Teeing Up for Mountain Golf
Teeing Up for Mountain Golf: In anticipation of the PGA Tour's Biltmore Championship, we look back on the history and growth of golf in WNC
There’s a fairway on the back nine of The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, a golf club in the mountains between Asheville and Brevard, that carves through a dense hardwood forest a few hundred feet below the Blue Ridge Parkway. From the middle of the short grass you can look up and see the famous two-lane road wind around the flank of the mountain, and from that section of parkway you can look down and see the golf course form a sinuous, green line through the forest. It’s a beautiful view. I’ve seen the fairway countless times on my way to hike Pisgah National Forest, but I’ve only had the chance to stand on that curvaceous lawn once. Walnut Cove is an exclusive, private golf club within The Cliffs community, only available to play by its members and their guests. It’s a bucket list opportunity, and I spent most of my time on the course soaking in the rare views.
Soon, the entire world will get a glimpse of the fairways and greens of The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. In September, the club will host the Biltmore Championship, a new event on the PGA Tour. “I think people will be blown away by how beautiful this course and these mountains are,” says Jeff Tyrrell, director of operations at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. “This event will put Asheville and the region on the map for golfers.”
Fore Fathers
North Carolina’s golf legacy is obvious to anyone familiar with the game. Pinehurst, which has dozens of top-rated courses routed through the sandhills and pine forests near the center of the state, is a mecca for golfers. Donald Ross, the most renowned course architect in American golf, created iconic tracks throughout the country in the early quarter of the 20th century, among them several courses at Pinehurst that are considered some of the finest in the nation. The PGA Tour has frequent stops at his courses there, including the 2025 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, and they play regular tournaments at courses in Charlotte and Greensboro as well. But the Biltmore Championship will be the first time in more than 80 years that the best golfers in the world will converge on the mountains of North Carolina. It’s a coming-out party of sorts for the region, which doesn’t get recognized as a top-tier golf destination like Pinehurst, Augusta, or even the more everyman-aligned Myrtle Beach. Travelers flock to Asheville and the surrounding mountains for the culinary scene, breweries, and outdoor adventure, but golf? Not as much.
“Nobody views Asheville as a golf destination, but the golf scene in WNC is strong and growing,” says Pat Warren, general manager of Asheville Municipal, a public golf course near downtown Asheville. The lack of attention from golfers is curious, particularly when you consider the fact that golfing in North Carolina began in these mountains. The first course built in the Tarheel State was crafted out of the slopes in Linville in 1895 as part of the Eseeola Lodge, a resort developed by businessman Hugh MacRae, who wanted to tap into his Scottish heritage. It was a simple nine-hole track named Linville Golf Club that had greens made of sand. The Country Club of Asheville was established around the same time. Originally called the Swannanoa Hunt Club and later Swannanoa Country Club, it was one of the first 100 private clubs developed in the entire country.
Donald Ross, that visionary who helped literally craft the golf landscape in this country during the early 20th century, designed several courses in these mountains as he was also putting his fingerprint on Pinehurst. During the 1920s, shortly after completing a course in Waynesville, he redesigned the courses at the Grove Park Inn and the Country Club of Asheville and sketched designs for Asheville’s 18-hole Municipal Golf Course, as well as the private Biltmore Country Club.
Course Correction
Today, Western North Carolina has a rich portfolio of dramatic courses hidden in its mountains, from historic gems that have been lovingly restored to their previous glory to resort-style standouts that offer the best of modern golf practices. All eyes will be on the region when the Biltmore Championship debuts at Walnut Cove this September and the best golfers test themselves against the Jack Nicklaus-designed course. And the timing of the event couldn’t be better. Not only will the mountains be ablaze with fall foliage, but it’s the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene.
That once-in-a-thousand-year storm wreaked havoc on Asheville and its surrounding communities, causing $53 billion of damage as the waters of the French Broad and its tributaries rose 28 feet above flood level and triple-digit winds ripped through the forests. The region’s golf courses weren’t spared, as many sit in floodplains. The Asheville Municipal Course was fresh off a multimillion-dollar restoration of the front nine along the Swannanoa River, work that washed away entirely in the storm.
