Readers' favorite North Carolina courses

When it comes to sports, North Carolina -- the Tarheel State -- is arguably most well known for its college hoops, and between Duke University, the University of North Carolina, N.C. State and Wake Forest, rightfully so. However, we all know that the state of North Carolina is no slouch when it comes to world-class golf courses either.

With that, we reached out to our 145,000+ PGA.com Facebook fans and asked: What are the best courses in North Carolina that are available to the public?

We received loads of great answers. Here are the top-9 courses you nominated:

Editor's note: If you've played any of the courses listed below, please take a minute to click through and leave a review.

9. Grandover Resort, Greensboro, N.C. This scenic course has a great mixture of holes that will challenge players of any ability.

Facebook fan quote:

"I like The Grandover. Absolutely gorgeous!"

8. Oyster Bay Golf Links, Sunset Beach, N.C. Featuring not one, but two island-green par 3s, Oyster Bay opened in 1983 and was immediately named the Golf Digest Resort Course of the Year.

Facebook fan quote:

"Oyster Bay at Sunset Beach N.C. Moderately priced, challenging, and beautiful." -- Joey Worley

7. Duke University Golf Club, Durham, N.C. This Robert Trent Jones Jr. Rees Jones design is one of the best college courses in the country.

Facebook fan quote:

"Duke Golf Club." -- Jamal Speller

6. Cleghorn Plantation Golf Club, Rutherfordton, N.C. If you like breathtaking mountain views -- and who doesn't -- then this is the place for you.

Facebook fan quotes:

"Cleghorn Plantation in Rutherfordton. Great layout and very reasonably priced!" -- Frank Watson

"Cleghorn Plantation." -- Tony Horton

5. Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, Southern Pines, N.C. A beautiful Donald Ross course that's just as enjoyable as it is challenging to play.

Facebook fan quotes:

"It's no list at all if it doesn't include Mid Pines and Pine Needles. Two phenomenal courses with old world charm clubhouse experiences." -- Chris Carlston

"Pine Needles!" -- Eric Ives

"Pine Needles!!" -- Tom R. Jenkins

4. Tot Hill Farm Golf Club, Asheboro, N.C. In 2007, Tot Hill was ranked as the seventh most difficult course in America by Golf Digest. Good luck, my friends.

Facebook fan quotes:

"Tot Hill Farm! Great course. The par 3 with 2 tiered green and the crazy long par 4s and 5s!" -- Jeremy Trentman

"Tot Hill Farm." -- Mike Millsaps

3. Nags Head Golf Links, Nags Head, N.C. This is links-style golf along the Outer Banks. If that wind is blowing, you're in for a tough, tough day.

Facebook fan quotes:

"Outer Banks Nags Head Golf Links when the wind is up." -- Cammie Tickell

"Nags Head Golf Links in the OBX." -- Daniel Reedy

"Nags Head Golf Links." -- Rob MacNett

2. Pinehurst Resort, Pinehurst, N.C. Pretty much every course at the resort received a nod or two, but none more so than No. 2, which has hosted a PGA Championship, a Ryder Cup and two U.S. Opens.

Facebook fan quotes:

"Pinehurst. Hands down." -- Mitch Harden

"Pinehurst No. 2." -- Patrick Doyle

"Tie between Pinehurst. No. 2 and No. 4 - both are great." -- Bill Abrams

"Having worked at Pinehurst for my first internship for the PGA/PGM Program, I have to go with Pinehurst #2. The course layout is second to none and the course is always kept in immaculate condition. You can't forget Pine Needles just down the road from Pinehurst though. Pine Needles is a phenomenal course that has hosted multiple U.S. Women's Opens. It also has an outstanding staff as well!" -- John Morton

"No. 2 is just amazing, such a cool course with the new renovation. No. 4 is a close second." -- Patrick Shanley

1. Tobacco Road Golf Course, Sanford, N.C. Based on your answers, there's no doubt about it -- Tobacco Road is the hands down No. 1 course on the list of best places anyone can play in North Carolina. In 2009, Golf World called it the No. 4 best public course in the U.S.

Facebook fan quotes:

"Tobacco Road down in Sanford." -- Ilan Szulik

"Tobacco Road." -- Justin Thompson

"Tobacco Road... Mike Strant was very underrated as a designer." -- Matt Gouffon

"100% Tobacco Road, I've been to Pine Valley and T Road is the closest course I've ever seen to it." -- Eric Sedransk

"Tot Till is a good one. But no other course I've played is anything like Tobacco Road." -- Brandon Galik