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Latest Review

Emerald Lake Golf Club


"Bad, stay away"

9/30/23: Review by Hunter

Clubhouse is nice. And that's the end of positive things to say Course is in awful shape. Greens are running a 2. Bare spots on several holes. Weeds all throughout greens. Group in front of us took almost 5 hours. Ranger came by once but didn't improve anything.

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Charlotte National Golf Club
6920 Howey Bottoms Road
Indian Trail, NC 28079
(704) 882-8282
www.charlottenationalgc.com
Map & Directions

Review Rating:

3.6 stars - "Worth playing" (10 reviews)

Type:

Semi-Private

Rates:

Weekday $45, Weekend $60

Greens Turf Type:

Bermuda

Practice Area:

Great place to practice your short game. The grass tee driving range is so-so, but the putting green is huge and kept just like the course. The chipping green is also mown like a real green and offers about 40-50 yards of fairway to practice from, as well as a large sand bunker. One of my favorite places to practice.

Description

Hidden among the farms in Union County, Charlotte National winds through the woods, with no neighborhood homes to intrude on golf. This course opened in 1996 and has a very diverse layout, with the full range of challenges: length, water, elevation, wind, and fast greens. The greens were redone in 2018 with Sunday Ultra Dwarf Bermuda grass and they are now consistently good year-round. In 2014, the course replaced their longtime trailer clubhouse with a modern, spacious clubhouse and full-service grill. The club hosts a very popular annual event called Margaritaville -- sign up early if you'd like to participate.

Notes

This course is very friendly and accommodating to all golfers and groups. Easy to get out as a single and they will often suggest a different starting hole for you so you can fit in with the groups on the course and enjoy a good pace of play. The twilight rates and weekday specials are the best value in Charlotte.

B-Man's Take

Fun course, off the beaten path. Good mix of difficulty throughout the round, but the last 3 holes are brutal. This course is kept in very good shape and the greens always roll true. My favorite hole is #15, a long dogleg left par 5 with a second shot over a creek and a big tree in the middle of the second fairway. I have a few hell holes on this course, including the closing 3 holes, but the one that always seems to get me is the #1 handicap hole, the long par 4 #5, with water on both sides of the fairway. The 18th can play like a short par 5 with water guarding the dogleg left, often leaving a 200+ yard uphill approach to the green. I can count on one hand the number of pars I've made on the closing hole in probably 50 rounds of play here.

TeeParYardageRatingSlope
Championship (Green)72725274.6135
Mens (Blue)72675171.9129
Senior (Gold)72605868.8120
Ladies (Silver)72547571.0120
View the complete scorecard for this course

Links

GolfCarolina.com - Course review
GolfHoles.com - Photo tour and course information.

Most Recent Reviews

  • 7/8/23 - Review by GinMillDJ

    "Great course"

    Not the fanciest public course out there, but they do a really great job maintaining very good playing conditions. A few bare spots are noticeable off the fairways where rough should be, but other than that, greens and fairways are in very good shape. Tee boxes have the normal wear and tear on some of the holes. Always a fun course to play.

    Read The Review
  • 5/29/23 - Review by GoBux

    "Great course"

    First time playing here --- very impressed with the greens as the Sunday Ultra-Dwarf Bermudagrass is as advertised! Very smooth and they roll true. A good variety of holes and good risk/reward shots as well. Hard to get into too much trouble here. Enjoyed it very much and we'll be back again!

    Read The Review
  • 4/3/23 - Review by skwahder

    "Worth playing"

    Their greens are holding up nicely. There were a few isolated spots in the fairway that were muddy or washed away, but didn’t overly affect your shots. The course is worth a visit.

    Read The Review
  • 9/5/21 - Review by PADave

    "Average"

    Meh. A crowded Sunday morning as expected. Not a real welcoming vibe with what I assume is a more "regular" crowd. Decent driving range and putting green. Course was shaggy in many areas with greens being the exception and in good shape. Overall, an ok course, but many better tracks in the area.

