You hate to throw around the "p'' word too much, but the experience of playing my first round at Seven Lakes Country Club was darn near perfect.

     All the elements of a great golf day lined up, from the course (terrific) to the weather (ideal) to my playing partners, Hall of Fame golf writer George Sweda from Concord Township and Willoughby native Brad Poplyk, the pro at Legacy Golf Links in Aberdeen, N.C.

     Seven Lakes, aptly named, is about 15 miles west of Pinehurst Village off NC Rt. 211, the main east-west access road into Pinehurst off Interstate 73/74.

     Opened in 1976 and designed by Peter V. Tufts III, great grandson of Pinehurst founder James Walker Tufts, Seven Lakes is at once much-honored and under-rated.

     Although it is a mainstay on lists of the top courses in North Carolina and the Sandhills area, Seven Lakes doesn't have a profile as high as many of the courses in the Pinehurst-Southern Pines-Aberdeen area.

     Nor, thankfully, does Seven Lakes have the knee-buckling price point of many of the publicly available courses in the Sandhills region.

     Beginning May 17 and running through June 6, the weekday fee for 18 holes (with cart) is $65. That drops to $55 from June 23 to Sept. 12.

     During the two weeks in mid-June when the two U.S. Opens are being staged at Pinehurst No. 2, Seven Lakes is going with a greens fee to $85.

     By standards applied to upward pricing at courses throughout the Sandhills region during the two-week run at Pinehurst No. 2, $85 is reasonable.

     While we're on the subject of pricing, I'll again recommend that you use Legacy Golf Package (see info below) to arrange for play at Seven Lakes and lodging in the Pinehurst area.

     As for the course, it's a winner from first hole to last. On my scorecard, eight of the holes were singled out as "outstanding''.

     My favorites are the par-4, 344-yard 4th, par-5, 468-yard 11th and par-4, 308 yard 14th holes. All have water in play and all require accuracy and course management.

     Before we played, Seven Lakes General Manager and PGA professional Mike Floyd sang the praises of course superintendent Scott Clawson and advised us the greens are widely regarded to be among the best in the area.

     Floyd wasn't blowing smoke in either regard. Seven Lakes is expertly maintained and the greens roll fast and true.

     If you're planning a trip to the Pinehurst area and Seven Lakes isn't on your list of courses to play, you're cheating yourself out of an affordable, first-rate golf experience.

     Many golfers from these parts are loyal customers at Seven Lakes, Floyd told me. It's not a surprise.

    

     Seven Lakes Country Club

     2000 Seven Lakes South, Seven Lakes, NC 27376 (mailing address)

     124 Devonshire Dr., Seven Lakes, NC, 27376 (physical address

     (910) 673-4653; toll free (888) 475-2537

     www.sevenlakescountryclub.com

          

     Legacy Golf Package

     www.legacygolfpackage.com

     12515 U.S. Highway 15-501 South, Aberdeen, N.C. 28315

     (910) 944-8838; toll free, (888) 287-2199

Brad Poplyk

DSG