For more than 20 years, the North Carolina Golf Panel has ranked the state's 100 best golf courses. The group is comprised of more than 150 golf professionals, coaches, notable amateur players, and business leaders.
Again in 2017, the Golf Panel has ranked the Elk River Club among the state's Top 10 Courses, a distinction which the state's first Jack Nicklaus Signature Course has enjoyed for over two decades. Elk River was also recognized in a number of other 2017 categories, including Top Courses in the Western Region, and Most Fun Golf Courses to Play.