Tobacco Road Golf Course Review

This course is one of the most challenging I have ever played

Play this course once or twice each year, like it more everytime. Layout is like no other, the conditions are always great and the employees are always more than helpful. Highly recommend tobacco road to anyone golfing in the area.

Minus the down pour of rain I love playing this course. It s always been a lot of fun

Scenic. Get the yardage book or download the app. Local knowledge is key.

Played it about ten years ago. Challenging, but goony golf, IMO. A lot of narrow greens front to back, but long left to right. The pins on some greens were in a different area code from where you were putting. One hole ( I think it was 9) you're hitting your second shot to a green VERY elevated above the fairway.The pin was in the very back of the green, so the pin was the length of a telephone pole so you could see the top of the flag from the fairway on your second shot! For me, this course is maybe a once or twice occasion, but not a course I would play (and enjoy) on a regular basis. Know Mike Strantz is no longer living, but would have loved the opportunity to have sat down and spoken with him about his philosophy and goals as a golf course architect. I play a Donald Ross course regularly, and there are no "gimmicks". You have to manage and think your way around the golf course. Know where to place the ball. No roller coaster greens like TR, just tilted. You have to know where to place your shot into the greens. Above the hole, or even to the left of right of the hole you may be out of position.

If I could play only one more round of golf, it would be at Tobacco Road.
S. Austin
Member Since 1991, The Golf Writers Association of America

Absolutely stunning course but the head pro was extremely rude to our group. He made to very crass comments to our group to the point where we were uncomfortable. It s a shame a guy like that is associated with such a beautiful place.

A fantastic golf experience! Your eyes won't believe what the late, great Mike Strantz did with this piece of property. Close to Pinehurst and an easy day trip from Raleigh and Charlotte. A must visit!

This is one of the best courses in the US. Challenging on all levels, better bring your A game or you will walk away thinking things like it is gimmicky,,,,LOL.
Run by great people and always in great shape!

One of the most interestingly designed courses I ve been on! Absolutely beautiful. The app that you can download for your phone is a must. It ll show you hole layouts you can t see from the tee box.

Great course for golfers. Who like to play all shots . Not one for beginner

I love it and can't wait to play again. The course was awesome and staff was nice even with some raining going on we were able to play and ride the fairways, awesome place to play.

Absolutely awesome experience...funky lay out lots of blind shot elevation changes...tee to green the course was in phenomenal shape...can't wait to come back

Course when wet is hard to walk. Some of the rangers we're terrible and really talked bad to you if you didn't keep up. Had to walk miles since we were not allowed on fairways. Greens were in great shape however.

Awesome course in fantastic shape right now. I've played it four times and it is always exciting.

The course is amazing, very unique design. Highly recommend studying the course due to the many blind spots.

That being said, after spending $189 dollars on the round, I simply did not feel good/justified for spending that much to play there. I drove up to the first tee at 10:39 for a 10:40 tee time and was told that I would have to drop by the green of the first hole as the group I was joining had already teed off. After confusingly agreeing, I caught up to the group I joined as a single (they had been waiting for two groups ahead them to move forward) and they explained they were rudely rushed to tee off early. From that moment forward we would have to wait for every shot for the rest of the round. I don't know if it was a weekend but they pack as many tee times as they possibly can and rush every one off the tee.

After flying across the country one would like to feel good about spending that much for golf. Spent the rest of the trip at Pinehurst, where one feels welcomed the whole time, changed tee times multiple times as I was there for a wedding. Ended up playing the cradle multiple times while grabbing hot dogs and IPAs at the 91st hole there. This to me was a much better experience than tabacco road, which is unfortunate because the course at TR is amazing.

One of my all-time favorites. A superb Mike Strantz designed course. The most amazing bunkering and waste areas you will ever see. Very challenging and must play the correct tees or you will be killed, but the course is so spectacular you won't even care what the score is.

One of my favorite courses. Have played 8 rounds over six years when we have our golf trip in North Carolina. Never had less than a very positive experience with the staff. Course is very visually intimidating but plays straight forward. If you don't hit your spots and end up the waste areas, expect a challenge. Play the tees that match your handicap and you can score on this course.

Loved everything about this course. If you love a course that rewards imagination, accuracy and a good sense of humor then you have to play this masterpiece. Warning, if you are a bomb & gouge golfer, or you struggle off the tee - bring plenty of balls.

