Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Walk Maxwell’s architecture where terrain drives every choice and the greens fascinate at every turn. Old Town isn’t just an exclusive bucket-list round; it’s a masterclass in how Golden Age land use and restoration can create a time-traveling, mind-bending test of golf.
Stand on the shared 8th/17th double green and look around — six holes converge there, and the routing was designed so golfers keep crossing paths around the course’s communal center.
Old Town Club is a living showcase for Perry Maxwell’s strategic genius, its 18 holes threading over, around, and through a parcel of land alive with ridges, tumbling fairways, and seamless corridors. Maxwell’s routing treats the land like a chessboard, using generous widths to create real choice but never sparing the player from consequence. The undulating greens — many with sloping ledges, treacherous falloffs, and shared surfaces — are some of the most artful in the country, challenging modern players as much as those in 1939. The 2012/2013 Coore & Crenshaw restoration reaffirmed these design intentions, peeling back encroaching rough and rebuilding bunkers with a natural, Maxwell-inspired edge.
Perry Maxwell, the rare Golden Age American architect whose routing and green complexes rival Mackenzie and Ross, brought his Augusta National green sensibility and naturalistic philosophy to bear on Old Town’s rolling land. Later hands, most notably Coore & Crenshaw, have amplified, not altered, his intent.
No. 1 leaps to life across a rolling ridge, setting the tone for the round with width, uncertainty, and a cunning fallaway green. It looks inviting, but a poorly judged approach will confront you with awkward stances and slopes.
Position your tee shot for the best angle in, recognizing that approach play is more about control than distance.
Miss long or left and you'll be fighting severe ledges and short-side escapes.
Superbly maintained, fast fairways, and true, quick greens with distinct mowing lines and natural features restored; classic private club conditioning.
Efficient pace expected under private club norms; rounds generally smooth and walkable.
Quiet confidence, steeped in tradition — golf-centric with emphasis on architecture rather than resort panache.
Traditional golf attire strictly enforced: collared shirts, slacks or Bermuda shorts, soft spikes only.
Spend practice time on severe slopes and experiment with both uphill and downhill touch. Maxwell's greens are like playing chess with your putter.
Get dialed on wedge distances and trajectory control; many holes reward pixel-perfect placement over brute force.
While walkable, the routing uses real hill and ridge, so some endurance pays off — break in your spikes and warm up well.
Construction began on the Reynolds estate by Perry Maxwell
Old Town Club officially established and opens
Hosted the Babe Zaharias Open (LPGA)
Hosted the Babe Zaharias Open (LPGA) for second year
Bob Cupp carries out course work
Bobby Weed completes additional restoration
Perry Maxwell was handed an open canvas of over 1,000 acres on the Reynolds estate but handpicked just 165 — an inspired choice of rolling, horse-farm land that became one of his most acclaimed routings. The result: a course that feels both natural and inevitably right.
The Augusta National co-founder and Old Town’s patron, Clifford Roberts, was so impressed by Maxwell’s green work at Augusta that he lobbied for Maxwell’s selection — and even played a role in merging the now-famous double green at 8 and 17.
The club’s lore holds that during construction, Maxwell and club founders stood with Clifford Roberts and combined the greens for 8 and 17, creating one of the few surviving double greens in American golf.
After decades of change, the 2012/2013 Coore & Crenshaw restoration didn’t just renovate — it recaptured the Golden Age soul that made Old Town an architectural reference, focusing on natural bunkers and the signature shared corridors.
Perry Maxwell had the pick of 1,003 acres but chose just 165 for Old Town, valuing walkability over grandeur.
The shared double green (8 and 17) is one of American golf’s rare surviving Maxwell double greens.
Clifford Roberts, Augusta National’s co-founder, personally influenced the Old Town design and advocated for Maxwell.
Old Town remains one of the last pure 'Golden Age' masterpieces built before World War II transformed golf construction.
Coore & Crenshaw’s 2012/2013 restoration set an industry standard for how classic bunkering and natural lines should be revived.
Strong, historic public layout; ideal bookable round for every trip.
Another Golden Age classic just minutes away.
Time-honored local tradition and classic architecture.
Home of the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship; A-list pedigree.
Good mix of challenge and access in the Triad region.
Winston-Salem proper — west side/Old Salem for easiest access.
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: The Camargo Club is a natural next stop after Old Town Club: it a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character.
Why it matches: Capital City Club, Brookhaven Course is a natural next stop after Old Town Club: it a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character.
Why it matches: Maketewah Country Club is a natural next stop after Old Town Club: it a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character.
Community Sentiment
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