Finley is a great course in really good condition. Its primary purpose is for the golf teams’ use and members and the public come second to that. It starts off a little quirky with a par 3, a relatively short par 4, a short par 3 and a very short par 4. You are 4 holes in and you probably haven’t used your driver yet. Greens are pretty quick and the rough can be very deep, particularly in the summer. I like playing there, as it is a solid option for public golf in the triangle, but I can’t give it 5 stars.

UNC Finley is consistently one of the best public golf experiences in the Triangle. The course is always in great condition, with excellent greens and fairways that make it a pleasure to play year-round (when open). It’s a fun but challenging layout that rewards good course management without feeling overly punishing. The Davis Love III redesign definitely added length and modernized the course. While the opening stretch feels a little unusual — with three par 3s and a short par 4 in the first six holes — the layout really starts to flow well by the end of the front nine. Once you settle in, the course has a great mix of scoring opportunities and demanding approach shots. Overall, UNC Finley is a fantastic course

The course is in good shape and the staff is excellent. However, the big down side is the price and lack of membership options. It would be nice if they brought back a good twilight price. Also, the pace of play can be iffy sometimes.

Positive: facilities, greens, environment and air quality Negative: a dinosaur I visited this golf course around 1:30 PM on a Monday afternoon. My friend had made the reservation, and I was responsible for bringing the golf clubs. It was our very first time at this course, and unfortunately, the experience started off on a very unpleasant note. We had deliberately booked the latest possible tee time to avoid delaying any players behind us — there were no players scheduled after us. My friend urged us to begin hole 1 promptly, as we had planned to play 18 holes and didn’t want to keep the staff too late. There were three of us in total, and the friend who made the reservation clearly stated he would walk alongside the cart rather than ride, so we only needed one golf cart. However, out of nowhere, an old man in a course vehicle drove straight up to us without introducing himself or explaining anything. In a bossy tone, he simply barked, “Follow me. You need to go to the club office. Everyone must have their own golf bag.” I replied, “We already have one set.” He insisted, “No, everybody should have his own bag.” We followed him back to the club office, where things got even worse. The front desk staff told us we had to rent two more sets of golf clubs and another golf cart — because “each cart can only carry three people.” At this point, our friend (who had made the booking) came in and explained that he was walking, not riding, so we only needed one cart. He also clarified that we didn't need extra clubs, as only one of us would be playing — the other two were just observing and learning. But since I had already spoken to the front desk and they were insistent, I ended up reluctantly renting an extra set of clubs anyway. Only later did we realize why that old guy had forced us into this — he had just assumed that all three of us were going to play 18 holes. In reality, only I was playing; the other two were new to golf and came just to observe. Even though only I would be playing, my friend still booked and paid for two players to be fair to the club. After this mess, we started playing. We finished the front 9 and went back to the club office to use the restroom and hydrate, because it was scorching hot. As we drove toward hole 10, the same old guy jumped out of his cart and blocked our path, ordering us to “Stop! You cannot take a break. You must play all 18 holes continuously, or you’ll interfere with others.” At that point, I was completely fed up. I simply said, “OK,” turned to my friend and said, “Let’s go.” This was beyond ridiculous. – First, only one of us was actually playing, so there’s no way we were behind schedule. – Second, we had the final tee time of the day — there was literally no one after us to interfere with. – Third, it was sweltering, and we were close to heat exhaustion — and somehow, stopping for a quick break and water is forbidden? What kind of golf course treats its guests like this? We came to enjoy the game, not to be harassed and micromanaged like slaves. This place has no respect for first-time guests, no sense of hospitality, and absolutely no flexibility or common sense.

This was a very nice course. I'm from the North, so the rough was something to get used to. It had rained the night before; it was cart path only. That was not fun at all. It was 90° 100% humidity. For the price, I would have played Tot Hills 2 times, but it was nice to play. I'm glad I was able to play with a great friend.