The passage of the North Carolina House Bill 237, also known as the “Unmasking Mobs and Criminals” Bill, in the state Senate on Wednesday brings the state one step closer to making it illegal to wear face masks in public, regardless of the threat posed by the COVID pandemic.
Simone Hetherington, a speaker during public comment, urges lawmakers not to pass the masking bill during the state Senate Rules Committee in the Legislative Building in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 15, 2024. [AP Photo/Makiya Seminera]
The legislation was voted on by a margin of 30 to 15 along party lines, with five abstentions. Revisions to the bill will mean the state House will vote on it again. But even if North Carolina Democratic Governor Roy Cooper vetoes the law, the Republican-majority state legislature will have sufficient votes to override him.
Although the bill leaves a number of exemptions in place, it specifically deleted the exemption, “Any person wearing a mask for the purpose of ensuring the physical health or safety of the wearer or others.” Meanwhile, masks can be worn as part of “traditional holiday costumes in season,” or if the person is “Engaged in trades and employment where a mask is worn for the purpose of ensuring the physical safety of the wearer, or because of the nature of the occupation, trade or profession.”
Public mask wearing has long been illegal in the state, but with many exemptions. The exemption for public health concerns was put into effect with the onset of the COVID pandemic. The measure to remove that exemption was introduced to the Senate Judiciary Committee by right-wing Republican Senator Buck Newton.
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Newton told reporters that the action was being taken in part because of recent demonstrations by students on college campuses who were protesting the genocidal Israel onslaught against Palestinians, which has completely devastated the Gaza enclave and its more than 2 million inhabitants.
Newton’s claims that students are attempting to cover up their identities and that this represents some form of criminal enterprise are simply preposterous. “This isn’t just about protests,” Newton said. “I think it’s clear that people are seizing the opportunity to do things they’re not supposed to do, to break the law, or to intimidate people, and to keep their identities hidden, and it’s time for that to stop.”
Republican supporters of the legislation openly admit that the purpose of the measure is to help law enforcement crack down on protesters wearing masks, arguing that they were abusing pandemic practices to hide their identities.
In reality, students and protesters have, by all accounts, conducted themselves with considerable restraint. They have demonstrated exceptional courage in the face of attacks by the police and fascistic thugs. Police have carried out mass arrests of young people and faculty members who have come out in support. Many also take the ongoing pandemic as a serious reason to protect themselves and others from infection.
In that, they represent an important development of conscious social awakening in response to the actions of Biden and company in shutting down all public health measures in addition to the rampant US militarism. The students oppose the government’s and respective universities’ complicity and support for these war crimes, exercising their essential democratic rights laid down in the Constitution.
In fact, the assured passage of the law will only strengthen the hand of the state and will be seen as a landmark action that will be mirrored across the country. Challenges to the North Carolina bill will assuredly reach the Supreme Court and find legal expression for state repression while potentially placing the lives and well-being of people in danger. One can even assume that those wearing respirators or who cover their heads and faces for religious and cultural reasons will face hostility and repression from the local police and fascistic mobs.
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Ohio’s Attorney General Dave Yost’s warnings made in a recent letter to the presidents of Ohio’s 14 universities underscores the gravity of these developments.
Yost wrote, “In our society, there are few more significant career-wreckers than a felony charge. I write to you today to inform your student bodies of an [1953] Ohio law that, in the context of some behavior during the recent pro-Palestinian protests, could have that effect.” That law states, “No person shall unite with two or more others to commit misdemeanor while wearing white caps, masks, or other disguise.” The breaking of the “anti-disguise” carries a fourth-degree felony charge and up to $5,000 fine and five years on community control, Yost reminded them. That the law has never been applied until now means it amounts to a state-sanctioned threat.
These anti-mask laws Yost references were enacted in the 1940s and 1950s by states in response to the activities of the Ku Klux Klan, whose members hid their identities to perpetrate violence and terror on their victims. However, as historians have noted, these laws weren’t intended to protect the victims, but were rather employed to curb the public displays of the Klan which were discrediting Democratic Party efforts to defend Jim Crow segregation. They remain in place in 18 states including North Carolina.
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The COVID pandemic remains an ongoing public health concern. Despite the dismantling of all metrics that provide real-time information on the state of the pandemic, nearly 22,000 people died of COVID in the first four months of 2024. For the 2023/2024 influenza season, hospitalized COVID patients had a 35 percent higher rate of death than those admitted for the flu.
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Meanwhile, the Economist update on the impact of Long COVID estimates a prevalence of 2 to 7 percent or upwards of half a billion people worldwide with some level of ongoing impact from their infection.
For the US, the magazine estimates a loss of $152.6 billion in GDP in 2024 alone from COVID. For those who have left the workforce, 953.6 million hours of work were lost. Those with reduced hours account for another 366.3 million hours and those who continue to work with their condition cost more than 177 million hours. One needs only to extrapolate these figures to the rest of the globe to understand the magnitude of the COVID pandemic atop the nearly 30 million that needlessly died because of the greed of the ruling elites that have placed profits over life every step of the way.
