Birkdale is located about 20 minutes north of downtown Charlotte just off I-77 to the west at NC 73.

The golf course is a parkland layout journeying through a residential development over rolling hills with the homes primarily blocked by tall pines. The layout has slight elevation changes, McDowell Creek traversing the middle in addition to several ponds, and a bounty of sand bunkers along the fairways and defending the greens. It can play to 7,013 yards from the tips, 74.1/138, course/slope with three shorter sets of tees down to 5,175 yards, an Arnold Palmer design.