Wakefield Plantation

A former TPC network golf course is a great way to get a jumpstart on operating a country club, and Wakefield Plantation Country Club took control of the Hale Irwin design in Raleigh, North Carolina, upon launch. The routing traverses between a surrounding residential neighborhood and across rolling terrain common for the area.

Irwin used the hills to create blind approach shots to several greens, including No. 3 and No. 17, where false fronts will repel those scared of sending their ball into the unknown.

The course revels in a bit of TPC-heroic flavoring during the final holes on both nines, where players will need to carry the same creek to reach the respective greens. Although there is extra room beyond the creek on No. 9, the ideal angle into its tilted green will mean driving to a space between a pair of centerline bunkers and a large lake on the left. The demand is much more straightforward on No. 18, where the question is simply whether one can carry the water as it flows directly in front of the green.

The club also features a nine-hole short course playing to a par of 33.