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Description

This lakeside course is situated about halfway between Charlotte and Pinehurst, making it a nice stop on your way to/from your golf vacations or a quick day trip. You can easily find the course off Hwy 24/27 after you pass through Albemarle. The scenic layout is situated on Lake Tillery and runs through dense hardwood forests on the halcyonic western edge of the Uwharrie Mountains. The course covers over 540 acres. The course has drawn a good deal of praise and was named one of the three "Best New Courses" in 2002 by North Carolina Magazine. The greens were renovated to MiniVerde Bermudagrass in the summer of 2017.

Notes

Memberships now offered. One of the better values in the area with low rack rates combined with a great layout.

B-Man's Take

I've only played here twice as it is about 50 minutes due east from me on the edge of the Uwharrie Mountains. It is indeed a scenic layout with hilly terrain similar to a mountain course. The greens are now MiniVerde Bermuda (2017) and several have challenging slopes and tiers. There are quite a few long par 4 holes here, especially the 3 hole stretch of #13-15. I did like the two par 5's on the back, #10 and #18 -- both give good players chances to get home in two with long drives. There are few tee shots where it pays to have some local knowledge or a good GPS app on your phone, as the landing areas can run off into trouble if you hit it long enough. Despite being named for the lake, the course does not actually offer any scenic lake views. There are a few ponds but most of the holes are simply tree-lined and bunkered, making this course an old school golf challenge. I don't consider it that difficult if you can navigate the tee shots and make some putts. The clubhouse is spacious and home to the impressive Eagles Nest Grill. This would be a good spot for a tournament outing or a 36 hole day.

Most Recent Reviews

• 9/14/22 - Review by tvrepairex

  "Best of the best"

  First time playing in a year and what a treat.Te course was in the best shape that I have ever seen it.Tee boxes good,real sand in traps,and the greens were perfect with no issues at all.The fairways were plush and the rough was actually-well rough,not too high but thick and consistent. My only downside was that there was a significant rate increase in July which makes the senior rate of $44 M-Thur.and $80 for everyone on weekends,not such a good deal for us fixed income,senior citizens that must drive nearly an hour to play.However,with the conditions and layout,it is probably worth the price.

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• 12/16/21 - Review by BetterThanMost

  "Great course"

  Played TTCC for the first time in a while this week. Course was in great shape with only isolated issues here or there. New ownership in 2021, and it shows. Carts are new, range balls are new TP5 Pix. Their green redo from a couple of years ago has really paid off. Greens were in great shape, and quick! Tees, fairways, and bunkers were all similarly well conditioned. They are building a housing development between the 11th and 14th holes, so the back nine isn't as isolated as it once was. Work is also progressing on the widening of 73 from Albemarle out to Lake Tillery, which will make the drive easier.

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• 10/12/21 - Review by tvrepairex

  "Great course"

  This course was in the best shape I have ever seen it.The fairways were lush,the tee boxes good,and the greens the best of any I've played this year.This last point was the news.Tillery has always seemed to have issues with their greens,even after replacing them within the last two years.The greens today were perfect and cut very fast.Also in the past carts weren't allowed in the parking lot ,but today they were actually delivered to the lots for you. I know they had a consultant working with them for a while and the results were really good.One of them I believe was Jeff Austin,the former GM at the private Irish Creek Club in Kannapolis.

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• 7/14/20 - Review by B-Man

  "Great course"

  My second round here (ever) was a fun one and I'll be back. Quick note: they are aerating the greens next Monday (7/20). Today the course was in good shape. Greens were not fast but rolled fairly well and my group was able to make some putts when they counted. Tee boxes were a bit hairy but better to have too much grass than none like some other courses. Fairways and bunkers were good, no issues. This is a cool course. The biggest challenge are the blind tee shots where you're not sure how far you can hit it on certain lines, which wreaked havoc on some of the long drives in our group from the Blue tees. Outside of that there are only a few dangerous holes and really they present risks and rewards. So it's your choice to take on a tough pin or that long carry to reach a par 5 (such as #18) in two shots. One observation is that the turf near and on the greens is very hard. We got lots of hard, high bounces on approach shots, saved at times by the slower greens. I think once you get to know this course it's not a difficult track. Very reasonably priced too. I'll be back in the Fall for another go at it.

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• 4/17/20 - Review by IM4DHERD

  "Great course"

  Nothing's perfect, but Tillery Tradition is in great shape. Beautiful course giving a Mountain-like experience. Fairways were fantastic and unlike many places, the rough was full and lush. More like a second cut and not punitive. Easier to point out what is wrong than what is right...Of course the traps are not in pristine shape as, just like everywhere else, they are being a bit ignored since the rakes have been pulled off the course. Full of sand, but they haven't been groomed since what looks like the last big rain. I recall one teebox being a bit bare. The greens are fast and true, but most have some sort of weed on them which didn't alter any putts. I imagine they will spray for those soon. This is going to become more than a once a year course even though it is 1:15 from me.

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Updates From the Forum

• 10/01/17 - BetterThanMost replied to "Tillery Tradition Status"

  They have reopened the course for play. Here's part of an email the club sent out regarding current conditions:
  
  Golf Course Update!
  
  Anyone that has played since we have opened knows we have had a slow growing season for our new greens and they have not quite fully grown in. To improve this and give our members and guests a better playing experience we will be Sodding in all the areas that have not grown in within the next 2 weeks.
  We will also be overseeding all of our tee boxes next week with Rye Grass to give them a good coverage for the fall, winter and spring. New Rakes, cups, flags and flagsticks have been ordered to inhance our facility and we exepct those to be delivered next week.
  The ownership and managem!
  ent are committed to do everything we can to create a great experience for our membership and we appreciate your patience through this process.
  
  It does look like they do not have a website any longer, although their mobile website is still active, but not current. It also appears as if they aren't on any of the tee time services any longer, either. Published rates are $38 on weekdays and $45 on weekends. Twilight rates are $28.
  
  Also in that area, Badin Golf Club closed suddenly at the end of August. Little to no information is known as to the future of that course.
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• 04/24/17 - BetterThanMost posted "FYI - Tillery Tradition"

  For anyone who ventures out to Albemarle to play Tillery Tradition, they are regrassing their greens this summer. The course will close on July 5th as they switch from Crenshaw Bentgrass to MiniVerde Bermudagrass. They anticipate reopening on Labor Day Monday.
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