I would recommend heading towards Pinehurst to play rather than CLT. Like will said, tot hill will be rough way to knock the rust off. It’s definitely worth playing especially since you’re playing TR. You will for sure get the rust off there because you’ll be hitting a lot of shots 
Long leaf is also really good for a good price. More of a gentle welcome than TH will be.
correct me if I’m wrong here but isn’t tot hill way out of the way from CLT to PH?
I recant my assessment - looking at google maps you can fly up 85 take 64 down to asheboro and then take 74 down and it’s only 2 hrs 15 minutes
compared to google map options from CLT to pinehurst ranging in time from 2 hrs 3 mins to 2 hrs 10 mins
I’m in the Triangle and if Charlotte has had anything similar to what we’ve had rain-wise, you’ll want to play in Pinehurst. When you get away from the sandy turf, it’s pretty swampy.
I’m a Strantz fan - love TR, love Caledonia. With all due deference to the TH lovers, there are 5 or 6 holes that would be universally derided were they not designed by the beloved Mr. Strantz. It lost its appeal for me when I hit the middle of a green and was left with a put that had only 2 potential outcomes: make or be in the long rough beside the green.
There are a few really good holes (the 1st par 3 is especially strong), but more that leave you wondering how they found shapers with such poor depth perception or ignorance of gravity.
Perhaps it’s worth a play -it’s entertainingly bold, for sure - but if I played it right off the plane I’d strongly consider turning around and flying back home.
Or perhaps play THF on your way out of town heading back to Charlotte.
Pretty decent take for THF, you won’t forget playing it and odds are you won’t regret it, even if you don’t want to play it again.
me personally…id go straight from CLT to pinehurst and not mess around with anything on the way
long leaf would be a perfect spot to get your ‘warm up’ round in IMO
Hyland , Pinehurst #1 and #3 are also good warmup options.
the fact that we are bringing 40 people to TFH for the Helicopter Cup after its rained for the last week plus straight and they not only didnt offer us a discount but actually tried to make us pay 10% more for some kind of BS tournament fee is reason enough to skip that dump of an establishment
i cant wait to walk in there on saturday and have that conversation with someone from the course
been saying it for years, but it rings more and more true every day…fuck Tot Hill Farm
I hope to witness this discussion. I’ve always found them to be decently priced (don’t think I’ve ever paid more than $45 to play there) for what it is.
The Triad golf market is probably the best priced market for public in the country. You should see what the University courses charge in the Triangle, it’s disgusting.
anything over $50 for a weekend tee time would exclude a course from such a group imo
I think we’re paying $60 to play either a swimming pool or an ice rink (depending how cold Friday night is). That’s tough to swallow IMO.
i wouldnt be a bit surprised if there was nobody actually there on saturday who was in a position to even care about hearing my thoughts on the matter.
100% agree that the triad is one of the best markets around for affordable public golf, which makes how poorly they are run even more confusing to me
$45 is a fair price for the THF experience is a fair price…$64 to play it in the dead of winter seems super out of touch with reality, but it was the #7 hardest course in america in 2007 and was rated 4.5 stars in 2008-2009 afterall
the fact they are still holding on to accolades from 13+ years ago really tells you all that you need to know
Coming from Charlotte you can run straight up NC 49 to THF. From there you can hop on 220 south and get to PH pretty easily. It wold not be much different than taking the back roads from CLT to PH.
I would play THF if you haven’t played it before. It does have its issues but it is stunning to see and an golf experience that will be hard to find anywhere else. In March, if there hasn’t been a ton of rain, it should be in pretty good shape. It can be wet in a few areas and the bent greens get bad in the heat of the summer.
The only problem is that the other guys’ flight gets in at 12:30PM so that doesn’t really give us a ton of time before sunset. So that’s why I thought a cheap round in Charlotte would let everyone reunite in NC, stretch, hit up the practice area a bit, and then get in a round before making our way to PH.
that would be the only downfall to heading straight to PH
public golf in/around CLT is pretty limited
they got a good vibe at Sifford, only 9 holes but its fun and they let me play for free when i left my wallet at home 90 miles away
I’ll echo @Fore20 here - public golf in Charlotte or at least close by the airport is going to limit you to only Sifford, I think. The upside would be from Sifford there’s a ton of good options for food and a beer before you all hit the road across to Pinehurst.
The rest that aren’t terrible - Rocky River, Monroe, Mooresville - are all going to be at least 25 minutes from the airport.
Sifford also has an excellent practice area, so it fits your needs.
Will there be any other people playing at Tot Hill on Saturday? I’m gonna go with a no.
Completely agree $45 is their sweet spot. I haven’t been back there since they upped the non-resident rate to $64. $64 might be acceptable in the spring and fall if the bent greens are in great shape but not when is 40* outside and soaked.