Umstead Pines Golf & Swim Club at Willowhaven

I lived in Hillsborough for 22 years and got tired of the "local course". I had no idea how close this track was; boy did i miss out!

Tee Boxes are flat (pet peeve) Conditions were perfect. Greens were perfect. Brand new club car carts with GPS and blind shot warning. The range is tiny though. A lot of birdie opportunities and the rough is deceptively deep.

I hit 13/18 greens and never had to worry about the greens being too firm.

they obviously put a lot of money into this course recently and it shows.

Ill definitely will be going back!

Umstead Pines was a great course to play at. Went bright and early in the morning and we were the only ones on the course so pace of play was optimal. The course itself has a lot of variation in the holes, a lot of elevation changes, some creative sandtrap placement, and a few water hazards. Probably the biggest hazard with the course is that just about every hole is surrounded by houses, some of which are almost on top of the fairway! Really forces you to be careful with your shots. Some of the holes have some pretty crazy elevation changes which makes for a fun round. I would definitely recommend a cart if you are playing 18. The back 9 holes are scattered throughout the surrounding neighborhoods and require a good deal of walking. The cart is only an extra $5 and is well worth it in my opinion. The carts also have touchscreens that show you the hole layouts, how far away you are, and have a scorecard. Pretty cool addition. I will definitely be coming back to Umstead Pines! Great round of golf for the price.

Great layout, good pace of play and friendly staff. Carts have GPS which was nice. Aereated about a month ago so greens not bad. Fairways still thin and bare from the winter.

Played early afternoon. Nice routing and mix of holes. Several challenging 4 pars. Houses are visible, but do not impact the experience.

Conditions are decent for this time of year. Greens are healing from aeration, but rolled reasonably consistently. Lots of subtle breaks. Fairways are thin.

Not much of a pro shop, but it serves the purpose. Smallish range - hitting area was fairly beat up.

$42 for Saturday afternoon is pricey vs. other area courses. I'd go back at a better price point. Look for deals. Overheard that they aren't on GolfNow.

Played this afternoon. Greens are in great shape (very fast and true), and rest of course is too. I have played here a few times over the years and it never disappoints. Fun, fair layout. Great staff, pace of play was a bit slow, but we finished in 4.5. GPS in carts. Get out and play here.

Layout is good enough to keep your attention, plenty of doglegs forcing you to hit less then driver. Course is short but I still hit about every club in the bag.

The best part of the course were the greens, excellent condition and somewhat fast. Since the greens had quite a bit of undulation, keeping your ball below the hole is paramount.

If you want good greens and need to work on your wedge game, head to Umstead Pines.

I've played Umstead several times, and always walk away saying how much I really like the course. The greens usually always roll true, and the course is always in good condition. The staff in the pro shop are the friendliest people, and always fun to talk to. If you need a bite to eat after 9, they have good food options or snack options to choose from. One of the biggest things for me, is pace of play, and I am never standing around having to wait at Umstead. Even if the course is busy, it never seems like you're waiting around. If you're in the area, play this course!

The course in above average condition, especially the greens. Course maintenance team does a great job. After so much rain, bunkers filled in and fairways not bad.
Umstead is on our regular list of places to play. A true value and a very friendly staff.

Really really nice course will definitely be back a thinking mans course great fast greens with lots of slope meets every requirement of you like to be challenged

The course was in excellent condition and was a lot of fun to play. I will be back.

I've played here a few times and depending on pin placement this course can be challenging. Enjoyed our round and the staff is very friendly. Never had to wait during round. I will gladly drive a few more miles to enjoy playing rather than deal with rude and inconsiderate locations nearby. Great job UP !

I play this course frequently. Total course is in excellent condition especially fairway grass. Back nine is one of the most challenging in area.

My first visit to Umstead Pines found the course generally in good shape. The greens had been aerated apparently a week or two prior to my visit and had not fully filled in. They were in fair condition but were slow. Fairways were mostly good with a few that were sparce (usually in the more shaded areas). Traps were bad. The bottom of the traps were hard packed. It appeared a vehicle had been driven about in them with no device to loosen the sand. Would I play here again? Perhaps but at the right price.

Course is excellent and good condition. Staff i very kind

This course has poor fairways.... Lots of dirt....a better rating is 3.

You would never just happen by this course, but ever since I discovered it, I have come back again and again.
The greens are always good, pace of play is seldom an issue, the front and back are VERY different and offer a good mix of holes. All in all, it's just a great value and a fun track.
Very walkable and well-priced. Look, it's not Augusta, but if you want a good test of your game, you could do a lot worse in the Triangle. Give it a try. You'll be glad you did.

Always in great shape, year round. Greens are always challenging and fast. Even after a lot of rain and some hole with cart path only, the course was relatively dry and drained pretty well. Staff has always been so-so here, but I'm not asking them to do much. For the $28 price tag, a great value. The course is worth $45, or more on a weekend.

This was my second time playing Umstead, and I've enjoyed it both times. Not a particularly difficult track, but fairly well manicured for a public course - and for a $19 golfnow hot deal, it can't be beat!

A few minor complaints - some holes have fairly long distances between them, which would make it tough to walk. Also, some of the holes are gimmicky - 18 comes to mind which is a long par 3 completely over water with no bailout area. If your long-irons aren't working, be prepared to bring a few extra balls!

This course was in great condition: greens, fairways, tee boxes.

Very challenging. We will return. .

Enjoyed playing this course! If you have never played this course before, it's a placement course. It's not long, but can be a little tricky! Looking forward to the next time I get a chance to play it.