There’s a certain kind of place that earns loyalty you can’t manufacture. Not through flashy marketing or a recent rebrand — but through 22 years of knowing your name when you walk in the door. NorthStone Country Club in Huntersville is that kind of place.
Tucked inside one of the area’s most established neighborhoods, Northstone operates as both a private golf and country club and the beating heart of the community around it. Residents can walk to the golf course, the pools, the restaurant, and the bar. For many members, the club isn’t just a perk of living here — it’s the reason they moved here in the first place.
We sat down with General Manager Courtney Ford — a 22-year veteran of the club who started as head golf professional and never really wanted to leave — to talk about what makes NorthStone tick, who’s joining, and what’s coming next.
More Than a Golf Club
When NorthStone was founded in 1997, it was pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a golf club. A good one, but a golf club. Courtney arrived in 2004 and has spent the better part of two decades turning it into something more.
Today, the amenity list reads less like a country club and more like a well-curated resort. There’s a championship golf course (more on that in a moment), a learning center with Top 100 instructor Doug Spencer, seven newly renovated tennis courts with lights, four brand-new pickleball courts, four pools and a full aquatic center — including a slide pool — plus a fitness center and a full-service restaurant and bar open six days a week.
“If you’re looking for a private club experience, there’s really not many we don’t have,” Courtney told us. And honestly, it’s hard to argue with that. The club has invested $6.5 million over the last five years alone in renovations and upgrades. That’s not a club resting on its reputation — that’s a club with a plan.
The Golf Course Is Still the Star
For all the growth and diversification, the golf course remains the centerpiece. It’s well-maintained, consistently well-regarded, and — here’s the part that tells you everything — currently full, with an 18-month waitlist for golf membership.
That’s not a typo. A year and a half. In a market where plenty of private clubs are quietly working to fill their rosters, NorthStone has the opposite problem. They have more people who want in than they have room for.
Tennis and social memberships are still available if you’re looking for a faster path to the club. But if golf is the draw, get your name on the list sooner rather than later.
Who’s Joining — and Who’s Staying
The membership profile at NorthStone has shifted significantly over the years. When the club launched, it skewed toward individual golfers — traditionally male, there for the course. Today, 75 to 80 percent of new members are young families.
Think: both parents are active, one plays golf and one plays tennis, the kids are on the swim team, and everyone wants to be somewhere walkable and social. NorthStone has quietly built exactly the infrastructure that lifestyle requires, and the families have followed.
That said, the club hasn’t abandoned its roots. Plenty of longtime members are still showing up for the course they’ve always loved, and Courtney is quick to point out that the average age of the membership hasn’t really changed on his watch — it’s just more evenly distributed across generations now.
The “Why” Behind the Loyalty
One thing that comes up again and again when you talk to NorthStone members — and we’ve had a lot of those conversations, given how often we work in this neighborhood — is the sense that it just feels comfortable. Not stuffy. Not pretentious. Just a well-run private club where people genuinely enjoy spending time.
Courtney credits two things: consistency and value. “When you have consistency, that gives you comfort,” he said. “And that comfort gives you, wow, where else would I want to go?” It sounds simple because it is. But simple done well, year after year, is harder than it looks.
There are members who live in pricier communities elsewhere around Lake Norman and still make the drive to NorthStone because the vibe is right. That kind of loyalty is earned, not built into a membership agreement.
What’s Coming Next
The big capital projects are largely behind them — but NorthStone isn’t done. On the horizon: an upgraded driving range and short game area, a larger fitness center, and expanded parking. (The parking situation, in Courtney’s words, is a sign of how busy things have gotten — a good problem to have, but still a problem.)
These aren’t vanity projects. They’re the kind of practical investments that keep a busy club running smoothly for another 20 years.
Thinking About Northstone?
If you’re considering a move into the NorthStone neighborhood — or any of the surrounding communities in Huntersville — membership in the club is absolutely worth factoring into your decision. It changes the way you use your neighborhood entirely.
For membership inquiries, reach out to Kirsten Combs in the membership office, Tuesday through Saturday. If golf is your priority, start the conversation now. That 18-month list moves, but it doesn’t wait.
And as always, if you have questions about buying or selling in Northstone or anywhere around Lake Norman, our team knows these neighborhoods well. We’d love to help!
NorthStone Country Club
15801 Northstone Dr
Huntersville, NC 28078
(704) 948-4286
About the authors:
Barrie Rojahn and Jennifer Foster are real estate brokers serving the Lake Norman region of North Carolina, and the principals at Foster Rojahn Premier Properties. They are strong community advocates, and the co-hosts of The Lake Norman Pulse podcast.
Learn more at frpremierproperties.com
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