Good Walks: Rediscovering the Soul of Golf at Eighteen of the Carolinas' Best Courses | UNC Press

Experience the Carolinas by Foot

Good Walks invites readers to slow down and savor golf through a walking lens. From the fairways to the rough, the slower pace reveals textures often missed from a cart—landscape patterns, subtle grade changes, and the emotional rhythm of a round. This collection pairs evocative photography with thoughtful essays, showcasing how each course becomes more than a layout when experienced on foot.

Across eighteen beloved courses, the book traces a thread from Pinehurst No. 2 to Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course, weaving private clubs, municipal gems, resort layouts, and urban greens into a cohesive portrait of the Carolinas’ golf heritage. The author reflects on legendary course architects, storied tournaments, and the people who shaped these places, inviting readers to connect past and present without rushing the moment.

What you’ll experience

• A celebration of eighteen courses across the Carolinas as seen through a walking perspective.
• Insights into design and landscape architecture that emerge when you move along the terrain on foot.
• Personal storytelling that links founders, tournaments, and regional traditions to modern-day play.
• Scenes from iconic locations and newer classics alike, including Pinehurst No. 2 and Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course.
• A balance of traditional reverence and contemporary views, inviting a slower, more observant reading experience.

What makes these courses special

• Varied terrains and coastal to inland landscapes captured through full-color photography.
• Narratives that reveal how design decisions shape the feel of a round from start to finish.
• A sense of golf history and regional identity threaded through each essay.
• Accessible storytelling for golf enthusiasts, travel readers, and architecture lovers alike.

While the book notes golf’s historical appeal of walking and endurance, it presents walking not as a guarantee of outcome but as a different way to engage with the game’s beauty, culture, and craft. Good Walks offers a thoughtful invitation to slow down, observe, and imagine how these remarkable courses might be enjoyed—foot by foot, turn by turn.