Golf Courses Near Hickory, NC

Perched on the Catawba River in the foothills of Blue Ridge Mountains, Hickory enjoys a central location just an hour or so from Charlotte, Asheville and Boone. In town, novice golfers and seniors favor tee times at Hampton Heights Golf Course, while Player’s Ridge, with its constantly rolling fairways and rollicking greens in a setting enveloped by evergreens and hard trees, offers a more challenging game. In the Appalachian foothills of Conover, the 36-hole Rock Barn Golf & Spa’s public-access layout is the delightfully varied Jackson Course, which Golf Advisor rates as one of the top courses in North Carolina. Glen Oaks Golf Club in remote Maiden is a rousing layout with lots of water holes, including one with an island green. The course provides superb value, especially if you land a hot deal tee time.

Hickory rivals High Point as a North Carolina furniture capital. It has been a major furniture producer since the 1800s. A highlight every fall is the Hickory Furniture Mart, where you’ll find more than 100 manufactures under one roof. Hickory’s major cultural showpiece is The Hickory Museum of Art, which was the Southeast’s first major American art museum. A much louder attraction is Hickory Motor Speedway, a NASCAR short track that is known as “”the birthplace of champions.”” Nature spots include Lake Hickory and the Catawba River, but chances are Hickory’s golf courses will give you all the fresh air and recreation you need.