First Impressions
When starting this site, the sole goals for Shayne and I were to have a place to share the best golf experiences we could with all of you, and to meet friends in the golf space we’d never have connected with otherwise.
Our day at Sedgefield was a testament that starting ISO was a great idea for us, a day shared with a phenomenal host who we consider a friend and will be playing with again in the near future on a course I’d long wanted to see.
It’s easy for Sedgefield to fall a bit under the radar due to its location in Greensboro, North Carolina, competing in the shadows of the Pinehurst compound and several other strong options. However, it provided a perfect balance to the rugged terrain that defines the surrounding courses and is a great example of a traditional shot maker’s golf course.
Designed by Donald Ross in 1926, the club has hosted tournaments since 1938 with winners of the Greater Greensboro Open including the likes of Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, and Byron Nelson. The annual tournament was later named the Wyndham Championship, first hosted by Sedgefield in 2008 and every year since.
Pulling up the clubhouse is a treat. A tudor-style building that’s classic and elegant, the tone is set with brick accents with a nice homage to Ross outside.
The range is a short walk across the street, and it was time to kick off our final round of the Carolina trip.
The Course
Design: Donald Ross
Year Built: 1926
Yardage: 7130 (Championship)/6775 (Black)/6440 (White)/5934 (Blue)
Rating: 75.2/73.1/71.7/69.8
Accessibility: Private
Cost: $100 (Accompanied guest)
The Front 9
We played from the Black tees giving us a few opportunities to play from the pro boxes while not beating us up too badly. The opening hole is a gentle handshake of sorts, a 408 yard par 4 that gently bends to the left and works uphill. As the fairway works towards the green it slopes to the left leaving uneven lies for wedge shots in. A Ross signature elevated green awaits, with severe dropoffs long and left.
The second is a 422 yard par 4 this time bending to the right but playing shorter as its downhill. Placement trumps distance off the tee as fairway bunkers line the left side of the fairway and a creek awaits at the bottom of the hill to the right, eager to scoop up overzealous tee shots.
From there, you’re faced with a downhill approach requiring distance control as the green falls off the back. A bunker defends the left side and the creek winds up to the right of the front to back sloped green. A really thought provoking par 4 that we enjoyed quite a bit.
The first par 3 awaits on the 3rd, a midlength one shotter at 176 yards playing a bit longer with deceptive elevation. Deep bunkers guard both sides of the green, making this a straightforward yet demanding par 3.
We’re back to par 4s, a 408 yard dog leg left with a semi blind tee shot to a right to left sloping fairway. I love the risk reward factor on this hole off the tee, as cutting the edge on the left brings significant tree trouble into play.
There aren’t any bunkers to contend with on approach, and there’s plenty of room to run the ball up to the green if that is of preference. The right side of the green has some nasty undulation, so aim for the left/center. A hole made as easy or difficult as your tee shot makes it.
A par 5 arrives on the 5th hole, offering both a scoring opportunity and danger. At just 501 yards it’s gettable, but it’s a tight hole with out of bounds hugging both sides of the fairway. The fairway bends left and runs downhill, offering a chance to go for the green in 2 with a good drive.
However, the approach is not an easy one as the green is small and flanked by both several treacherous bunkers and out of bounds on all sides. Laying up leaves a very reasonable wedge shot in, but it’s hard to resist the temptation of reaching in 2. Ross was eager to punish the overaggressive (cough cough), making this a really solid and thought provoking par 5 that can get away from you quickly.
The 6th is the #1 handicap hole, and one of my favorites visually. The hole really stood out aesthetically, playing downhill to a creek bisecting the fairway before running uphill to the green. Driver is too much off the tee and a well placed iron is the prudent yet correct play.
The approach is far more difficult, playing significantly uphill. A bunker guards the left and a false front will send anything short tumbling back down. A stern par 4 made especially difficult by the approach, unavoidable with the placement of the creek.
The creek comes into play again on the 7th, a long par 3 that plays a bit shorter than the yardage as it is downhill. It is undoubtedly a nervy endeavor as one navigates the water naughtily hugging the front of the green. The mental toll of the relentless nature Donald Ross par 3s in the area display had begun to set in at this point, as they all seem to be of noticeable length.
Like the 6th, the 8th is a par 4 that requires precision and likely less than driver off the tee. Fairway bunkers and tree trouble on the right dissuade from bombing away from the creek on the left, with a wood or long iron up the right side leaving a short approach in. Bunkers guard the left side of the green, but the target is large and receptive. A gentle par 4 and scoring opportunity.
The front 9 ends with an uphill par 4, bending to the right working up to the beautiful clubhouse. While tempting to challenge the dogleg, a fairway bunker looms on the right side and must be avoided at all costs.
The approach plays uphill with the tudor-style clubhouse providing a perfect backdrop. Staying below the hole is important as the green drastically slopes from back to front.
The front 9 asserts Sedgefield as a shotmaker’s course emphasizing precision with a good variety of thought provoking holes. I’d rank them 6,9,2,5,7,4,1,3,8.
The Back 9
Following the photo opportunity with the clubhouse and the turn, Ross snaps us back to reality with a straightforward yet difficult par 4 to start the back.
The tee shot plays downhill over a creek that shouldn’t come into play, and the right side opens up albeit leaving a more difficult approach in. A deep fairway bunker defends the left side and must be avoided.
The approach is uphill to an undulated green, and going long is a difficult mistake to recover from. A challenging start to the back 9 where par feels like a great score.
The 11th is a 452 yard par 4 that demands length off the tee in order to clear the left fairway bunker and catch the speed slope. Misses to the right will encounter tree trouble and/or a nearly impossible angle to go for the green on approach.
The fairway banks from left to right up to the fairway bunker before banking the opposite direction leading up to the green. It makes for a cool visual and is a great feature to spice up a straight hole.
The green is small and elevated, with a bunker closely guarding the right side and a steep ledge on the left. The fairway feeds balls to the left as it works its way to the green leaving tricky chips up to the green. I enjoyed this par 4 quite a bit and found it displayed great design character.
The par 3 12th is the most difficult one shotter on the course and a real bear, making our host’s recent hole in one on it that much more impressive.
If 235 yards aren’t enough to chew on, the green is (in my opinion) the most difficult on the course. A steep two tiered green, being long of the pin makes it nearly impossible to keep lag putts close, so make sure your miss is short if anything.
The 13th is a scoring opportunity albeit a bit deceptive off the tee. A 388 yard dogleg left, the play off the tee isn’t to be overly aggressive by challenging the left side, but playing the center/right of the fairway.
From there, a wedge is all that should be needed for this short approach. However, it can’t be taken for granted as the green is small and guarded by bunkers in the front. That being said, it’s a par 4 on the easier side that should be taken advantage of before the finishing stretch.
The 14th proved to be a terror to Max Greyserman in the 2024 Wyndham Championship (Quad bogey!), and playing the hole it is easy to see how quickly things can go wrong.
A 442 yard dogleg left, the tee shot is demanding with a trees and a fairway bunker to the left, and OB to the right. The fairway isn’t wide, and hitting it is crucial as a lengthy approach awaits.
The right side of the fairway offers more safety at the expense of added distance on the approach. Bunkers guard the front and right side of the green, making what’s likely to be an approach from a significant distance more perilous. Par feels like a great score on the hole.
The 15th is an awesome par 5 that incentivizes aggression. The fairway winds around a pond on the right side, and a creek runs across the front of it. From the elevated tee, the creek must be carried and a dead center bunker comes into play for longer hitters.
The 2nd shot is what makes this hole great.
From the center of the fairway, the contours and fescue behind the bunker block the view of the green, yet the presence of the pond leading all the way to the green is undeniable. While the layup to the left may feel safe, the fairway is severely pinched by the pond and trees making it far more a dangerous idea than you’d think. There is more room to miss going for the green in 2, and the hole’s brilliant design pushes you to be gutsy, grab a hybrid or long iron, and trust yourself to play the long blind shot over the hazard.
Bunkers surround both sides of the green, but there is a generous landing zone to the left leading up to it. A really great par 5 with a wide range of outcomes, and a strong contender for my favorite hole on the course.
Following the thrilling 15th, the shortest par 3 on the course is a slight reprieve albeit not to be taken lightly. At just 151 yards, the tee shot isn’t imposing with the exception of the deep bunkers flanking the front. However, the green slopes from back to front with a bowl shaped contour funneling balls to the front. Be sure to leave your ball beneath the pin and par should be manageable.
The penultimate hole is a quirky par 4, 405 yards and relatively easy with a properly place tee shot. The hole plays uphill to the right, and the fairway banks and rolls in similar fashion to the 11th. There are fairway bunkers on the right side and the left opens up a clear path into the green.
The green slopes from left to right, with bunkers on the left and deeper bunkers defending the right side of the green. A well placed shot to the left side of the green will play nicely for most pin positions.
The round ends in dramatic fashion, a 502 yard hole that plays as a par 4 for the Wyndham Championship but a par 5 for us mere mortals.
It’s a straight hole playing downhill off the tee, a creek lurks at the bottom of the hill to surprise longer hitters unaware of its placement.
The last approach home is challenging, uphill with a nasty false front and bunkers surrounding both sides. The final green has the most contouring on the course, and it was fun trying to replicate Justin Thomas’s infamous chip to make the 2023 FedEx playoffs.
I’d rank the back 9 holes 15,18,14,11,12,10,17,16,13.
Final Thoughts
We thoroughly enjoyed our day at Sedgefield. The course was great and the company even better. The club is rich with history and elegance, and the routing is intricate in strategy. Several of the other courses we played on the trip felt brawny and open with heavy pine influence, and the nuanced shotmaking requirements from Ross at Sedgefield were a welcome dichotomy. We look forward to returning to Sedgefield when it isn’t dormant to see the course in its full form! Thank you again Clem for a fantastic day.
Pros
-PGA host with rich tournament history
-Classic clubhouse, friendly staff and great service
-Historic Donald Ross design with an emphasis on accuracy
Cons
-None
Favorite Holes
-6,15,18
What Would We Pay?
-We found the cost of public options in the area exorbitant, and Sedge’s $100 guest fee felt like stealing. It’s easily worth double if not triple given its area and pedigree.
Final Score
8
See how we score here