The Highlands at Meadowlands

Pros

• The course is great.
• The course was in great shape.
• The staff were wonderful.
• The course is nice and well taken care of.
• The staff are very friendly.
• The greens are in great shape.
• The course is in excellent condition.
• It is one of the nicest courses in the area.
• The layout is awesome.
• Meadowlands has beautiful landscaping and well-kept grounds.
• The staff are incredible.
• The course is highly recommended.

Cons

• The snack-bar staff were unfriendly and hard to locate for refills.
• The round suffered from extremely slow play with no on-course ranger.
• Parking and cart-return areas felt disjointed, making the experience seem like two different counties and deterring a return.
• The course was in terrible condition: greens unmowed and fairways/rough thick with dead grass.
• At around $70 for a round, the experience was not worth the price.
• Several reviews imply this course is not as well maintained as nearby alternatives (e.g., Pine Knolls is much better).
• Greens were old and in poor condition; fairways lacked mowing and yardage markers were obscured by overgrowth.
• Some staff were not welcoming, with perceptions of arrogance toward non-members or casual players.
• There were issues with customer service, including a missing range finder and unhelpful responses.
• Practice restrictions and rude enforcement of rules during practice sessions were noted as negative.
• Ongoing construction near holes was loud and distracting.

Review

Meadowlands has left a broad and sometimes contradictory impression on players who come to test its layout and its upkeep. For many, the course is a standout in the region: a well-designed track that rewards accuracy and offers enough challenge to satisfy regular golfers while remaining enjoyable for those still perfecting their games. The setting is generally praised, the staff can be welcoming and helpful, and the overall conditioning can be excellent, especially when the greens are rolling true and the fairways are neatly kept. On the flip side, a not-insignificant fraction of visitors have walked away feeling that a few important details - pace of play, certain maintenance practices, and some aspects of customer service - can fall short of expectations.

When it comes to course maintenance and the greens, opinions are notably mixed but frequently favorable. A number of reviews emphasize well-kept conditions, with greens described as fast or very good, and in some cases as bent grass in excellent shape. Players often praise the consistency hole to hole and the overall green speeds as being suitable for championship-style rounds. Yet there are persistent complaints about greens that aren't as pristine as they could be: mentions of grass growing into hole fronts, greens that look under repair, and even periods when greens appeared to have not been mowed for a while. One reviewer specifically notes the greens being cut and rolled well on several recent visits, while another points to "not recently cut" greens with grass encroaching into the cups. It's a reminder that course conditions can swing with seasons, weather, and maintenance cycles, leaving a spectrum of experiences from visit to visit.

The fairways and rough also shape how the course plays, sometimes in strikingly different ways depending on the time and the weather. A recurring theme is the Bermuda rough, described by some as a killer and capable of punishing wayward shots, while others salute the course for its strategic challenges and long layouts that demand precision off the tee. Several reviews call Meadowlands one of the tougher tracks in the area, emphasizing accuracy off the tee and the sometimes lengthy carries between landing zones. A number of players note the generous length of some holes paired with rough that makes shots navigable yet punishing, contributing to a sense that the course can be both fair and exacting in equal measure.

Pace of play appears as a major variable in these experiences. There are fierce warnings about extremely slow rounds, with accounts of 4.5 hours for just 14 holes and even longer when rounds get crowded or groups get backed up. Some players report a lack of ranger oversight and frustrating delays that sour the round, while others describe pleasant, unhurried afternoons where the flow between shots remains reasonable. There are also anecdotes of particularly busy conditions tied to events or tournaments, including instances of large groups on a single hole creating unusual congestion. On the flip side, several rounds are characterized by smooth timing and enjoyable rhythm, suggesting that the pace can be as variable as the course itself.

The staff and service experience at Meadowlands runs the spectrum from high praise to pointed frustration. On the positive side, many reviews highlight friendly, helpful, and professional staff in the pro shop and at the clubhouse, with several guests noting a welcoming environment that enhances the overall round. A standout example is a private event hosted there - Operation Providing Hope - where the staff received kudos for their guidance, setup support, and attentiveness, making the event go smoothly and leaving organizers eager to return. In stark contrast, there are reports of less warm interactions at the snack bar and in the clubhouse, with some guests feeling the staff were not particularly friendly or accommodating. A few reviews recount missteps in customer service or policy enforcement, such as friction over practice-area access or frustration with perceived gatekeeping, which can leave an impression of uneven service.

