We went to Quail Hollow last year with Jamie, and I want to start with the thing nobody told me beforehand -- because if you're going this weekend with a baby or toddler and a stroller, the parking situation is the first thing you need to figure out.
Quick context: last year Quail Hollow hosted the PGA Championship, which is a major and one of the biggest crowds the course sees. We still made it work. This year's Truist Championship (formerly the Wells Fargo Championship) is a regular tour stop, so conditions should be even more manageable. Everything below applies.
The Parking Secret: Skip the Shuttle
The official parking situation routes a lot of people to Carowinds to take a shuttle to the course. With a stroller, a diaper bag, and a small human, that is not the move.
We drove and parked on Rosemary Lane, which is free street parking right near the course. Get there when the gates open and you'll find a spot. Once you're parked, follow the dirt path from Rosemary Lane down to Gleneagles Road -- that's your route in. We did this during a PGA Championship, so a regular tour event should be even more workable.
If you arrive later and the street is full, houses nearby offer yard parking for around $30 Venmo. Not ideal, but a real option.
No shuttle. No car seat Uber math. No stroller logistics on a bus. Just park, walk in, and start your day.
Get There Right When It Opens
Early arrival gives you cooler temps, thinner crowds, and the ability to actually move around the course with a stroller. Once the day heats up and the crowds fill in, navigating with little ones gets harder. Morning is your window - use it.
Your First Stop: The Merch Tent
Go straight there and get it out of the way while your legs are fresh and the crowds are still light. The hospitality center is right next door, so grab breakfast or a snack while you're at it. That whole area is also next to the driving range and the practice putting green, so you can watch players warming up while you eat. It's a nice way to ease into the morning.
Have a Player Strategy
Pick one or two golfers you actually want to watch and time your arrival so someone you like is teeing off early. Spend the first hour following them. Then find shade and let the golf come to you.
If you're hoping to see a big name, don't follow the crowd. Get four or five holes ahead of them, find a shady spot, and hold it. Once they're one or two holes back the crowd surges fast. You want to already be settled with a good sightline before that happens.
The Best Shady Spot on the Course
Under the trees at the 11th Green. You can watch players hitting through the fairway and then putting on the green, and you're close enough that it actually feels like watching golf. This is my spot and I will defend it.
Shade is your whole strategy with a baby. If you can get into a hospitality tent, great. Otherwise, find your tree and commit to it.
What to Bring (and What to Leave Home)
Bring your full-size stroller, not the travel one. The terrain is pine straw and grass and it needs to handle it. The stroller is also your cargo carrier for the day, so you want real storage underneath.
Bring a baby carrier too. David wore Jamie in the carrier when he fell asleep, which meant Jamie napped, David wandered, and I got to actually watch golf. Highly recommend this division of labor.
Bring a blanket for sitting on the ground near your shady spot.
Bring your diaper bag. They let you in with it, no issues, even though it's technically a backpack.
On chairs: We brought them one year and kind of regretted it because we ended up following players all day and carrying the chairs got old fast. If you know you're going to plant somewhere, bring one but leave the sleeve at home. Chairs with sleeves aren't allowed in. Just the chair.
Hydrate constantly. Waters and ice cream throughout the day. Non-negotiable.
Family Resources on the Grounds
There are first aid tents and what I'd call mothers' tents scattered around the course. Extra sunscreen, hand sanitizer, Band-Aids for toddler tumbles, and a place to cool down if someone's struggling with the heat. Know where they are before you need them.
One More Thing
When David wore Jamie in the carrier, at least three strangers stopped to tell him he was an incredible dad. Effusive, spontaneous praise. Multiple people.
I wore that same baby in that same carrier for months. Not a single comment.
We love the dads. We also want to be seen.
Going this weekend? Park on Rosemary, get there early, find the 11th Green, and get the ice cream. You're going to have a great day.
