Golfers Can Play the Game at Several Courses in Johnston County
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With its mild climate and picture-perfect landscapes‚ Johnston County offers a year-round golf haven for duffers in eastern North Carolina.
“Golfers in this part of the state enjoy sunny weather throughout the year‚” says Nick Deaton‚ golf professional at the Country Club of Johnston County.
The 6‚600-yard lakeside course in Smithfield opened in 1936 and is home to PGA player and Johnston County native Neal Lancaster.
“Because we’re a smaller‚ private course‚ our members feel like they own the place‚” Deaton says. “Golfers can play whenever they want and can play a lot faster than at other courses.”
Golfers also enjoy three semiprivate courses in nearby Clayton.
Pine Hollow Golf Club‚ located on the Wake and Johnston county line‚ under went a $3 million renovation in 2001. The challenging 6‚500-yard course is easy to walk and senior-friendly. Guests can browse the expansive pro shop‚ while up-and-coming golf pros can test their tee skills in Pine Hollow’s junior golf clinic.
Riverwood Golf and Athletic Club is Clayton’s only 27-hole course. The 7‚100-yard golf course opened in 1997 and boasts more than 2‚000 members. In 2007‚ Riverwood hosted a North Carolina Amateur Sectional Qualifier and held its own amateur tournament the same year. The course runs along the scenic Neuse River and offers golfers great views.
Clayton also is home to The Neuse Golf Club‚ featuring an 18-hole 7‚010-yard championship golf course designed by John LaFoy.
“The course has a variety of shots and is both appealing and challenging to players of all levels‚” says Club Manager Steve Ostroff. “We’ve got something for everyone.”
The Neuse was awarded four-and-a-half stars from Golf Digest magazine and was rated as one of the top five golf courses for course conditions and one of the top 10 courses for service in the state of North Carolina.
Located minutes from Interstate 95‚ the semiprivate Cardinal Country Club in Selma offers renovated greens‚ tees and cart paths. Tall pines‚ ponds and sand bunkers create an appealing challenge for golfers at the 6‚600-yard course.
Cardinal Country Club often hosts corporate and group outings for tourists and locals‚ while its 300-plus members can take advantage of standing tee times.
Reedy Creek Golf Club in Four Oaks has been voted the top course in Johnston County by readers of The Smith field Herald for nine years running. The 6‚426-yard public course offers smooth‚ champion Bermuda greens‚ as well as chipping‚ putting and driving ranges. Tee times are readily available at Reedy Creek‚ where more than 35‚000 rounds are played each year.
Story by Melanie Hill
Photo by Ian Curcio
