Marion Lake Club
About Marion Lake Club
Marion Lake Club traces its origins to 1923 and was designed by golf course architect Russell Breeden. It is the only golf course situated on Lake James in McDowell County, North Carolina, and sits less than five miles from I-40.
The layout runs across the area's rolling terrain, with Bermuda fairways and bent grass greens, and offers views of Linville Gorge and Shortoff Mountain. It plays to a par of 70 and measures roughly 6,300 yards from the back tees, with a design intended to test experienced golfers while remaining approachable for those new to the game.
The club is semi-private and, owing to the North Carolina climate, stays open throughout the year.
At a glance
- Access
- Public
- Holes
- 18
- Par
- 70
- Length
- 6,105 yards
- Tees
- 5 tee boxes
- Course rating
- 70.4 / 126 slope
- Opened
- 1950
- Difficulty
- Easier than most
Scorecard
| Tee | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Out | In | Total | Par | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 34 | 70 | ||
| Handicap | 7 | 11 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 13 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 2 | |||||
| Black Tees | 525 | 325 | 401 | 160 | 411 | 365 | 508 | 134 | 355 | 424 | 158 | 335 | 376 | 343 | 342 | 338 | 197 | 408 | 3184 | 2921 | 6,105 | 70 | 70.4/126 |
| Blue Tees | 461 | 315 | 390 | 160 | 380 | 324 | 480 | 124 | 349 | 394 | 148 | 335 | 371 | 323 | 334 | 329 | 181 | 399 | 2983 | 2814 | 5,797 | 70 | 69.3/122 |
| White Tees | 433 | 305 | 368 | 144 | 354 | 295 | 443 | 114 | 343 | 382 | 112 | 291 | 357 | 317 | 327 | 321 | 164 | 363 | 2799 | 2634 | 5,433 | 70 | 67.2/120 |
| Silver Tees | 404 | 286 | 297 | 128 | 333 | 276 | 417 | 98 | 330 | 361 | 105 | 291 | 242 | 306 | 222 | 246 | 139 | 335 | 2569 | 2247 | 4,816 | 70 | 64.6/109 |
| Red Tees | 394 | 233 | 232 | 104 | 320 | 266 | 399 | 90 | 325 | 356 | 98 | 278 | 214 | 196 | 215 | 198 | 133 | 330 | 2363 | 2018 | 4,381 | 70 | 63.0/104 |
Tee and scorecard data retrieved from the USGA GHIN course database
Course handicap at Marion Lake Club
How many strokes you get from each tee, by handicap index.
| Tee | Rating | Slope | 0 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 36 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Tees | 70.4 | 126 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 17 | 23 | 28 | 34 | 41 |
| Blue Tees | 69.3 | 122 | -1 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 21 | 26 | 32 | 38 |
| White Tees | 67.2 | 120 | -3 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 18 | 24 | 29 | 35 |
| Silver Tees | 64.6 | 109 | -5 | -1 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 19 | 24 | 29 |
| Red Tees | 63.0 | 104 | -7 | -2 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 21 | 26 |
Work out your exact course handicap here, or calculate your handicap index.
Golf courses near Marion Lake Club
- Silver Creek Golf ClubMorganton · Public · 18 holes · 7.3 mi9.3
- Mimosa Hills Golf ClubMorganton · Private · 18 holes · 11 mi9.6
- Grassy Creek Golf & Country ClubSpruce Pine · Public · 18 holes · 14 mi9.2
- Linville Land Harbor Golf ClubLinville · Public · 18 holes · 22 mi9.8
- Orchard Hills Golf Club IncGranite Falls · Public · 18 holes · 22 mi6.4
- Linville Golf ClubLinville · Private · 18 holes · 23 mi9.4
- Apple Valley Golf CourseLake Lure · Public · 18 holes · 24 mi9.5
- Bald Mountain Golf CourseLake Lure · Public · 18 holes · 24 mi9.6
Updated October 2026 · Best golf courses in North Carolina ›
Top courses near Hickory ›