
Palmer Course
Woodlake Resort and Country Club

About this course
The Palmer Course at Woodlake Resort and Country Club is an Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay design located in Vass, North Carolina, in the Sandhills region known for its concentration of golf courses. The collaboration between Palmer and Seay, which produced numerous courses from the 1970s through the 1990s, brought their characteristic approach to this property: strategic bunkering, generous landing areas, and greens that reward accurate approach play. The course occupies rolling terrain typical of the Sandhills, with natural elevation changes and stands of longleaf pine framing the holes. The sandy soil provides firm playing conditions and good drainage year-round, a hallmark of courses in this part of North Carolina. The routing takes advantage of the property's natural contours, with holes moving through corridors of native vegetation and around water features that come into play on several holes. Woodlake functions as a resort and residential community, offering golf as part of a broader amenity package that includes accommodations and recreational facilities. The Palmer Course serves both resort guests and members, providing a test of golf that balances accessibility for recreational players with enough challenge to engage more accomplished golfers. The design reflects Palmer's playing philosophy of risk-reward opportunities, where aggressive lines can yield scoring chances but conservative play remains a viable strategy.
Quick facts
- Location
- Vass, NC, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1996
- Designer(s)
- Arnold Palmer, Ed Seay
- Holes
- 18
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 7,017 yards
- Difficulty
- 76.1/139
Getting there
Most arrivals to Woodlake Resort and Country Club begin at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, roughly an hour's drive northwest through the gently rolling terrain of the Carolina Sandhills. The route traces a quiet arc through Moore County's pine country, where the landscape softens into stands of longleaf and wiregrass as the highway gives way to rural two-lanes. Woodlake itself sits tucked along the shores of its namesake reservoir, a secluded enclave where the final turn off Hoffman Road feels less like an arrival than a retreat - gates opening onto a wooded peninsula where golf, water, and privacy converge in equal measure.

FAQ
Common questions about Palmer at Woodlake Resort and Country Club
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Palmer was designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay.
Yes. Palmer at Woodlake Resort and Country Club is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Palmer is 72.
Palmer plays 7,017 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Palmer is 139.
Palmer is a 18-hole course.



