NORTH V SOUTH CAROLINA - WHICH WILL YOU CHOOSE

North and South Carolina share a name, a border, even a golf hole (Farmstead Golf Links’s 767-yard, par-six 18th, where you tee off in the South and putt out in the North). Many people lump the two states into one geographic region.

Sure, it’s easy to get the two states confused. Both have gorgeous coastlines, sweet tea, and citizens who say “y’all.” But the states are different in a number of ways: The North has more than double the population (9.8 million to 4.7), all the pro sports teams, and a major technology sector; the South has the most charming and historic city (Charleston), better college football, and alligators.

But perhaps the biggest difference is their respective golf. The North’s best courses and clubs are largely centered in the Sandhills and mountains, while the South’s are found along the coast in the Lowcountry. With the Carolinas hosting majors such as the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island and the U.S. Open at Pinehurst—it’s time to ask: Which state has better golf?

Start by posing that question to the man who’s built more top golf courses in both states than anyone—Tom Fazio. “I’m not sure one is better than the other,” he says diplomatically. “The environments are so special yet so different.”

When pressed, Fazio admits to loving the Lowcountry look with the moss-draped oaks, the changing colors of the marsh, and the spectacular wildlife. “It’s hard to beat during the ideal temperatures.” But where does he make his home? In the mountains of North Carolina.