I’d never been to Clinton, North Carolina. But I knew of semi-private Cohere Country Club due to some of their legendary former members.
That list includes longtime Carolinas Golf Association executive director Jack Nance, former UNC men’s basketball coach Walter Skidmore, and of course, former Raleigh News & Observer golf writer and Carolinas Golf Reporter publisher Roy Brown.
So, when I received an invitation to check out the renovated Ellis Maples design, I decided to make a two-hour trip from Greensboro — and only minutes from parts of the Triangle via Interstate 40 and U.S. 701 — to see it.
In early August, the new TifEagle Ultradwarf Bermuda greens on the back nine were ready, allowing the club to open its entire 18 holes for the first time in two years. The previous year, the front nine was closed for the new surfaces.
As it turned out, Bill Nance, who played with twin brother Jack at Wake Forest University, was serving as the club’s interim general manager after a long career in the concrete industry. I played with Bill and Dave Davis, the eastern tournament manager for the Tarheel Youth Golf Association who was staging an event the next day.
The 219-yard No. 6 maybe be the toughest hole at Coherie Country Club.
Cohaire impressed me as an example of the many outstanding small-town courses throughout the state. It’s a well-kept, solid layout, challenging for good players, but very playable for high-handicappers. The distance from the back tees measures just over 6,500 yards. The four other sets of tees range from 4,968 to 6,272 yards.
Most holes have generous, rolling fairways bordered by pines and oaks and easy to walk. The greens are medium-sized with most titling back to front. The layout features an assortment of holes, including doglegs that require careful club selection off the tees. Creeks come into play on several holes.
The par-3s are the toughest holes on the course, especially No. 6, which plays 219 yards from the back tees through a chute of pines. Though the sixth green is open for balls to roll on, accomplishing that is made difficult by slopes just in front that siphon balls off to either the left or the right.
Though only one par-4 measures 400 yards off the back markers, several tee shots most avoid creeks. Some must be judged correctly to avoid rolling through fairways into trouble.
No. 16 is a picturesque par-4 featuring an approach over water to a large, shapely green. The ninth is the longest par-4 at 409 yards, though it plays 100 yards shorter from the front two tees.
The par-5 third hole is Coharie’s longest at 552 yards and difficult to reach in two shots. But the other par-5s are very reachable. No. 13 tops out at 454 yards. Due to a pond, the distance is only 374 from the middle tees.
The 18th hole measures only 488 yards from the back tees and 480 yards from the next set, opening up a great opportunity for a finishing birdie. The landing area off the tee is slightly uphill, adding a little distance. The deep green sloping significantly back to front, includes a back shelf difficult to reach and hold.
Cohaire is easily accessible along N.C. 24, just west of Clinton. The club has a spacious pro shop and a nice bar and grill open to the public as well as a driving range and putting green. Greens fees and carts are $45 on weekends and $55 on weekends.
