Lonnie Poole Golf Course

Gary Burke 4 months ago

NC State’s Lonnie Poole Golf Course is one of the most enjoyable public courses in the Raleigh area. The course is fair but still provides a solid challenge, with a great mix of risk/reward holes and thoughtful design throughout. The natural areas around the course make it feel separated from the city despite being so close to downtown. Be prepared for a long walk, but the layout is worth it. Hole 11 has an outstanding view of downtown Raleigh and the skyline — easily one of the best views from any course in the area.

John Flake 4 months ago

Lonnie Poole Golf Course delivers a first‑class experience from the moment you step onto the tee. The course shines with its tee‑box variety — multiple, well‑positioned boxes that make the layout playable for beginners yet demanding for low‑handicap golfers. Every skill level can find the right blend of comfort and challenge. The course features lots of sand, and it’s not just for decoration. Bunkers are strategically placed to shape decisions, punish wayward shots, and reward precision. They add real character to the round. What stands out most is the excellent turf and maintenance. Fairways are lush, greens roll true, and even high‑traffic areas stay in great condition. You can tell the grounds crew takes pride in every detail. Overall, Lonnie Poole is challenging in the best possible way — visually stunning, strategically designed, and consistently well‑kept. Whether you're learning the game or sharpening competitive skills, it’s a course that keeps you coming back.

Nick A 7 months ago

Very fun course, quite challenging. Practice facilities are great. Pace of play was great even though it was very busy. The pro shop has a sold selection. Good options for food at the turn with ready made hotdogs and wraps or food made to order. All in all a great experience and I look forward to golfing here again in the future.

William Powell 9 months ago

The course is very well maintained, as expected for a university affiliated course. The shop and staff are friendly and go out of their way to be helpful. However, fair warning: this is a hard, *hard* course. The bunkers, OOB zones, and heavily sloped roughs make for a really tough experience for beginners like me - which unfortunately I got the bad end of. I can't fault it for that. The service in the shop is very comprehensive for just about anything you'd need from club repair to fitting. I'm excited to start lessons here soon as well.

Daniel 3666 2 years ago

First time playing this course, and I would not recommend it for beginners. I’m an experienced golfer and shot a 96, part of that was due to my own mistakes and part of that was due to the difficulty of this course. I’m giving the course 4 stars because there is not a chipping green. The greens are fast and firm, and the fairways are very nice as well. Make sure you head up to the restaurant to eat, they have a sit down style of restaurant or you can get it to go. Based on previous reviews, I didn’t experience slow play all that much. Maybe 2 minutes for a group to finish, but we were actually ahead of pace for most of the round. The price is high for a public course, but I do understand it is a public course and one of the best courses in NC. If you’re in the area, go and play there. If you’re a beginner, get some lessons and practice a lot and then go from the front tees.