Thistle Golf Club earns national acclaim

Thistle Golf Club in Sunset Beach, N.C., has been named one of the top courses in the U.S. by GolfAdvisor.com, a Golf Channel-affiliated site that provides golf course ratings and reviews by golfers, for golfers.

Thistle is ranked No. 14 in the country based on more than 100,000 reviews posted by golfers in 2016.

More than 2,000 U.S. golf courses were considered, having received the minimum 15 reviews to qualify for the Top 50, and there are eight new courses in the top 10 and 36 new courses overall on the 2016 list.

“The greatest endorsement you can receive comes from the players who play your course, which is what makes this ranking so gratifying for our entire team,” Thistle general manager Jamie Roderick said.

Thistle is a 27-hole facility designed by Tim Cate that has received a 4.5-star rating in Golf Digest’s Best Places to Play guide. It includes a 15,600-square- foot clubhouse that is home to old golf memorabilia. On many spring weekends, Thistle employs a bagpiper to greet players.

No. 1 on GolfAdvisor’s Top 50 is Ram’s Hill Golf Club in Borrego Springs, Calif., and No. 3 is Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island.

This story was originally published February 6, 2017 at 9:46 PM with the headline "Thistle Golf Club earns national acclaim."