    Read The Review
  • 3/6/21 - Review by THE BIG SHOW

    "Worth playing"

    Played Saturday 3/6/2021, we had a 10:12 AM tee time. First time here and drove down from Hickory to play this track. The course was still really wet in most places on front 9, pace of play was not the best, parking lot was packed when we finally finished at almost 3 PM. Greens are decent, but I have played on faster mini-verde greens and these were not that quick. If you've never played it is worth playing but that is the last time we pay $55.00 to play this course in those conditions. Better options at that price point elsewhere. I know $55 on a Saturday morning is cheap for Charlotte golf, just couldn't believe it was still so wet on most of the holes on the front 9 with 5 days of no rain prior. All the staff we encountered was really nice and helpful. They have a great grill for breakfast/lunch sandwiches before or at the turn. May try again in the summer.

    Read The Review

Updates From the Forum

  • 05/12/14 - B-Man posted "Plane crashes on Charlotte National 8th hole"

    I pulled up for my round yesterday just moments after this plane crash. Had to skip #8 and play #9 twice because they had the area taped off with police cars next to the fairway:

    Small plane crash in Union Co. injures 3 adults, child

    Crazier than that, though, was the fact that I tweeted a photo about it and got a reply from a lady whose brother and nephew were in the plane. She was asking me for updates (!). I think all is well, though, as w! e received word that the 4 people were in stable condition.
    View this thread
  • 03/11/13 - DrSchteeve replied to "Charlotte National allowing fivesomes?"

    Yes they routinely allow fivesomes, even on busy spring and summer weekends. One rumor is that the course owner plays in a fivesome regularly. I will say that even with fivesomes the pace is sometimes OK - they do ranger it fairly well.
    View this thread
  • 03/11/13 - Mike posted "Charlotte National allowing fivesomes?"

    First of all I love Charlotte National. Very nice people and the greens are always in great shape, I love the layout with some hard and some easy holes.

    With that said, the past few times I have been out there I have seen fivesomes on the course. One time there were 4 or 5 groups backed up behind the fivesome waiting on tees. The other time it was a fivsome going from 9 to 10 so no impact on me as I was just starting my round. I am hoping this is not a new policy and was allwed because it was winter, Hopefully this does not happen into spring and summer as my favorite course will be eliminated the first time I have a five and a half round due to a slow fivesome.
    View this thread
  • 07/11/11 - Jamie replied to "Charlotte National"

    Played for the first time at Charlotte National in over a year on Saturday 7/9/11. Course was in good shape except for the bunkers - some had little to no sand. Greens were recently mini-punched, and unusually slow. They rolled well, but you needed s sledgehammer on uphill putts. As for the clubhouse, still a trailer, so there still really isn't one. After 15 years in business - if the trailer continues to deteriorate, they will be forced to either build a clubhouse or shut down. At some point something has to give. Very strange situation for such a good course.
    View this thread
  • 05/04/11 - PT replied to "Charlotte National"

    The course is greening up nicely and the greens right now are in very good shape. They have some speed and roll true. Just wish more players would take the time to repair their divots and ballmarks.
    View this thread


Latest Forum Post

Media Coverage for My Top 10 List and Website

By B-Man on 8/24/23

I've been making the rounds chatting with several media personalities about my Top 10 list and my site. All of this exposure should get even more reviews and updates on Charlotte golf courses for you and make my site even better. Check out these videos and podcasts and...

About The B-Man
The B-Man himself
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List of Courses
Latest Review

Emerald Lake Golf Club


"Bad, stay away"

9/30/23: Review by Hunter

Clubhouse is nice. And that's the end of positive things to say Course is in awful shape. Greens are running a 2. Bare spots on several holes. Weeds all throughout greens. Group in front of us took almost 5 hours. Ranger came by once but didn't improve anything.

Latest Forum Post

Media Coverage for My Top 10 List and Website

By B-Man on 8/24/23

I've been making the rounds chatting with several media personalities about my Top 10 list and my site. All of this exposure should get even more reviews and updates on Charlotte golf courses for you and make my site even better. Check out these videos and podcasts and...

About The B-Man
The B-Man himself
Homestretch Golf
Homestretch Golf
The Best Golf Tournament Wagering Platform!
See the Demo