Fantastic golf course in excellent condition. They replaced the greens within the past year (went from bent to bermuda) and they are absolutely fantastic. Staff is exceptional, I was in a time crunch and showed up as a single and they fit me in quickly and made sure I had time to play 18 holes. From a golf perspective, this is a memorable experience every time I play it and I look forward to it when I get a chance, there are very few courses in the country like this one. The ONLY reason this is not five stars in my opinion is it is super pricey to play, but being a resort course catering to travellers I can understand that. I only wish they had some sort of discount for local players, as I would play here much more often. I can't swing $130+ for regular rounds given so many great alternatives in the area for less than half the cost. But, if you are travelling in from out of town, DEFINITELY play this golf course!! The closest golf experience I can compare it to is Wolf Creek in Mesquite, Nevada, and believe me that is a high compliment to Tobacco Road. If you are looking for a truly memorable experience in the area, this is the course for you.

A course of this caliper would be expected in a much bigger town than Sanford NC. I've played here many times and it has never let me down, everything is excellent from the course, staff, management, driving range and food! The only thing someone could complain about is how they play... P.S. it's not the courses fault.
Food for thought, all the high handicapped players coming down for a golf experience unlike most, play from the tees you need to.... just because they have back tees doesnt mean you need to play from them. When you have problems reaching fiarways from the tee box it's time to move up.
Good job Missy and Tony.

Total bucket list masterpiece! Its simply a must play destination.

One of those places you just have to see for yourself. The hype is real. I ve played several major championship courses. Tobacco road might never host a pga tour event, but it will forever be entrained in your golf mind.

Definitely a unique golf experience. I have a love/hate relationship with this course. Not the style of golf of love, but well worth the experience. Lots of fun, frustration and adventure on this course.

One of the best golf courses I played in the country.

A challenging and very different golf experience. Great service with a over-the-top golf course layout. Pick the right tee box and hang in for the ride. Loved it. Will play it again.

There isn't one negative thing I can say about this place.. expect it topped everywhere else I played. Definitely meets the hype

One of a kind! Loved the course. Be sure to play the right tees for your handicap, there are lots of carries over waste areas and water.

I have played this course about 6 times and always have a great time here. Staff is always friendly and course is always in great shape. It's a tough one so bring your A+ game. Buy a yardage book or download the app it really helps as there are many blind shots. This course is visually stunning and a true work of art in my opinion. Don't pass up a chance to play this course!

One of the best courses in NC! Very unique course design that is challenging but really fun. This is one of my favorite destination courses to play.

A real must play golf course and worthy of a golf outing. Many very unique holes and a beautiful use of the land. However if you are a serious golfer and don't like blind shot I suggest you pass.

Had the most amazing experience at Tobacco Road. The course is fair and will reward good play, but it requires strategic thinking, discipline and good execution.

Our group stayed in Stewart Cabin, which is totally unique and made our Tobacco Road Golf experience unlike any other course we have stayed at. Stewart Cabin is perfectly appointed for a golf trip. It may appear rustic from the outside, but it's golf fabulous on the inside. I would highly recommend staying in Stewart Cabin to anyone who is planning a trip to Tobacco Road.

The entire trip exceeded our expectations!

Beautiful course. Very challenging, but rewarding if you can place shots.

Course was in great shape. Plush fairways and fast greens. Challenging but great fun.

It is not marked well enough for first time players and too many blind shots.

An absolute must. This should be on every golfers bucket list. Requires a lot of commitment to your shot. Pick a line and hit it! Lots of blind landing areas.

Fantastic course! Seriously, if you have the opportunity to play here, do not pass it up. Easily the most enjoyable round of golf I've ever played, and I play a lot of golf. One of the most unique courses on the planet and incredibly fun to play. Do not pass on this course.

Well maintained, beautiful course. Unique challenging layout. A must play. Kind and attentive staff.

Very enjoyable! Fantastic facilities and golf with a knowledgeable and welcoming staff. However, be forewarned that this is a different type of course than you may be accustomed to Be prepared.

Absolutely loved this golf course. It is a shot-maker's course ... if you have your distances dialed in, you can shoot a great score. The greens were rolling true. I shot the best round of my life .. a 74, which is incredible for me.

What's the best way to describe this course? I'll go with rugged. Sharp mounds, wavy fairways, small crazy greens. This course is a lot of fun if you know where you're hitting (they have a yardage book on the free app) but probably a nightmare if you're not accurate with your irons. Personally I thought some of the course was overly contrived and un-natural, but it is much better than 90% of all golf courses.

This course is UNBELIEVABLE!!!! I've played some of bucket list courses and Tobacco Road is right up there! I just played Pebble and I would pick Tobacco Road over Pebble. Every marshal on the course was beyond polite, gave great advice and were just awesome. My ONLY knock is the guy working the pro shop. He was a manager and was just unpleasant. He seemed like he just didn't want to be there. Very short with answers and almosted killed what was an amazing experience. Do not sleep on Tobacco Road if you're planning a golf trip.

A must play in the area. Download the app and tear it up

Course is gorgeous and we'll worth the drive out of Pinehurst

Breathtaking from the 1st tee box to the last approach! Went there with vendors and was simply perfect! Would play this course everyday

Fun golf course in great shape, staff is very friendly, starter was informative. My only complaint is beer prices. 24 bucks for a 6 pack of bud light.

