Holey Terror: Hole No. 7 at Belmont Lake Golf Club
Hole No. 7 • Par 5 • 600 yards
Anyone with even a hint of a villainous bone in their body can design a difficult golf course. But it takes a special touch for someone to draft 18 holes that provide reasonable challenges for players of all abilities. That’s exactly what you’ll find at Belmont Lake Golf Club in Rocky Mount, NC.
The semi-private club opened in 2007 as the centerpiece of what was initially the sister golf community to acclaimed Ford’s Colony in Williamsburg, VA. The layout was designed by David Johnson Golf Design of Atlanta, GA, and quickly garnered attention as one of the “Top 100 Must Play” courses in the golf-rich state. And for good reason. While Belmont Lake does encourage risks and rewards, every hole also offers a more conservative, safer line of play.
The layout emphasizes strategic play with the demands asked of the golfer escalating as you move from the forward tees to the championship markers. Take, for example, the par-5 No. 7. This is one of the few holes played in the open and has a distinctive Scottish links flair with bunkers sprinkled along the fairway.
From the regular and senior tees, this wide, free-flowing hole measures a reasonable 499 and 452 yards, respectively. But move to the tips and No. 7 becomes a Holey Terror stretching 600 yards. It’s the type of hole John Daly must have pictured when he uttered his now famous phrase, “Grip it and rip it!” If played into the teeth of even a moderate breeze, it will take three well-struck shots to reach the green.
Belmont Lake draws steady play from locals and members, as well as those traveling to and back from Myrtle Beach and other golf destinations pointed south. The course is conveniently located just minutes off Interstate 95 in Eastern North Carolina and is the perfect stopover for those itching to get in a pre-vacation round or wanting one more chance to post a career score before they get home.
The TeeTime Golf Pass Holey Terror Challenge
Six hundred yards of wide-open Carolina sky and a wind that doesn’t care about your handicap — Hole No. 7 at Belmont Lake doesn’t ask much. Just your best three shots in a row.
Got a hole at your home course that deserves this kind of spotlight? Step up. Play the toughest hole at your favorite TeeTime Golf Pass participating course, film it, and share it on social media with #TeeTimeChallenge, tagging @teetimegolfpass. The best clips get featured — and the best players earn a free pass for next season.
Think a hole near you has what it takes to be the next Holey Terror? Send Bud the details at [email protected] — it could earn its own feature in our weekly newsletter.