Broadmoor Golf Links, in Fletcher, sits at the junction of Cane Creek and the French Broad. The floodwaters that rose onto the course had nowhere to go, so the water sat for days, leaving a foot of mud in its wake when it finally receded. More than 1,000 trees along the course fell in the storm, and the entire 18-hole course was lost. “It was a lake for 10 days,” says Zeke Cooper, the owner of Broadmoor and a Western North Carolina native. “Those were tough days. We didn’t know where to start, so we just started shoveling mud away from the buildings then pulled the carpet from the pro shop….”
Fast forward two years, and Cooper’s team of environmental engineers and course architects have rebuilt Broadmoor from the ground up, rerouting holes, creating new bunkers, regrading fairways with wall-to-wall Bermuda grass, and seeding greens with the much-loved 007 bentgrass. “We had the opportunity to rebuild it and do some pretty cool stuff,” Cooper says. “It hasn’t been easy, but now I’m excited. This place is so special.”
While Broadmoor is an extreme case, it’s indicative of the restoration work that’s been done at golf facilities across the region since the storm, as most suffered some level of damage. Trees were downed, greens were lost, and fairways were flooded, but like Broadmoor, courses are coming back stronger than ever after the storm. Waynesville Inn & Golf Club, 45 minutes outside of Asheville, has an historic nine-hole track designed by Ross that’s celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2026. In conjunction with this milestone, the course has undergone a multimillion-dollar renovation, including the addition of a back nine created with Ross’s original design ethos in mind.
“Golf courses are like living, breathing works of art,” says Conor Reddick, the head golf pro at Waynesville Inn & Golf Club. “They change over time, and every day is different. We have a really, really good one here. It’s a special spot.” The front nine weaves through the former pasture adjacent to the inn, with fairways divided by towering evergreens. It’s beautiful, but the back nine is even better as holes venture deeper into the hills, offering challenging fairways but delivering near constant long-range views of the mountains. You can use golf carts here, but the entire course is very walkable and makes for a perfect afternoon stroll, regardless of the numbers you’re writing down on your scorecard.
Par Excellence
If there’s one Asheville course that can be called “famous” though, it’s the 18 holes at the Grove Park Inn, which is perpetually voted onto lists of top destination courses by major golf magazines. The destination also has its legacy set in stone, as it was the site of the last PGA Tour event in the area, hosting the Asheville Land of the Sky Open from 1939 to 1942. Fan favorite and World Golf Hall of Famer Ben Hogan won that event three times.
Today, golfers can expect a surprisingly tough track. Many courses attached to resorts are billed as “user-friendly,” but the 18 holes at the Grove Park hit the classic Donald Ross notes, with lightning-fast greens that slope away from the holes in every direction. The fairways are wide, though, and players will enjoy hitting with the Grove Park Inn’s unmistakable silhouette looming in the background. You can’t beat the location, either, as you can practically walk into downtown from the course. The Grove Park Inn Golf Course offers memberships but is also open to the public, whether you’re staying at the Grove Park or not.
On the other side of town, Asheville Municipal finished $3.5-million worth of renovations in 2023 to restore the front and back nine to their original glory, adhering to Ross’s initial design with routing, bunker placement, and dramatically sloping greens. “We still have the original sketches from Ross, and we tried to keep everything true to his vision,” Warren says. “Keeping the heritage and history of his work will go a long way in preserving the integrity of the golf course.” The course has become an historic gem, playing a significant role in democratizing the sport. Not only does the “Muni” give everyday golfers the chance to play a course designed by one of the greatest golf architects, but Asheville’s public course also annually hosts the country’s oldest and longest-running Black-operated golf tournament, the Skyview Open, held each summer. The multiday competition began in 1960, welcoming golfers of all races, a rarity at the time, and over the decades, became an important stepping stone to the PGA for many Black golfers, including Lee Elder and Jim Dent.
Hurricane Helene decimated the front nine of the Muni, but Warren is hopeful restoration efforts on the front half of the course will begin in 2027. In the meantime, golfers have the back nine to explore with its classic mountain routing as holes wind through the mature, Beverly Hills neighborhood. Players can expect tight fairways with small landing zones between thick patches of forest. The mountain views are incredible, especially from the 17th hole, a long par five with a sloping fairway and large green. “People are investing money in golf courses around here, trying to get them to higher standards,” says the general manager. “It’s a win for everyone.”
