUTHERN PINES

    72 | 6,528 | 71.3/127

    2017 rank: 19

20. RALEIGH COUNTRY CLUB

    RALEIGH

    71 | 6,816 | 73.7/135

    2017 rank: 20

21. BILTMORE FOREST

    COUNTRY CLUB

    ASHEVILLE

    70 | 6,606 | 71.5/127

    2017 rank: 15

22. ROCK BARN COUNTRY

    CLUB & SPA (JONES)

    CON OVER

    72 | 7,126 | 74.4/141

    2017 rank: 23

23. TRUMP NATIONAL GOLF

    CLUB

    MOORESVILLE

    72 | 7,037 | 74.2/140

    2017 rank: 24

24. RIVER LANDING (RIVER)

    WALLACE

    72 | 7,009 | 73,5/141

    2017 rank: 25

25. FOREST CREEK COLF

    CLUB (SOUTH)

    PINEHURST

    72 | 7,067 | 74.6/143

    2017 rank: 22

26. MACCRECOR DOWNS

    COUNTRY CLUB

    CARY

    72 | 7,003 | 73.4/134

    2017 rank: 35

27. PRESTONWOOD COUNTRY

    CLUB (HIGHLANDS)

    CARY

    72 | 7,082 | 74.4/138

    2017 rank: 28

28. GOVERNORS CLUB

    CHAPEL HILL

    72 | 7,062 | 75.1/144

    2017 rank: 31

29. LINVILLE GOLF CLUB

    LINVILLE

    72 | 6,946 | 73.4/139

    2017 rank: 26

30. COUNTRY CLUB OF

    LANDFALL (DYE)

    WILMINGTON

    72 | 7,026 | 74.3/132

    2017 rank: 29

31. PINEHURST NO. 9

    PINEHURST

    72 | 7,125 | 75.1/143

    2017 rank: 30

32. FOREST CREEK GOLF

    CLUB (NORTH)

    PINEHURST

    72 | 7,139 | 74.7/144

    2017 rank: 27

33. HIGH POINT COUNTRY CLUB

    (WILLOW CREEK)

    HIGH POINT

    72 | 6,972 | 73.9/139

    2017 rank: 33

34. TREYBURN...