Club and ownership histories agree that Raleigh Country Club opened in 1948 and that it represents Donald Ross’s last design. The club’s public “Our Story” page and multiple industry summaries repeat the point, while noting the course’s near-downtown siting. Ross died in April 1948; the club’s 1948 opening date has therefore been widely used to mark the culmination of his career.
In 2020, course owner McConnell Golf retained Kyle Franz to carry out a comprehensive renovation. The work—begun in February and unveiled to members in November—expanded and resurfaced greens (with Pure Eclipse bentgrass), rebuilt and reorganized bunkers, added irrigation, removed roughly 500 trees to regain width and air movement, and constructed new tees to give the club a range of set-ups, including elite-event yardage. Subsequent club communications describe a $5.5 million project scope and confirm that Franz returned in winter 2022 for a targeted practice-area bunker phase.
Since 2023 the course has hosted the UNC Health Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour, using a par-70, ~7,257-yard set-up; that tournament’s move from Wakefield back into the city has reframed RCC as a modern professional venue while preserving its 1948 Ross identity.
Unique Design Characteristics
The 2020 renovation clarified the scale and rhythm of a Ross 18 carried over rolling ground without water hazards as primary defense. The club reports green expansions to recapture perimeter hole locations, with Pure Eclipse bentgrass used across all 18 targets—reportedly the first course in the region to seed that variety wall-to-wall on greens. Bunker work emphasizes lower sandlines and stronger visuals from the tee, supported by modern liners and drainage; new tees now allow match-play variety for members as well as Korn Ferry yardage.
Where can Ross’s intent be seen most plainly? The club’s hole descriptions highlight the uncompromising one-shot sixth, where Franz added a 270-yard “Ross” back tee to a green framed by deep bunkering—an example of using modern length to preserve Ross’s demanding target-golf on a naturally defended site. Elsewhere, the expanded green perimeters re-introduced corner pins whose defense derives from fall-offs and interior contour more than from water or trees—an effect the club says was strengthened by removing ~500 trees to let angles and wind drive the challenge. Cart-path rerouting or removal on certain holes was used to restore a more ground-game friendly aesthetic and play pattern.
Because the club has not released a public hole-by-hole restoration atlas, assigning specific modern bunkers or plateau edges to an original 1948 drawing would overstate the record. But taken together, the tee-to-green angles, modest widths reclaimed by tree work, and the emphasis on exacting green targets match the documented goals of the 2020 program and the course’s day-to-day presentation.
Historical Significance
Raleigh Country Club’s principal claim within Ross’s oeuvre is that it represents his final design to open, making it the capstone of a five-decade American career. That identity gained fresh public visibility when the club became host to the UNC Health Championship beginning 2023, replacing Wakefield as the Triangle’s professional event venue. RCC has also hosted major state championships, including the North Carolina Amateur (2008) and North Carolina Mid-Amateur (2013), underpinning its status in the state’s competitive rotation. Contemporary and directory write-ups reinforce RCC’s standing among North Carolina’s historic tournament courses.
Current Condition / Integrity
Routing & yardage. The routing remains Ross’s 18; the 2020 work intentionally retained that plan while changing how the course is defended and presented. Yardage varies by set-up: the Korn Ferry card is par 70 / ~7,257 yards, while the member card is par 71 with multiple teeing options and club-stated back-tee yardage “nearly 7,400.” As a practical matter, tournament operators flex hole pars/yards to fit scoring and broadcast needs, but those changes occur entirely within the restored Ross corridors.
Greens, bunkers, surfaces. All greens were expanded and re-grassed in 2020 with Pure Eclipse bentgrass; bunkers were rebuilt with improved drainage and updated forms; a new irrigation system and soil-stabilized path work aided presentation and allowed native areas to be established in subsequent seasons. The club describes these changes as restoring strategic intent rather than redrawing the course; 2022 practice-area bunker additions complemented the on-course program.
What appears original vs. altered. In absence of public plan sheets, one can say with confidence that routing lines and primary green sites reflect Ross’s 1948 footprint; edges of greens and the bunker scheme show 2020-era reconstruction tuned to modern play and maintenance. The course’s present character—fast surfaces, exacting targets, wind-exposed approach work, minimal water—conforms to both club narrative and tournament set-ups rather than to mid-century tree-bound presentations seen on older aerials. To identify the clearest surviving examples of Ross’s original features today would require the club’s restoration overlays; in their absence, the sixth (par-3), several mid-length fours on the interior ridges, and the closing stretch used for the UNC Health Championship are the best-documented windows into the restored intent.
Sources & Notes
Raleigh Country Club — “Our Story.” Confirms Ross authorship and 1948 founding; emphasizes identity as the architect’s final design.
Golf Course Industry (Oct. 29, 2020) — “Final Donald Ross-designed course restored.” Renovation announcement; 2020 scope; member reopening date.
Golf Course Architecture (Nov. 6, 2020) — “Raleigh CC ready to reopen following Kyle Franz renovation.” Notes green expansion, Pure Eclipse bentgrass, bunker/irrigation/tree work, new tees.
Triangle Golf (Nov. 20, 2020) — “Raleigh Country Club re-opens with expansive views.” Reports Pure Eclipse bentgrass seeding and first-in-region claim; tree removal and visuals.
Raleigh Country Club — “Golf” page. Practice-facility specs; 2020 renovation highlights; 2022 practice-area bunker work; “nearly 7,400 yards” back-tee claim.
UNC Health Championship (Wikipedia). Current venue, par 70 / ~7,257 yards; confirms move to RCC and current champion/aggregate (for tournament yardage reference).
Axios Raleigh (May 29, 2024) — “Pro golf comes to Raleigh this week with UNC Health Championship.” Local coverage of the tournament at RCC.
McConnell Golf — press release (Mar. 12, 2020). Ownership announcement of renovation; statement of goals and historic positioning.
McConnell Golf — blog posts (2021–22). Notes on renovation outcomes and state-event history (e.g., 2008 NC Amateur, 2013 NC Mid-Amateur).
Golf Digest — North Carolina course listing for RCC. Concise historical summary (1948 debut; final Ross design).