If you are a golf fan, Quail Hollow should be no stranger. Established in 1959, the prestigious Charlotte, N.C., club hosted the Kemper Open and the senior tour’s PaineWebber Invitational, and most recently it’s been home to the Wells Fargo Championship. In 2017 it hosted its first major (the PGA Championship, won by Justin Thomas), and this week it’s the site of the 14th playing of the Presidents Cup.
Not bad, right?
The course itself is no slouch. The George Cobb design opened in 1961, and four holes were modified by Arnold Palmer in 1985. A portion was later redesigned by Tom Fazio to prepare for the PGA Championship.
It’s a par-72 that stretches to 7,576 yards, but it’s played as a par-71 for the Wells Fargo and also for this week. (The 1st hole is a par-5 for members.)
Quail Hollow is also home to the famous Green Mile, the moniker given to the difficult stretch that consists of Nos. 16-18.
The 16th is a long dogleg par-4 in which the green sits on the edge of a lake, the 17th is a long par-3 with water long and left, and the par-4 18th is one of the toughest finishing holes on Tour. It stretches 500 yards and has a creek that runs up the entire left side of the fairway and green. The Green Mile, however, won’t greet players at the finish line this week. To better guarantee three of the course’s most challenging and signature holes are a part of the Presidents Cup matches, the course was rerouted and the Green Mile will now play as holes 13, 14 and 15.
Quail Hollow Club membership price
Quail Hollow is a private club and its 18 holes are routed inside several multi-million-dollar homes that are a part of a housing development that borders the property. One of those houses belongs to Webb Simpson, a U.S. assistant captain this week and Quail Hollow member.
Costello Real Estate and Investments is headquartered in Charlotte and recently wrote about Quail Hollow Club membership, a carrot on a stick for anyone looking to live in the high-priced area. According to a June 2021 article from Costello, it’s extremely difficult to get into Quail Hollow. Its membership number is around 300 and admittance is only granted through a current member recommendation. Costello reports the initiation fee is $100,000 and dues are $800 per month. (UPDATE: As of 2025, the initiation fee is $150,000, a club insider told GOLF.com.)
If you aren’t able to join, don’t worry, you can always make friends with a member and score a tee time. Or, worst case, you will just have to settle for seeing the course through your TV.
