Tot Hill Farm (photo by Carolina Pines)
There are certain golf course architects that their very name strikes a chord with the die-hard golfers of the world. From classics like Donald Ross and A.W. Tillinghast to modern day marvels like Gil Hanse and Tom Doak, there’s no doubt that we have been blessed with some glorious talents when it comes to designing golf courses.
One name that was taken far too soon from us was Mike Strantz, a genius with an incredibly unique eye. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of playing one of his eleven original designs such as Tobacco Road, True Blue, and Caledonia, then you’ll know what we are talking about. These courses are known for dramatic routings with tons of movement and incredibly tricky greens that feature massive false fronts that can turn a barely missed approach shot into a 40-yard chip in the blink of an eye.
With such a limited portfolio for a man of his incredible talents, it’s even more vital that his courses continue to thrive so golfers for generations to come can enjoy these modern golf marvels. Fortunately for us, one of those courses has recently been restored to its former glory in the form of Tot Hill Farm in Asheboro, NC which is just over an hour northeast of Charlotte, or about 50 minutes away from Pinehurst, NC.Â
It’s also about three hours northwest of Myrtle Beach, so it tends to be a perfect stop for golfers who are on their way in or out of these major golf destinations.
We recently had the pleasure of visiting this course and can tell you that making a stop here if you’re within the vicinity is well worth your time. The course does see a decent amount of play from the drive market, but often it is a perfect stop for those coming into Pinehurst as an add-on to your golf getaway.
What makes this course so unique in the Strantz portfolio is the location. Located in a valley near some mountainous terrain, there were substantial elevation changes that required the use of dynamite as much or more than the movement of dirt to unearth this fantastic routing. With all the care that went into this design, the team at Tot Hill Farm made the focus of this project to be a restoration, not a renovation, and the result would surely make Strantz proud.
Tot Hill Farm (photo by Ryan Barnett)
The course
There isn’t a bad hole on this golf course, and we found ourselves captivated throughout the entire round which we find to be the hallmark of an exceptional design. That being said, we did have a few holes that truly stood out to us and we wanted to highlight a few of these for you.
Hole No. 3: The Rock
The aptly named Rock hole features a massive boulder by the tee box that sets the tone for a beautiful slightly downhill par-3 that’s green is protected by a massive bunker on the right and a rock-lined stream that borders the back, left side, and front of this large green. This hole really sets the tone for the rest of your round.
Hole No. 7: Deer Track
This par-4 frames up well from the tee and features two bunkers on each side of the fairway as well as some thick grass left that will certainly swallow up any ball that heads that way. The hole is not overly long, so accuracy off the tee is more important than distance here and you’ll want to find the short grass to attack this narrow green that is protected by a small stream. The green is angled from right to left where any shots left will require a longer carry, so picking the right club here is essential.
Hole No. 8: Balfour’s Ridge
This hole is pure Strantz. This par-5 isn’t overly long, and the tee shot does provide ample space as long as you avoid the three fairway bunkers on the left side of the fairway here, and the lay up shot offers you plenty of room as well. The approach here is where things get very interesting. The green is elevated with a massive false front that will leave you with a 30-50 yard chip if you end up just a few feet short on your approach into this tiered green.Â
Hole No. 10: Great Wall
This tee shot features a rock wall on a hill that visually brings you in off the tee, but a well struck tee shot should clear this quite easily and you’ll want to pick the right club to leave you a full shot in here as this massive double green that connects with the green on the 12th hole is deceivingly tough to hit and has water lurking on all sides.
Hole No. 12: Old Dam Hole
Avoiding the water is key throughout this hole, and a tight tee shot with water lurking left will require an accurate tee shot preferably favoring the right side of this fairway to leave you with a forced carry over that same water hazard to this peninsula green that is connected to the green on No. 10.
Hole No. 15: Water Fall
This short par-3 was beautifully restored to bring back the water fall on the backside of the green that sets up a serene setting for a downhill tee shot that is well guarded up the left side by a bunker and thick rough, and along the right side by the waterfall stream that runs all the way down the hole.
Tot Hill Farm (photo by Carolina Pines)
Recommendation
It’s impossible not to love what the team at Tot Hill Farm has done to restore this incredible design back to its former glory. It is definitely worth adding into your itinerary if you’re planning a visit to the Carolinas as it’s easy to get to for golfers flying into Raleigh or Charlotte, and an easy detour if you are driving in to play in the Pinehurst area. For Strantz lovers, it pairs up nicely with a round at Tobacco Road in Pinehurst to give you a complementary 1-2 Strantz combination as these two designs sum up his design prowess as well as any other courses in his portfolio.
You’ll be glad you made the extra effort to play here, and we think you’ll share our sentiment that the team at Tot Hill Farm has done the golfing world a massive service by restoring this incredible design.