GOLF’s Course Raters and Ran Morrissett, Architecture Editor
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A stunning aerial of the 3rd hole at Pinehurst No. 2.
USGA/Fred Vuich
As part of GOLF’s rigorous ratings process for our newly released Top 100 Courses in the U.S. and Top 100 Courses You Can Play rankings, our fleet of 100-plus expert panelists identified the best golf courses in every state.
You can check out the links below to browse all of our course rankings, or scroll down to see the best courses in North Carolina. And if you’re looking to create your own trip in the future, you’d be wise to let GOLF’s new Course Finder tool assist you. Here, you can toggle all of our lists — Top 100 public, best munis, best short courses, best par-3s and more — or filter by price to create the perfect itinerary for your next trip.
GOLF’s other course rankings: Top 100 Courses in the World | Top 100 Courses in the U.S. | Top 100 Courses You Can Play | Top 100 Value Courses in the U.S. | America’s Best Municipal Courses | The 100 Best Short Courses in the World
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The best golf courses in North Carolina (2024/2025)
SYMBOL GUIDE # = Top 100 Course in the U.S. Y = Top 100 You Can Play in the U.S. V = Top 100 Value Course in the U.S. P = Public/Resort
Ed. note: Some courses were omitted from our rankings because they did not receive enough votes.
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1. Pinehurst No. 2 (Pinehurst) [#, Y, P]
Donald Ross’ chef d’oeuvre rolls spaciously through tall longleaf pines in the Carolina Sandhills with holes culminating with legendary inverted-saucer greens. For the 2014 U.S. Open, a Coore-Crenshaw restoration brought back the tawny-edged fairways and native areas last seen in the 1940s. Even with no rough, the runner-up could muster only one under par over four rounds. After the Women’s U.S. Open was played the following week, a powerful message had been broadcast around the world from the home of American golf about the virtues of width, short grass and great greens. This is one of a handful of courses that presents resort guests with a fun test on which they won’t lose a single ball, and a week later can be ready to host a U.S. Open. That’s the flexibility of short grass — and Ross’ design genius. The world will get another look at No. 2 in June 2024 when the course stages its fourth U.S. Open.
2. Old Town Club (Winston Salem) [#]
With sweeping, cross-course vistas punctuated by tawny native grasses and an exemplary routing that twists around miles of creek beds, side-slopes and artistic bunkering, Old Town’s restoration portrays the enduring spirit of classic golf architecture. Perry Maxwell built this inspired North Carolina layout on a former R.J. Reynolds horse farm. The manner by which Maxwell draped the fairways across the rolling landscape resulted in few level lies. No wonder former Demon Deacon Lanny Wadkins called it the best course for training serious young players. Wake Forest’s golf teams practice at Old Town, which gives them a huge home-field advantage as few collegiate golfers are accustomed to putting on undulating Maxwell greens or consistently hitting approach shots from uneven stances. The club’s longtime green chair analyzes every minute detail of the design during his annual walks around the property with former Wake grad, Bill Coore. A 2023 bunker restoration project and the conversion of the greens from bent to Bermuda has the course climbing even higher.
A gorgeous look at Wade Hampton.
Patrick Koenig
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3. Wade Hampton (Cashiers) [#]
Tom Fazio has a well-established knack for building waterfalls. But at this exclusive redoubt, threaded through the folds of the Blue Ridge Mountains, he didn’t have to. Take the par-3 third hole, which plays through a valley, up a gentle rise, to a large green backed by a steep rock face where a natural cascade spills down it. It’s a setting worthy of a national park, and one of countless photo-ready moments on a course that unspools gracefully at modest elevation, ornamented by creeks and ponds. Fazio did not forgo earth-moving altogether. But the beauty of his work here is the deference he showed to the grandeur of the land.
4. Pinehurst No. 10 (Pinehurst) [#, Y, P]
Give a talented architect a sandy, rolling piece of land and place few restrictions on him or her, and it’s amazing what can be produced. Donald Ross did so with a flourish at this resort, and this time, it was Tom Doak’s turn — and he was bonused with not having to make an allowance for where homes might go or having the nines return. The result is a meandering tour that enjoys its own pacing. The first eight holes feature three par-4s — the drivable 4th, the burly dogleg-right 6th and the intermediate length 8th that plays into old mining spoils — that highlight the property’s diversity. Meanwhile, the run from the bruising uphill 468-yard 9th to the 264-yard 14th is one of Doak’s sternest stretches. Natural wetlands feature at two of the final four holes. This variety of obstacles ultimately make No. 10 an immediate stalwart among the resort’s offerings.
