Rates:

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Description

This 9-hole public course is only a few minutes from uptown Charlotte and convenient to I-77. It was originally named Revolution Park when it was built in the 1930's as Charlotte's first municipal golf course but was renovated in the summer of 2010. It now sports bermuda greens and a nice pro shop. It also now bears the name of Dr. Charles Sifford, the first African American to earn his PGA Tour playing card.

Notes

Rates shown here are for 9 holes only with cart. The course is managed by Ratcliffe Golf Services and is also home to the First Tee of Charlotte, which promotes core life values and introduces young people from all walks of life to the great game of golf.

B-Man's Take

Similar to all the Ratcliffe owned courses, it offers some of the best, most affordable deals for playing golf in town. It also caters to beginners and prides itself on great customer service. Since the renovation in 2010, the course has been kept in consistently good shape. The inner cluster of holes (2-5) are all side by side -- which gives you a chance even with wayward shots. There are some woods and hazards in play on a few holes. Several of the doglegs can make the course short for long hitters who can cut corners. The greens can be challenging - the small ones are difficult to hit and the large ones have tricky slopes and tiers. The 9th hole is the only par 5 and danger lurks off the tee with woods and a creek in play, then an uphill approach to a perched green where errant shots will bounce out of play. My favorite hole is the short par 4 5th hole -- if you can carry the tall trees on the right side with a high trajectory driver or 3-wood, you can reach it for an eagle try. With a location near uptown and only 9 holes encouraging beginners and newer golfers to play, the course can get crowded on weekday afternoons and evenings.

Most Recent Reviews

• 8/29/24 - Review by RT

  "Great course"

  Shout out for the Dr. Charles L. Sifford Course. I have a 50-year+ love-hate relationship with this course. It's a compact and occasionally quirky layout, and there is always an eclectic crowd, with lots of beginners who (simply through lack of experience) struggle with navigating the course and observing standard golf etiquette. Pace of play can be an issue. The course has also undergone several management changes. All that said, it is a very well maintained muni. The fairways are old-school bermuda, which loves the heat, so the turf really pops in August and September. If you want to experience the DCLS course, play it now, in peak condition. Fairways were full with premium lies all day. Greens are dense, with a smooth, consistent surface and surprisingly fast downhill. Tee boxes are beat up due to the volume of play. Play the tips on this short course for better boxes. The starter is not very organized, and the marshals do not really enforce pace of play. However, you can almost always get on this course and can walk it on a weekday for ~$20, which is a great value. A real mixed bag of holes, with some relatively long and difficult ones (1, 7, and 9, with a 200+ yard force-carry over a hazard to a tight fairway from the back tee) combined with a couple near-drivable par fours. It has a lot of personality and, for me, fond memories of playing here with my father as a kid, which keeps bringing me back.

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• 7/10/24 - Review by Jonny

  "Great course"

  I've played this course so many times over the years. As a CLT native I can say, this has always been one of the easiest courses to get a tee time for. If you play early in the morning during the week you can easily play it in 2 hours. I was invited to join my buddy Adam who loves to play here. We had an 8am tee time on a Wednesday and the weather was just perfect! It was in the BEST condition I've ever seen. The greens were in absolute immaculate condition! Easily rivaling some of the top courses in the area, just that good, rolling fast and true. They have recently come under new management so there have been some notable changes and upgrades. The tee box on #3, 145 yard par 3 has been completely rebuilt. It's now elevated to include both the blue and white tees and much larger and in better condition. The bridge over the creek on #9, the 460 yard par 5 has been completely rebuilt. My favorite holes remains #7, a 173 yard par 3 with an elevated tee box and a great green complex downhill. It sets up beautifully an it's all right in front of you. You don't want to miss long and go over the back. The pin placement will be key for scoring on this hole. The right side is on an elevated shelf which feeds down to the lower left. The greens keepers her love to place the pin in this undulations just to keep it interesting. This course has a history going back to 1929 when it was first called The Bonnie Brae. It still holds up to this day as one of the best short courses in the CLT area.

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• 5/1/24 - Review by Brian

  "Worth playing"

  This 9-hole course is quick, cheap and fun but nothing special as you’d expect. I like to play first thing in the morning and walk 9. It’s worth playing if you live close by and want to play a quick 9, as it’s one of the only options within charlotte.

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• 8/23/23 - Review by cswan14

  "Worth playing"

  Sifford is such a great option to get a quick 9 in after work. The course was in great shape, greens were a little long and spongy so putts were rolling very slow. Things are usually pretty packed and the holes are right on top of each other so make sure you set your expectations accordingly. The range gets busy, so it's not guaranteed you'll get a spot to warm up but they short game area is the best around. Have spent many hours over there just pitching/chipping/putting and it doesn't cost a dime. At $25 for 9 holes riding during the week, Sifford is a fantastic value.

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• 7/14/22 - Review by B-Man

  "Worth playing"

  Sifford is in good shape, no issues to report. Greens were consistent and cut to medium speed. Fairways were solid. As always here, if you get off the fairway, wide left or right, your lies can be dicey, with bare dirt or rocks and tree roots. I play a regular 9 hole game on late afternoon weekdays with a few friends and Sifford is a great place for that.

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Updates From the Forum

• 06/12/25 - B-Man posted "Summer Aerification Schedule"

  Here is the list I have of aerification schedules for local courses. Please reply to add any updates I missed. June 1st Week: Stonebridge Fort Mill Sifford June 2nd Week: The 500 Club Red Bridge Warrior June 3rd Week: Mooresville Eagle Chase River Bend Monroe CC
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• 06/12/25 - B-Man posted "Summer Aerification Schedule"

  Here is the list I have of aerification schedules for local courses. Please reply to add any updates I missed. June 1st Week: Stonebridge Fort Mill Sifford June 2nd Week: The 500 Club Red Bridge Warrior June 3rd Week: Mooresville Eagle Chase River Bend Monroe CC
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• 07/16/13 - B-Man posted "Aerial footage of Revolution Park under water"

  This is amazing video of what Revolution Park looked like after the flooding rains last week:
  
  
  
  This aerial footage was shot by the WBTV helicopter last Thursday (7/11/13).
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• 09/16/12 - B-Man posted "Revolution Park added"

  I had the pleasure of meeting Del Ratcliffe last week. Ratcliffe Golf Services runs several courses around town, including Charles T Myers and Renaissance Park that are listed on the site. I've now added the Dr. Charles L. Sifford Course at Revolution Park. This 9-hole course was renovated in 2010 and looks in great shape (I took a tour but haven't played it yet). Look forward to hearing comments and reviews on it from you guys.
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