Winston Lake Golf Course

Winston Lake Golf Course sits in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, designed by Ellis Maples and opened in the mid-1960s as a municipal facility. Maples, a prolific North Carolina architect who worked extensively throughout the Carolinas during the post-war golf boom, created a straightforward parkland layout that serves the local golfing community. The course occupies rolling terrain typical of the North Carolina Piedmont, with mature hardwoods framing fairways and moderate elevation changes that add visual interest and strategic variety to the routing. The design reflects Maples' practical approach to public golf, emphasizing playability for a wide range of skill levels while incorporating enough challenge to engage experienced players. Fairways move through wooded corridors, and the property includes water features that come into play on several holes. The layout takes advantage of the natural topography without requiring excessive earthmoving, a hallmark of Maples' efficient design philosophy during an era when municipal courses needed to balance quality golf with construction economy. Winston Lake serves as an accessible option for Winston-Salem residents and visitors, maintaining the tradition of affordable public golf in a region with deep ties to the game. The course operates within the city's parks and recreation system, offering a tree-lined setting that provides a quiet escape from urban surroundings. While not a tournament venue or nationally ranked facility, it represents the kind of solid municipal design that has introduced generations of North Carolinians to the game.