North Carolina's best golf courses.

On the pages that follow is a report on the state of golf in what we believe is the best state for golf, courtesy of the North Carolina Golf Panel and produced for the first time in partnership with BUSINESS NORTH CAROLINA. The North Carolina Golf Panel was founded in 1995 by longtime golf writer Bill Hensley, a member of the North Carolina Public Relations Hall of Fame. It is made up of media members, club professionals and general managers, industry executives, notable amateurs and business executives. Each year, panelists vote to determine rankings of the state's top 100 courses, plus regional rankings. By averaging the vote totals of the 138 members who participated in 2006, we arrive at rankings that a broad spectrum of golfers can appreciate. Of course, they also are subject to debate. Ours is not an exact science. Panelists can only judge courses they have played, and it may take years for a panelist to visit the hundreds of courses worthy of consideration.

--Kevin Brafford, president, North Carolina Golf Panel