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Head out for 18 in the North Carolina mountains, where fairways are lush and greens are slick as river rocks.
1 Sequoyah National Golf Club
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1 Sequoyah National Golf Club
WhittierSee on map
Owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, this Robert Trent Jones II course leads golfers on a gorgeous yet challenging journey through oaks, firs and flowered valleys – with the Great Smoky Mountains looming on the horizon. The par-four 15th hole is especially stunning, its green seeming to float above the fairway. Signs at every tee box share stories of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Notable nearby: Developed by the Eastern Band of Cherokee, the course is an ideal companion to the nearby 1,800-room Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.
2 Rumbling Bald on Lake Lure
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2 Rumbling Bald on Lake Lure
Lake LureSee on mapTucked between picturesque Lake Lure of Dirty Dancing fame and Rumbling Bald Mountain, this popular destination's pair of courses can wow you with views, then quickly snap you back to attention. You can go long on the Apple Valley layout, but designer Dan Maples forces strategic thinking with swells and well-placed bunkers. Tight, tree-lined fairways control the action on Bald Mountain, with rock-faced cliffs towering over much of the course.
3 Mount Mitchell Golf Club
3 Mount Mitchell Golf Club
BurnsvilleSee on mapHere’s a singular opportunity to play golf in the shadow of the highest peak in the East (6,684 feet) on a lovely valley layout that’s relatively level and without tricks, but still a solid opponent. The back nine hugs the South Toe River, making it both a burbling backdrop and stealthy hazard.
Notable nearby: If you like a little fishing with your links experience, you can buy a permit in the pro shop and stalk the local trout after your round.
4 Jefferson Landing
4 Jefferson Landing
JeffersonSee on mapUS Open and two-time PGA Champion Larry Nelson fashioned a challenging but fair test deemed worthy of 4.5 stars by Golf Digest. Mountain vistas add to the allure of Jefferson Landing, but attention has to be maintained on the ground to navigate the sloping and often dog-legged fairways and avoid the stream that meanders throughout.
Notable nearby: The club’s location on the historic New River is also a definite addition to the experience.
5 The Omni Grove Park Inn
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5 The Omni Grove Park Inn
AshevilleSee on mapFollow in the spike marks of Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus and some US presidents, all who’ve played the Donald Ross-designed course at this historic hotel. Ross finished the layout in 1926, and a 2001 update revived its roots. The course is not long, but undulating greens can cost you strokes. Views of the Blue Ridge Mountains make rounds unforgettable.
6 Boone Golf Club
6 Boone Golf Club
BooneSee on mapA good walk unspoiled is a perfect description of an outing on this deep-green links, laid out in 1959 by Ellis Maples with his patented respect for the land. This is a welcoming course in all respects, with ample fairways, receptive greens and pleasant scenery. It’s relatively short by current standards, but not necessarily sweet – thick rough and meandering water add bite, and the putting surfaces on a summer afternoon can be fiendishly slick.
7 Maggie Valley Club & Resort
7 Maggie Valley Club & Resort
Maggie ValleySee on mapThe Valley Nine at Maggie Valley Club provides ample warmup before players tackle the appropriately named Mountain Nine with its elevation rise of more than 800 feet. The good news is the ball flies farther as long-range panoramas unfold. Interestingly, the fairways here were hand-sown in the early 1960s with Kentucky bluegrass and rye that keep them sumptuous throughout the playing season, while bentgrass greens are kept soft and receptive.
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