You either love this course or hate it, I love it. Superb conditions, friendly staff. Very pretty course. Hole #14 pictured from back tees. Play with someone who knows course or but distance book.

truly one of the most fun and unique golf courses I've played. They tend to overbook, so prepare for a long round, but it is well worth the wait. First hole is hardest, because there is usually a bunch of people watching you hit... So grip it and rip it! Seriously, if you are in the area and love golf, go play this course!

Tough golf course bring your A game. Enjoyable round perfect condition. Have to do away with walking 3some in front of us had whole golf course backed up.

Loved it. Frank Thompson was very helpful. Great experience.

Great VERY challenging track. At 5800 yards and 145 slope rating it's not for the faint of heart. The visual of Mike Strantz' evil mind is at full bloom! The staff and clubhouse are great following the Tobacco Road theme

We only played 9 but a great time and a nice way to start a Pinehurst golf trip.

This course is essentially a funhouse for golfers. It s layout is one of a kind and unbelievably fun to play. I highly recommend adding this to your list of courses to play if you are in the Pinehurst area for golf.

It is a beautiful Golf Course unlike any I have
It is a difficult course

Great golf course. Pace of play on the back 9 was awful, so giving 4 stars instead of 5. Buy a yardage book if you haven't played before.

Outstanding architecture. An experience unlike any other! Pure golf.

Very overrated..... maybe 80$ to play this course not 168.00. No seed for divets course is starting to look torn up. There's no map of the course so if you haven't played it before make sure u pair with someone who has. I've played over 100 course and I was excited to play tobacco. Very disappointed. Waste of money

Challenging course with multiple blind shots. Asks the golfer to earn their score and rewards well struck shots.

Course is in excellent condition as of fall 2019!

Great golf course. Difficult yet enjoyable. Massive sand dunes all over the course that makes for a beautiful, competitive golf course. Really liked playing here!

My absolute favorite course! (And I've played the Old Course in St. Andrews.) Tobacco Road is very non-traditional ... severe greens, blind shots, elevation changes, shot values, crazy shapes (greens/bunkers/fairways/mounding) ... it's like playing golf on the moon! Which is why I love it so much ... it's not like anything else out there. So it's probably not a course for the golf "purist", but if you can get past the "initial shock", it is so much fun to test your "extreme golf" skills. Tobacco Road is to golf course design, what Putt Putt is to practice putting. Have fun ... bring your sand wedge! :)

Amazing course even in winter. The Marshall's are great to and the pro shop has amazing wear.

Great people, incredible golf course, awesome price!

Tobacco Road is the best golf experience I have ever had! From booking, to paying, to the range, to the tee, nothing but first class treatment. I will play this course every year, multiple times because of the customer service that our trip had. Jerry at the first tee deserves a raise telling us about the ins and outs about the course. Can t wait to get back to play knowing all the blind shots! Thank you Tobacco Road for such a great time.

Extremely unique golf course , Mike strantz thinks outside the box!!!!

One of my all time favorite courses. A mike strantz design set up in Sanford NC- layout is truly incredible. Worth a detour to this course if you re anywhere near it

Beautiful course, very challenging. A little pricey but worth every penny

Beautiful unique layout. Very well maintained. Well worth regular yearly inclusion on your golfi.ng outings

A totally different golf experience. A little bit gimmicky, but we had a great time. Pace of play was really good. Elevations and waste areas we re interesting.

Always a pleasure with great course maintenance. Wouldn't want to play every day, and it seems to be missing only a windmill and a clowns head on a couple holes, but it is a must play course when in the area.

Great test of golf. Course was in GREAT condition. Very friendly staff.

Incredible course. You will be punished at times for making a good shot, prepare yourself for that. Pace of play is an issue, but the experience makes it 5 starts, no question.

Truly a must visit if you are in the Pinehurst area. One of the most interesting and fun golf courses you will ever play. Charming.

Bucketlist course. Pristine conditions and one hell of a challenge. Can't wait to play it again.

This comment is posted from management at Tobacco Road. We would certainly not post on our own facility but we have been unsuccessful getting three inappropriate posts taken down through Google Reviews. The three reviews were posted from and on behalf of a former employee after a reprimand and subsequent firing as a way of revenge. We feel that this public forum is not the place for this and Google only allows you to flag the post as inappropriate and they will get back to you with further information. After 2 months, we have not heard from Google Reviews. We have never flagged a post, good or bad, in the past because we feel that a review site can be a valuable tool for both the customer and the business. However, our post as well as the posts from Troy H, Michael Simpson, and Kelly Oliver are biased and should be taken down. Hopefully there is someone paying attention. Thank you!