Value and pricing add another layer of nuance to Meadowlands for prospective golfers. Some players find the rates reasonable, especially when promotions or after-4:30 deals are available, noting that the course can offer good value for the level of conditioning and the layout. Others feel price points are steep relative to the round experience, especially when greens, tees, or practice areas are perceived as underwhelming, or when pace of play hinders the overall value. A few comments mention "not worth $70" or "pricey for what you get," while others describe the same course as "one of the nicest in the area" with strong staff and solid conditioning that justifies the cost.

Beyond the balance of greens and fairways, Meadowlands also presents a range of practical amenities and occasional inconveniences. The clubhouse and seating areas are often noted as ample and comfortable for gatherings or tournaments, while some readers report frustrating issues like lack of showers in the men's locker room or limited conveniences in the snack bar area. Practice areas can also be inconsistent; in some instances, practice access becomes restricted during tournaments, and there are mentions of policy changes such as attire requirements for practice that upset some players who felt the rules were too strict for casual practice rounds. Parking and cart return logistics get a few mentions as well - some reviewers describe them as smoothly managed, while others notice awkward transitions or distance between parking, the cart staging area, and the clubhouse.

Taken together, Meadowlands emerges as a course that can dazzle with its design, layout, and frequently excellent conditioning, while also presenting opportunities for improvement in areas that players deem essential: pace of play management, consistent maintenance across greens and approaches, and a uniformly welcoming customer service experience. The course clearly has strong advocates who return season after season, drawn by the thoughtful layout, the challenge it offers, and the genuine care shown by many of the staff. It also has its share of critics who want even more consistency and a few adjustments in operations to match the notable quality that so many players already recognize on some visits. For golfers weighing a round there, Meadowlands promises memorable holes and a satisfying test, but it's wise to check the latest conditions and perhaps plan for a time when pace of play is less likely to lag and the service experience aligns with the high standards many reviewers expect.

Parks

• Union Cross Park (3.2 miles)
• Salem Lake Trail (6.7 miles)
• Miller Park (9.1 miles)

Physicians

• North Davidson Center for Family Health (4.7 miles)
• O'connor John J Cpo (8.5 miles)
• Bethany Medical & Pain Clinic (8.6 miles)
• Center For Clinical Research (8.8 miles)
• Orthocarolina (8.8 miles)
• Urology Partners (8.8 miles)
• Brookview Hills Internal Medicine (9 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (5.4 miles)
• Walgreens (6.2 miles)
• South Park Family Pharmacy (6.3 miles)
• Express Scripts Holding Co. (8.8 miles)
• Walgreens (8.9 miles)
• CVS Revco D.S. (9.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (9.4 miles)

Restaurants

• Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (5.9 miles)
• Burger King (6.1 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (6.1 miles)
• McDonald's (6.2 miles)
• Dairi-O of Winston Salem (6.3 miles)
• Cook Out (6.6 miles)
• Steven's Restaurant (6.9 miles)

Cafes

• Krankies Coffee (8.2 miles)
• Starbucks (9.2 miles)
• Starbucks (9.6 miles)
• Panera Bread (11.1 miles)
• Starbucks (11.2 miles)
• Starbucks (15.1 miles)
• Starbucks (16.4 miles)

Places of Worship

• Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church (8.3 miles)
• St John's Lutheran School (8.4 miles)
• Pinecroft Baptist Church (17.7 miles)
• Lindley Park Baptist Church (18 miles)
• Christ United Methodist Church (18.4 miles)

Hospitals

• Wake Forest Univ Bapt Med Center (8.7 miles)
• WFBH Ardmore Tower (8.8 miles)
• Bethany Cardiology (10.6 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Hanes 12 (10.9 miles)
• Regal Palladium & IMAX (11.4 miles)
• AMC CLASSIC Greensboro 18 (16 miles)