There's No Place Like Asheville for a Round of Golf

Golfing is one of Asheville's most serene and loved activities in the vibrant mountain town. We have compiled a little of the history and some of the best places to get your golf fix while you are vacationing here. Check out all of our award winning golf adventures for the perfect getaway while you stay in Asheville! 

Imagine a woman dressed in a pleated polka dot dress or full navy blue knee length skirt with a crisp white blouse tucked into it. Her tapered heels softly sink into the ground as she lightly holds her golf club, watching her companion as he takes a swing on one of Asheville's stunning courses. The day is cool but sunny, with a gentle spring breeze that doesn't affect their putting. As the ball settles near the hole the two players share a laugh at some joke known only to them. It looks like they will be ready for the PGAs stop in Asheville. Perfect - that's the only word that can describe the moment. While Asheville's Land of the Sky Open is a thing of the past now, with the last game played in 1951, it's beautiful courses are not. 

Not only are Asheville's golf courses a golfer's delight with their challenges and their beautiful settings, many also hold historical significance to fans of the sport. 

If you are a golf aficionado, then you most likely have already heard of Donald Ross. Born in Scotland in 1872, he immigrated to the US in 1899 where he began working at a country club in Massachusetts, eventually being appointed the golf professional at the Pinehurst Resort right here in North Carolina in 1900. While Ross was an excellent player, his real talents lay in golf course design, the secrets of which he brought with him from Scotland. In fact, he completely changed greenkeeping in the South when he changed the putting surface at the Pinehurst Resort from oiled sand to Bermuda grass. 

See four of the best, most beautifully designed courses that Asheville has to offer below: 

 

Built in 1928 by Ross, just a year after the Asheville Municipal Course, this 18 hole course also hosts a practice area with both putting and chipping greens. They hosted the 2004 North Carolina Women's Amateur, the 2005 North Carolina Men's Amateur, and the 2009 North Carolina Senior Men's Amateur. 

Finished in 1927, this golf course is one of the oldest in North Carolina. A beautiful course nestled in Asheville's beautiful Blue Ridge hills, it was designed by Ross to be a par 72 course. 

Tree lined and framed by the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains, this championship golf course has been played by several notable people, including President Obama. The course was renovated in 2001, keeping the feel of the original Donald Ross course. In 2011 the Grove Park Inn Golf Course was named among the top 20 Southern courses.

 

While not one of Donald Ross's fabulous courses, Broadmoor Golf Links was created by another notable course designer, Karl Litten. It was created to be enjoyed by any level of golfer and to be played in 4 hours. Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, of course, this course has diverse scenery as it is also a part of the French Broad River Valley.

When you come to Asheville, we hope you stay long enough to enjoy a round (or two, or three) of golf in the mountains on our stunning courses!