Lakes/Foothills at Governors Club

The Governors Club in Chapel Hill features two eighteen-hole courses designed by Jack Nicklaus with associate Gus Grantham, opening in the late 1980s as part of a residential community development in the North Carolina Piedmont. The Lakes and Foothills courses share the property's rolling terrain characteristic of the region, though each routing takes advantage of different topographical features. The Lakes course, as its name suggests, incorporates more water hazards into the design, while the Foothills course works with the natural elevation changes found on its portion of the site.

Both courses reflect Nicklaus's design approach from this period, with strategic bunkering, generous fairway corridors, and greens that reward accurate approach play. The property sits in the Chapel Hill area's wooded landscape, with mature hardwoods framing many holes. The courses serve a private membership drawn largely from the Research Triangle region, including faculty, professionals, and retirees attracted to the area's academic and cultural amenities.

The club operates as a centerpiece of the residential community, with the golf facilities complemented by traditional clubhouse amenities. The courses provide members with variety across thirty-six holes, allowing for different playing experiences depending on conditions and preference. While neither course has hosted significant professional tournaments, they represent the type of upscale private club development that became common in growing Sunbelt metropolitan areas during the 1980s and 1990s.