Golf With Altitude

Golf The Great Smoky Mountains

The Great Smoky Mountains run much of the length of North Carolina's border with Tennessee. The range is home to the nation's most visited national park. It contains one of the densest collection of black bears in the continental United States. It is also the geographic centerpiece of a grand collection of mountainous golfing opportunities spread across Western North Carolina from Murphy to Asheville to Mount Mitchell. 

The Great Smoky Mountains Golf Association (GSMGA) features a diverse compilation of 16 golf courses that will tempt you with a combination of breathtaking vistas, temperate climates and challenging layouts. These are the gathering of courses to consider if plunging mountain streams, thickets of rhododendron and mature hardwood forests tend to enhance your overall golfing experience. 

One of the Great Smoky Mountain Golf Association's most renowned golf courses can be found at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa in Asheville. It is one of North Carolina's rare layouts that can boast a 19th century pedigree. The course originally opened for play in 1899 and was redesigned by renowned Pinehurst No. 2 architect Donald Ross in 1924. It is consistently ranked among the state's best courses open for public play. Its location surrounding the luxurious and historic Grove Park Inn adds to its charm. 

Another of the Great Smoky Mountains Golf Association luminaries is the Mount Mitchell Golf Club in nearby Burnsville. It is arguably one of the most picturesque golf courses in this geologically uplifted region of North Carolina. Golf Digest has rated the layout with 4 1/2 stars (out of 5) and among its "Best Places to Play." Sitting at an elevation of 3,000 feet, it is the perfect course for those seeking to play golf with a respite from the summer heat and, as the year moves on, to soak in the flaming colors of the changing fall foliage. Nearby Mount Mitchell is the highest point east of the Mississippi River at 6,684 feet. It towers over the region and provides a photogenic setting for an exceptional golf experience. 

The GSMGA's Sapphire National Golf Club course near Cashiers underwent a $2.8 million transformation in 2008. No. 2, a 218-yard par-3, presents one of the most intimidating and challenging tee shots a golfer will ever face. 

These three courses represent just the tip of the iceberg of available GSMGA's courses that are easily accessible via short drives from Interstate 40 and Interstate 26 in this part of the state. 

Cherokee Hills Golf & Country Club in Murphy represents the westernmost course in the GSMGA's North Carolina portfolio. Sequoyah National Golf Club in Cherokee abuts the wildly popular Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

Etowah Valley Country Club & Golf Lodge in Hendersonville has long been a popular destination for its combination of great golf and affordable packages. Within short drives of Etowah are Glen Cannon Country Club in Brevard, Highland Lake Golf Club in Flat Rock and Broadmoor Golf Links in Fletcher. 

Additional clubs in the GSMGA family include Springdale Country Club in Canton, Grassy Creek Golf & Country Club in Spruce Pine, Reems Creek Golf Course in Weaverville, Marion Lake Golf Club in Nebo, Meadowbrook Golf Course in Rutherfordton, Red Fox Country Club in Tryon and Black Mountain Golf Club in Black Mountain. 

Visit the Great Smoky Mountains Golf Association website for more details on all of its courses.

By Patrick Jones

added: December 22, 2010

updated: January 3, 2011