Raleigh, North Carolina — 27 October 2026. NC State University's publicly accessible Lonnie Poole Golf Course is approaching a key milestone in its redesign: the replacement second hole is growing in, with opening targeted for shortly after the US Thanksgiving holiday. General manager Chip Watson gave that update to Triad Golf on 27 October. No firm opening day has been announced, so the timetable remains a projection rather than a confirmed start of play.
Fixing an awkward connection
The project addresses an operational problem in the original routing. Moving from the old second hole to the third sometimes required golfers to backtrack and wait for a safe passage, a consequence of the property's layout near Interstate 40. The newly positioned par-three second hole sits south of the existing practice area and creates a more direct sequence between holes one, two and three.
In its official project announcement of 6 July, the club estimated that the revised routing could shave roughly 10 minutes from a round. The layout is also designed to reduce conflicts between groups and give maintenance crews safer access without passing through active playing areas. These are expected benefits, not yet measured post-opening results.
The design and yardages
Golf architect Brandon Johnson, an NC State alumnus and a member of the original Arnold Palmer Design team behind Lonnie Poole, is leading the redesign. Preserving the course's established character is central to the work.
Watson supplied the new second hole's tee yardages: 230 yards from the competition tees, 202 from black, 181 from red, 165 from white, 126 from gray and 103 from green. Although the furthest teeing positions are slightly shorter than before, an uphill element could make the shot play longer. The club expects the changes to prompt a fresh course rating and slope rating.
A larger university practice ground
The former second-hole footprint forms part of a new 12-acre practice area for NC State's men's and women's golf teams. The facility was still under construction at the time of the 27 October update. The university has said the wider development will provide significantly more room to practise the full range of shots, from driver to putter.
That distinction matters for public access: the full golf course remains a public facility, even though the teams' dedicated practice grounds are restricted. The course has also been undertaking a separate conversion of its greens from bentgrass to ultradwarf bermudagrass during 2026.
What golfers should expect next
The club's working target is after Thanksgiving 2026. A precise opening date, bookable tee times for the revised layout and the completion timetable for the varsity practice complex have not been confirmed. Golfers should consult the club for updated course conditions before travelling.
Sources: Triad Golf, 27 October 2026; Lonnie Poole Golf Course / NC State official announcement, 6 July 2026.
