Golf in Lumberton

Keith Hills Golf Club's three nine-hole courses convene for divergent 18-hole experiences along the cattail-lined shores of Cape Fear River. Daunting wetlands and well-bunkered fairways pose threats throughout the 27-hole expanse, placing a high premium on course management, deft club selection, and web-toed golf balls. The course's bermuda-grass fairways snake through the shadows of towering oaks and pines on their way to slick, bentgrass greens. The stately complex encompasses a 32-acre practice facility, a fully stocked pro shop, an onsite snack bar, and men's and ladies' locker rooms with showers to freshen up or revive comatose golf carts.

The Orange Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par-36 course

• Length of 3,326 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 36 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 127 from the farthest tees

The Black Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par-36 course

• Length of 3,299 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 36.2 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 136 from the farthest tees

The White Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par-36 course

• Length of 3,309 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 35.4 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 129 from the farthest tees

The clubhouse at Beacon Ridge Golf & Country Club is an ivory monument of colonial-era gentility with four columns and a neoclassical façade inspired by George Washington’s plantation home at Mount Vernon. Though impressive in its own right, the stately manor is hardly out of place when compared to the club’s golf course. Visitors to the grounds are greeted by a 6,494-yard circuit of well-kept bermuda fairways and penncross-bentgrass greens that winds through towering Carolina pines and bunkers of sand so pristinely white that they appear to be crushed marble or genetically evolved snowflakes that adapted to withstand the summer swelter.

The course reflects the vision of architect Gene Hamm, who showcases the natural charms of the North Carolina Sandhill region with rolling fairways, contoured greens, and water that comes into play on five holes. Tricky shot-making opportunities abound throughout the layout, especially at the 542-yard, par-5 fourth—the course’s most difficult hole—where golfers must clear a pond with their drive before navigating a fairway that doglegs sharply to the left as it approaches the green. To prepare for their round, golfers can stock up on divot tools or tees to use as toothpicks at the pro shop or warm up their swing and putting stroke at the synthetic-turf driving range and practice green.

Originally built in 1930, Spring Hill Golf Course spans 6,665 yards of kempt fairways lined by mature trees and interspersed water hazards. The par 72 course snakes through the charming Spring Hill College campus, challenging golfers with subtle elevation changes, six ponds, and rogue professors interrogating passersby about the lost history of the mashie niblick. The driving range prepares golfers for their 18-hole odyssey, which begins with an unforgiving first hole—a 435-yard par 4 rated the course's most difficult.

PGA professional Shane Allen oversees the stately grounds, employing digital video analysis in lessons for juniors, adults, and caddies desperate to determine their most intimidating post-putt howl.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,665 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 71.3 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 124 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options
• Scorecard

Designed by prolific course architect Willard Byrd, Timberlake Country Club's 18-hole course plots a 6,579-yard trail across a Lake Murray peninsula as it dips southward into the glassy waters. Picturesque views of the lake abound throughout the round—because of its proximity to the lake, the club offers free docking and shore-side pickup for those who wish to arrive by boat or seahorse—and the supersized pool's watery fingers come into play on seven holes. Rounds culminate with dramatic flair at the signature 18th hole, a 483-yard par 5 where a mid-fairway water hazard looms on the business end of a blind tee shot, raising the stakes for players who unsheathe their driver in the hopes of reaching the green in two.

Alongside the grassy course, neon yellow orbs slice through the air at Timberlake Country Club's tennis courts, where tennis pro Mark Gardiner teaches students to hit a forehand passing shot or incite an earthquake with a deafening grunt. The club also houses diverse dining facilities to curb appetites or host social events.

The sun-bathed slopes and immaculate greenery of an 18-hole golf course welcome members and guests to the stately grounds of Timberlake Golf Club. Inspired by the sprawling links of the Emerald Isle, the 6,511-yard, par 71 layout challenges golfers with slick, bent-grass greens, cavernous pot bunkers, and grassy mounds that produce lies more awkward than a middle school dance. Before rounds, golfers can smooth out their swings and putting stroke at the club’s full driving range and recently installed practice green. Members can also work up a sweat while smashing forehands at the club’s tennis courts before tip-toeing, diving, or driving their golf cart into the cerulean waters of an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course
• Bent-grass greens
• Length of 6,511 yards from the farthest tees
• Four tee options
• Link to scorecard

Golf Augusta of North Carolina equips putters for their next round on the green in a 5,000-square-foot facility overflowing with equipment, apparel, and accessories. Golfers can elevate their tee-off through customized fittings, which use Shaft Optimizer technology to pair clubs with an interchangeable variety of heads and shafts alongside irons matched to each player based on their style of play and number of left hands. Alongside an abundance of brand-name garments, gloves, balls, and bags, Golf Augusta of North Carolina fits feet with a selection of more than 4,000 pairs of shoes.