There’s a funny thing about living somewhere for years – you can completely miss what’s right under your nose.
For years, one of our oldest friends has lived around the corner from the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club. We’ve been going to her house since 2004. We even lived with her for a month, and I used to jog the trails that weave through Duke Forest right alongside the property. And yet, hand on heart, I had absolutely no idea this place existed until we joined Craig’s parents for afternoon tea there about 18 months ago.
Hidden among the pines and oaks, tucked beside a championship golf course on the edge of Duke University’s campus, it really is its own little world. A destination that feels far from the everyday, even though it’s less than 30-minutes from Raleigh. Add it to your list. Here’s why.
What Makes the Washington Duke Inn Special
The Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club is Durham’s premier luxury hotel, a AAA Four-Diamond property that’s been welcoming guests since 1988. Set on 300 acres of tall pines and hardwoods on the edge of the Duke Forest and on the grounds of Duke University, it overlooks the 18-hole Duke University Golf Club course. All of this means the views are, simply put, are gorgeous, and the serenity factor high!
It attracts visiting professors, university families, golf enthusiasts, and Triangle locals looking for a proper escape, but it’s never stuffy about it. That’s one of the things I loved most. There’s an unpretentious warmth here that you don’t always find at upscale properties.
Elevating a stay at Washington Duke Inn even more is its recent renovations that include a beautifully reimagined lobby, restaurants, meeting rooms, and outdoor public spaces.
Here’s what we also loved: meeting bell person Carlos Leandro S. Bacugan. We heard of him just weeks before at the annual North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association (NCRLA) awards dinner. He was recognized as “Lodging Employee of the Year” for his outstanding contributions to the hospitality sector, known for his reliability, attention to detail, and genuine care for guests.
The Setting: Golf Course Views & Patio Life
Let’s start where we spent a good chunk of our afternoon — on the patio. After our round of golf (more on that shortly), Craig and I collapsed into the comfortable outdoor chairs with a glass of wine and just…exhaled. Soaking up the warm sun after a long winter, watching the course stretch out in front of us, it was genuinely heavenly. And I’ll be honest; I was pleasantly surprised to find a quality glass of California chardonnay for just $13. At a hotel like this, that’s a win!
The patio recently got a lovely renovation with an outdoor terrace extension from the Bull Durham Bar. You can order from servers, or if you want something more casual, wander down to the chairs near the putting practice green and order directly at the bar. It’s relaxed, it’s social, and on a warm afternoon, it’s pretty much the perfect place to be.
We were quite peckish after our one-hour golf lesson and round of golf, so moved up to the terrace (still in the sun) to snack on some pimento cheese with our wine.
Golf Lessons with Chad: A Tale of Two Golfers
This was, without question, one of the highlights of our stay, and one of the funniest. Craig can golf. He’ll tell you he can’t, but don’t believe him. Rusty, sure, he plays maybe once every year but put a club in his hand and something just clicks. He took a private lesson with golf pro Chad Gibbs to refine his technique, learned some great tips, and went on to have a genuinely excellent round on the back nine. And then there was me.
I held out real hope. Chad is clearly a skilled, patient, and encouraging instructor — I want to put that on record. The problem was entirely on my end. My first ten swings? Air. Pure, uninterrupted air. Not a single connection.
But Chad worked with me one-on-one, adjusted my stance, talked me through it, and eventually I connected. There was a thwack. There was actual flight. I hooted. I hollered about how clever I was (we both knew it was Chad’s doing). For the rest of my lesson, I hit more (maybe not cleanly) more than I missed. Chad had me believing that with a bit of dedication, lots of practice, and more lessons, I could possibly call myself a golfer…