A Greensboro Gem: Bryan Park Golf Club

Situated a mere 15-minute drive from downtown Greensboro, Bryan Park Golf Club offers 36 holes of championship golf.  The kicker?  It’s open to the public!  And it’s simply beautiful.

Last week, I made the 90-minute drive from Charlotte to compete in the 91st Carolinas Open presented by BB&T.  I had yet to play at Bryan Park, but knew the Champions Course, designed by the famed Rees Jones, to be a first class layout. After all, it played host to the prestigious U.S. Public Links Championship in 2010 (the other course at Bryan Park is the Players Course, a George Cobb design, which I didn’t play on this trip).

The Champions Course (7,255 yards, course/slope ratings of 75.4/140) opens with a benign 410 yard straight-away par 4, before winding its way through the park woodlands and along Lake Townsend.  The variety of holes – lengthy par 3’s, mixture of par 4’s, risk/reward par 5’s – as well as scenic views, make this layout one to remember.

My favorite stretch of holes begin on the 543 yard par-5 11th and end on the 492 yard par-5 15th.  These holes are nestled right along the lake, offering beautiful views that tempt golfers with a distraction from the ever elusive goal of perfect golf.  With two par 3s over 200 yards, two reachable par 5s and a near 500 yard par-4, holes 11-15 serve as Bryan Park’s version of “Amen Corner.”  Saddle up boys and girls, these holes will make or break your round.

So, how did I fare in the tournament?  Well, after one of my best ball-striking rounds in weeks and a 2-under 70 during my practice round, I felt pretty good heading into the event.  Unfortunately, those good vibes didn’t exactly carry over to the tournament.

I found myself scrambling from the very beginning in round 1, and managed to scrape out a less-than-ideal 77 after a few late birdies.  While my play tee-to-green improved in round 2, I could never get it going on the greens and three late round 3-putts left me with a disappointing 76 and two shots outside the cut line for final round play.

Nevertheless, I throughly enjoyed my time at Bryan Park Golf Club and look forward to playing there again in the future.  If you find yourself in the Greensboro area, be sure to sneak in a quick 18 at Bryan Park!