Crowders Mountain Golf Club Review – 4/10/2020

The excitement of playing at Crowders Mountain Golf Club hits during the car ride there. Appropriately named after the mountaintop adjacent to the course, the views of actual Crowders Mountain come into focus as you get closer to the clubhouse. The course itself features excellent sights of the popular hiking destination, with several holes allowing you to see the summit from different angles. Anyone who enjoys a golf course with beautiful scenery will love the views at Crowders Mountain Golf Club.

The clubhouse is simple, and the staff is very friendly. There is no driving range, but the facility features a good-sized practice green which seemed to roll true to the greens on the course. If you’re starting your round on the front, you’ll need to take a left out of the clubhouse parking lot and head across Linwood Road to get to the first hole.

Overall, the course was in okay shape for this time of year. The fairways and the rough around the greens frequently appeared to lack upkeep as several holes needed to be mowed. Considering everything currently going on with the COVID-19 pandemic, this may simply be the result of limited staff during this unfortunate time. The greens were in very good shape for this early in the season, and the course’s mountain layout makes it very fun to play.

The course provides a challenge from front to back, featuring elevation changes and little room to miss on several holes. Water comes into play on 11 of the holes, and tree lines make for narrow windows during tee shots and approach shots on multiple occasions. The par 5 14th hole, named Young’s Revenge, is widely regarded as one of the toughest holes in the Charlotte area.

#14 Par 5, 545yds, Handicap: 2 ­– Young’s Revenge can be an absolute nightmare if it’s not played right, and it claims to be the “hardest par 5 in the world” on the Crowders Mountain Golf Club website. The hole features a short dog leg left that makes a driver an almost impossible play, multiple elevation changes, two water hazards, and a sloped green. But if you play the hole safe – and maybe get a little bit of luck – you can find yourself on the green in three or four shots with a reasonable look at par. Here’s what the hole looks like from about 300yds out:

#5 Par 3, 135yds, Handicap: 17 – A beautiful layout, this hole features an elevated tee box overlooking a green surrounded by water in the front and a nearly unplayable hill on the backside. The surface of the green makes for a large landing area, but there is very little margin for error if you fail to hit it – although you may catch a friendly roll down the hill if you’re a little too long.  Check it out in the photo below: