Tanglewood Park (Championship Course) – Played June 2021
- Rankings: None of my four lists
- Location: 4061 Clemmons Road, Clemmons, North Carolina
- Year: 1958
- Original Architect: Robert Trent Jones
- Additional Work By: Roger Rulewich, Robert Trent Jones Jr, Bruce Charlton, & Rich Mandell
- Course Access: Public
- Walking Rules: Carts Available
Score Card Information:
- Gold: 7,101 yards, Par 70, 74.5 Rating/139 Slope
- Blue: 6,637 yards, Par 70, 72.8 Rating/135 Slope
- White: 6,014 yards, Par 70, 69.8 Rating/127 Slope (Men’s), 75.7 Rating/133 Slope (Women’s)
- Black: 5,333 yards, Par 70, 66.2 Rating/124 Slope (Men’s), 75.7 Rating/126 Slope (Women’s)
- Red (Short): 4,562 yards, Par 74, 66.9 Rating/115 Slope
- Family: 3,404 yards, Par 74, 59.6 Rating/113 Slope (Men’s), 60.9 Rating/106 Slope (Women’s)
I don’t often find myself paying a small fee to enter a public park to play golf, but that was the case on my way to Tanglewood Park to play with a couple new buddies.
After paying my toll, I weaved through the park in Clemmons just outside of Winston-Salem. Upon reaching the parking lot, I knew I was in for some quality municipal golf.
You see, Tanglewood Park hosted the 1974 PGA Championship. Lee Trevino outdueled Jack Nicklaus to win by a shot. Sam Snead tied for third at the age of 62. The course also hosted the 1988-2002 editions of the Vantage Championship (Champions Tour).
Tanglewood Park had a major renovation in 2018 which focused on the bunkering and changing to Bermuda grass on the greens. Additionally, some new shot options were added to certain holes.
Like most municipal courses, there isn’t a huge budget for maintenance. So the edges can be a bit rough, but the greens ran great and the fairways had good turf. For a reasonable green fee I was more than pleased with the conditions.
Let’s get into the tour. All yardages are from the Blue tees.
Hole 1 – 344 yards – Par 4
Most of the bunkers are in play on this downhill shorty. Birdie is a real possibility to start the round.
The green has wicked contouring.
Hole 2 – 467 yards – Par 4
Now that the easy hole is out of the way, you begin a tough stretch of holes. This long par four requires two of your best shots of the day. You won’t want to go over the green.
Hole 3 – 210 yards – Par 3
Thankfully the green is a big target on this long hole. The front section is inviting, even with a pin all the way in the back.
Hole 4 – 395 yards – Par 4
We get a reprieve from the long holes here, but in the place of length we get sand. Bunkers dot a lot of this hole, especially around the green.
Hole 5 – 383 yards – Par 4
The fifth sent shivers down my spine since I tend to miss to the left. I promptly hooked one into the water. Good drives are left with a tough uphill approach to a large, sloping green.
Hole 6 – 359 yards – Par 4
Doug, seen below, definitely deserves a shoutout. He’s a local who had some good stories for us all day. Hit it quite well! As for the hole, straightaway that begs for the driver.
Hole 7 – 183 yards – Par 3
Tanglewood Park doesn’t skimp on sand, as evidenced by the green below.
Hole 8 – 540 yards – Par 5
The entirety of this hole is pretty open unless you veer left. It will take two solid pokes to get home in two, but precision can also yield birdies.
The green will be hard to hold with a long second shot. Notice how it is not very deep.
Hole 9 – 418 yards – Par 4
This hole plays all of the yardage as it climbs the hill to the green. The bunker at the corner is in play, but it’s tempting to go as far right as you dare to shorten your approach.
Hole 10 – 364 yards – Par 4
You can max out drives on this downhill dogleg left. Hitting less than driver isn’t a bad idea and should leave you with a scoreable approach shot.
Hole 11 – 178 yards – Par 3
Compared to some of the others, this is one of the tamer holes at Tanglewood Park. There is still some slope to the green to make you think.
Hole 12 – 421 yards – Par 4
In my opinion, this hole is kind of silly. Everything falls hard to the left, but a tree blocks some of the right. You need a fade or to be really precise with your tee shot. The approach is much better though.
Hole 13 – 382 yards – Par 4
I was standing to the side, so the angle is off on this photo. The hole plays straight and a bit downhill.
We have another large and contoured green here. You can see the segments from back in the fairway.
Hole 14 – 575 yards – Par 5
I can’t stand OB in general, but the only thing worse is internal OB. We have some on this tee shot. It make some sense because the next green is just to the right. I’d prefer a warning sign encouraging golfers to steer clear instead of a penalty. Either way, there is ample fairway and most people won’t be getting home in two even if they cut the corner.
The green looks flat in its elevated position, but don’t worry, there is a large ridge running back to front.
Hole 15 – 372 yards – Par 4
The tees must have been moved up because this hole was playing less than 300 yards for us. Doesn’t matter when you hook one into the trees like I did 🤣.
Hole 16 – 208 yards – Par 3
Put some thought into your club selection here. We had firm greens and a bit of helping wind. All in all, this hole played at least 25 yards shorter for us.
Hole 17 – 420 yards – Par 4
This is the beginning of a difficult two-hole finishing stretch. Seventeen requires a precise drive and controlled approach, lest you end up in the woods.
Hole 18 – 418 yards – Par 4
Your legs may be tired, but you’ll need to summon the energy for another two solid shots on this difficult finisher. Don’t leave your approach short or it will be rolling back to you.
I am always happy to see a great municipal course. They deal with budget issues and, occasionally, outside pressures to use the land in other ways. I’m happy they persist and offer affordable golf to players. Tanglewood Park fits that bill.
A good course is one thing, but having a fun day with Phil, Jeff, and Doug pushed it over the top!