There’s no better example of this investment in golf than Broadmoor. While many of the best courses in the Asheville area pay homage to their past, Broadmoor embraces the future of golf. Tucked into the river valley 20 miles southeast of Asheville, the site offers something that many mountain courses can’t claim: a relatively flat 18 holes. The course recently reopened to play after Hurricane Helene. Forced into a total rebuild, course designers leaned into the “links” approach, featuring open fairways punctuated with bunkers.
In addition to its brand-new 18 holes, Broadmoor also completely redesigned its practice area, lining the driving range with 40 covered hitting bays, each of which has Top Tracer equipment that can track swing and ball flight and project it onto a 55-inch TV. This tech allows for different games, similar to what players find at Top Golf. Beside the driving range is a 20,000-square-foot putting green and a fully mobile kitchen. The entire practice area is lit for night play, too. “It’s an experience unlike anything else around here,” says the owner. “It’s a social environment but also still a really good place to practice. You can grind on your wedges all day or come out here at night and play Angry Birds golf with your kids.”
Long-Range View
Golf in the Asheville region is better than ever and ready for its close up when all eyes are on the Biltmore Championship this fall. Of course, unless you’re in with a member, you won’t be able to play the same course the pros will play in the September tournament. But this gorgeous track will show off the best of Western North Carolina’s mountain golf to the greater golf world. While many of the venues on the PGA Tour are located on the coast and in the plains, mountain golf is a different animal, with routing that features significant elevation changes from the tee box to the green and an abundance of blind shots. The undulating terrain demands it. But the sport here also delivers nonstop mountain views from each fairway. And there’s a lot to appreciate about The Cliffs at Walnut Cove from a spectator’s perspective through the television.
The course was designed by Jack Nicklaus, one of the greatest players of the game who evolved into one of the best course architects and became known for layouts that demand precision. Walnut Cove follows that mold with long and narrow fairways and small green complexes. The entire course will demand the pros hit their targets, especially off the tee, but the par threes are where the course really challenges players. Many are long (the pros will be teeing it up from beyond 200 yards on several of these “short” holes) with small target areas that are well protected by bunkers, water, and woods.
Given that there aren’t many mountain courses on the PGA Tour, Walnut Cove will stand out to golf fans. The routing of each hole is dictated by the slopes surrounding it, and Nicklaus took advantage of that terrain, giving players long-range views of the scenic Southern Appalachians throughout the course. The tournament will make for an entertaining watch, whether in person or on TV, and will undoubtedly give the golf legacy of the mountains of North Carolina the attention it deserves.
THE PGA IN ASHEVILLE
The Biltmore Championship debuts September 17-20, 2026 at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove and will return every fall through 2029. We won’t know which golfers will be playing until closer to the tourney, but expect a full field of 132 PGA pros.
- Tickets for grounds access run $67 to $78 per day, or spectators can splurge for the Wicked Weed Tavern at the Turn party on the 9th fairway ($223), which includes beer, seltzer, and soda with plenty of food for purchase.
- Watch the televised inaugural tournament on the Golf Channel and ESPN+.
- Find out more information as it’s released at www.Biltmorechampionship.com.
5 Mountain Courses You Can Play in WNC
Asheville Municipal Golf Course
East Asheville
Signature feature: Hole 18, a short par three with a dramatic elevation change and mountain views behind the green
Fees: From $38 for nine holes
Contact: (828) 298-2867
www.ashevillegc.com
Broadmoor Golf Links
Fletcher
Signature feature: The practice area, with a lighted driving range and massive multi-hole practice putting green
Fees: Check website
Contact: (828) 687-1500
www.broadmoorgolflinks.com
Omni Grove Park Inn
Downtown Asheville
Signature feature: Donald Ross’s fast, sloping greens and views of Omni Grove Park Inn in the background
Fees: From $145
Contact: (828) 438-5800
www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/golf
Sequoyah National Golf Club
Cherokee
Signature feature: Elevated tee boxes and dramatic elevation changes as well as views of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Fees: From $205
Contact: (828) 497-3000
www.sequoyahnational.com
Waynesville Inn & Golf Club
Waynesville
Signature feature: A beautiful routing through former farmland with nonstop mountain views
Fees: “Stay & Play” packages from $447
Contact: (828) 456-3551
www.waynesvilleinnandgolf.com/golf