5. Pinehurst No. 4 (Pinehurst) [Y,P]
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6. Tobacco Road (Sanford) [Y, P]
7. Mid Pines (Southern Pines) [Y, P]
8. Southern Pines GC (Southern Pines) [Y, P]
9. Pine Needles (Southern Pines) [Y, P]
10. Quail Hollow (Charlotte)
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11. Roaring Gap (Roaring Gap)
12. Dormie Club (West End)
13. Tot Hill Farm (Asheboro) [Y, P]
A dangerous carry at Tot Hill Farm.
Courtesy of Tot Hill Farm
14. Charlotte CC (Charlotte)
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15. Diamond Creek (Banner Elk)
16. Woodlake – Maples (Vass)
17. Grandfather (Linville)
18. Eagle Point (Wilmington)
19. CC of NC – Dogwood (Pinehurst)
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20. Biltmore Forest (Asheville)
21. Linville (Linville)
22. Carolina GC (Charlotte)
23. Forest Creek – North (Pinehurst)
24. Pinehurst No. 8 (Pinehurst) [Y]
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25. Sedgefield CC (Greensboro)
How we rank our courses
For our newly released Top 100 U.S. and Top 100 You Can Play lists — a process that helped us create 50 best-in-state rankings — each panelist was provided a ballot that consisted of 609 courses. Beside the list of courses were 11 “buckets,” or groupings. If our panelists considered a course to be among the top three in the U.S., they ticked that first column. If they believed the course to be among Nos. 4-10, they checked that column, followed by 11-25, 26-50, and so on out to 250+ and even a column for “remove.” Panelists were also free to write in courses that they felt should have been included on the ballot.
Points were assigned to each bucket; to arrive at an average score for each course, we divide its aggregate score by the number of votes. From those point tallies, the courses are then ranked accordingly. It is an intentionally simple and straightforward process. Why? Because it historically has produced results that are widely lauded. Like the game itself, there’s no need to unnecessarily complicate things or try to fix something that already works so well.
The key to the process is the experience and expertise of our panel. Hailing from 15 nations and all the worldwide golf meccas, each of our 127 handpicked panelists has a keen eye for architecture, both regionally and globally. Many of our panelists have played more than 1,000 courses in 20-plus countries, some over 2,000. Their handicaps range from +5 to 15.
Because the nature of course rating is so intensely subjective, no one opinion carries the day. The only way, then, to build meaningful consensus is to incorporate this diversity of panelists and experiences into one ranking.
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Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book from 8AM Golf affiliate GolfLogix.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Jonas Aidoo had a double-double, and his 17 points led seven in double figures as Arkansas rolled past North Carolina A&T 95-67 on Saturday for the Razorbacks’ fifth straight win.
Aidoo made 7 of 13 shots and grabbed 11 rebounds. Boogie Fland also had a double-double with 12 points and 11 assists. Adou Thiero scored 14 points, Karter Knox 11 and D.J. Wagner 10 as all five starters reached double figures. Off the bench, Trevon Brazile had 11 points and Billy Richmond III scored 10. Brazile had nine rebounds.
Aidoo scored the first five points of the game and Arkansas (10-2) led 12-3 in the early going. Later in the half, Richmond scored seven consecutive Arkansas points and the Razorbacks were out front 28-17. They went on to lead 54-31 at the break.
An 8-0 run midway through the second half put Arkansas ahead by 36 points and the lead peaked at 37 when Aidoo scored in the paint with about 9 minutes remaining.
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Ryan Forrest led the Aggies (3-10) with 19 points and eight rebounds. Landon Glasper added 16 points.
It was the Razorbacks’ second game on their home floor this month. Next, they will host Oakland on Dec. 30.
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FAYETTEVILLE — Playing its first game in a week, the Arkansas basketball team showed no rust Saturday.
The Razorbacks opened with a 12-3 run and were never threatened during a 95-67 victory over North Carolina A&T at Bud Walton Arena.
Arkansas (10-2) won its fifth consecutive game and played for the final time before a break for Christmas. The Razorbacks are not scheduled to play again until a Dec. 30 home game against Oakland.
Jonas Aidoo had 7 points, 3 rebounds and 3 blocked shots before the first media timeout to spark the early run. Aidoo finished with season highs of 17 points and 11 rebounds in 22 minutes.
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Aidoo was one of seven Razorbacks who scored in double figures. Adou Thiero scored 14 points, Boogie Fland scored 12 to go with 11 assists, Trevon Brazile and Karter Knox scored 11 apiece, and D.J. Wagner and Billy Richmond had 10.
Zvonimir Ivisic (8 points) was the only Arkansas rotation player to score less than 10. The Razorbacks played the game without guard Nelly Davis, who sat out with soreness in his shooting wrist. Davis is averaging 9.9 points per game.
Arkansas shot 50% (37 of 74) with 26 assists and held the Aggies to 36% (27 of 75) shooting.
The Razorbacks led 54-31 at halftime and by as many as 37 points in the second half.
North Carolina A&T (3-10) lost its eighth consecutive game. The Aggies were led in scoring by Marion native Ryan Forrest (19 points) and Fayetteville native Landon Glasper (16).
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