Biltmore Forest Country Club

For a post of Biltmore Forest Country Club photos, click here.

           The history between Scotland and North Carolina, USA is undeniable. Not only was North Carolina the immigration destination for many Scots, but it also attracted one of the best-known Scottish golf architects, Donald Ross. He was born in Dornoch, Scotland before eventually moving to St Andrews to serve as an apprentice to Old Tom Morris. After completing his apprenticeship, Ross moved to the US where he eventually became the professional at Pinehurst Golf Resort in North Carolina. From this point on, his career as a golf course designer began to bloom. Although his work can be seen at great courses all over the east coast, North Carolina has some of Ross’s greatest gems.

            My hometown is Asheville, North Carolina and it is one of the few places I would love living other than my current residence, St Andrews, Scotland. After recently reading an article in the Scotsman Magazine on travelling in North Carolina, I became inspired to write a blog post on my NC home club, Biltmore Forest Country Club. The course, built in 1922, is a Donald Ross design and was a product of the massive Vanderbilt family fortune.

            Biltmore Forest Country Club (BFCC) is a private club located in South Asheville. It is consistently ranked among the top 10 courses in NC, falling behind the likes of Pinehurst #2 and Wade Hampton. The course highlights many of Ross’s best-known course design attributes: his use of the land, “naturalness” of the design, and the major role of the courses greens. As the course at BFCC currently stands, it has differed relatively little from Ross’s original design. An extended and raised “championship” tee box on the second hole along with new bunkering on the 11^th and 12^th holes are some of the biggest changes the course has seen.

            Typical of Ross, it is a short course measuring about 6,650 yards with a par of 70 from the tips. It has not been stretched and lengthened like many newer course designs. This means that big hitters can overpower areas of the layout, but unbelievably quick and sloping greens protect the course from being dominated.

1st hole standing at 150 yards out

            The second hole at BFCC is considered by many to be the strongest hole on the course. Ben Hogan is quoted saying, “The second hole at Biltmore Forest Country Club is the strongest hole on the PGA Tour.” This was said at a time when BFCC hosted the Land of the Sky Open, a PGA Tour Event. The course no longer hosts PGA Tour events. It is a 450-yard, dogleg right par 4 with a creek running up the right side of the hole. From the new tee box, cutting of the corner is nearly impossible and a strong tee shot still leaves the player with an uphill, 200-160 yard approach. The greens slopes very severely back to front and anything above the hole is almost certain to be putted off the front of the green.

            The seventh is the only par 5 on the course. If played correctly it can produce an easy birdie. That being said, an awkward length, downhill lie third shot can create a difficult shot into a quick green which slopes front to back.

8th hole standing from 145 yards out

            The final stretch of holes from fifteen onward is very strong. A good score can easily slip away coming back up towards the impressive clubhouse. During one of my final rounds in North Carolina this summer, I witnessed club member Mark Hedberg shatter the course record by shooting 61. He achieved the incredible score by birdying both the 16^th and 17^th, which is something very rarely seen.

            As stated earlier, the protectors of Biltmore Forest Country Club are the blazingly fast, incredibly conditioned bentgrass greens. During season, namely during the Sweetser Memorial Tournament, they are the best greens in Western North Carolina. During the season, the greens can roll anywhere between 10.5 and 13 on the Stimpmeter with barely any imperfections. Depending on pin positions and the speed of the greens, the course can be made incredibly difficult.

            Having said all of the previous positive aspects, BFCC does have weaknesses. The bermuda grass fairways leave lots to be desired. They are patchy in areas and are only in good condition during the peak of summer. The fairways need to be re-done and the club membership cannot agree on a course of action. Another weakness is the two par 3s (holes three and nine) on the front side. Both are around 155 yards, and require similar shots and the same club selection.

            Biltmore Forest Country Club is not going to be hosting any PGA tour events any time in the near future, but it has played host to the 1999 US Women’s Amateur and will be hosting the 2013 US Women’s Mid-Amateur.

            The Club facilities have anything a golfer would want. A new wing added to the clubhouse in the early 2000’s introduced a new bar, dining room, outdoor veranda, and fitness facility among other things.

View of the clubhouse from the front -
http://www.usga.org/news/2010/November/2013-Women-s-Mid-Am-To-Biltmore-Forest/

            One of Biltmore’s greatest characters is Sheila Fender, the Pro Shop Manager. Sheila has been working at the club for over 30 years and has contacts at nearly every golf club across the country and even the world. She has friends including members at Augusta National and Cypress Point to small exclusive hidden private clubs dotting the US. I have known Sheila since birth and owe her for many of my great golf experiences. Shelia’s golfing power in combination with club pro Jon Rector’s golfing influence make an extremely powerful duo to help members.

            If ever given the opportunity to play Biltmore Forest Country Club, do not turn it down. It is an example of an old traditional Southern country club and truly is one of Donald Ross’s hidden North Carolina gems.

Champion Hills

            Have you ever had a small sampler of an amazing piece of food, but it just wasn’t quite enough and you weren’t able to get more? Two years ago, I walked the back 9 at Champion Hills in Hendersonville, NC. I was watching friends play during a junior tournament. It served as a little teaser, which made me long to see the whole course and play it for myself. In the following two years, a few chances came and went to play the Tom Fazio design, but I never pulled the trigger on driving down. When another chance was offered up, I didn’t hesitate in saying yes. In addition, fall in Western North Carolina is hard to beat. A nice breeze accompanied by upper 70’s temperatures and sunshine can be had nearly every day. My round was no exception to this weather. With time running out before heading back to St Andrews and the weather being perfect, I made the drive, and don’t regret it for one minute.

            I met the club professional from Champion Hills while he was in Scotland leading a golf trip of talented juniors around the British Isles. I was able to join him for a round at Elie Golf Club and a friendship began. He encouraged me to come down to Champion Hills and play during the summer when the course would be in prime shape. I realized that he had done me a favor when I was told my tee time was on the day of their Men’s Club Championship. The course was in prime shape with manicured fairways and greens running fast and true.

            Champion Hills was ranked #5 in North Carolina in Golf Digest’s Best Courses list. It was beaten out by the likes of Wade Hampton and Pinehurst #2. This ranking alone speaks to the strength of the course.

Stunning first hole

            The first hole at Champion Hills sets the tone for the round: Gorgeous, picturesque holes with elevated tee boxes and lush fairways cut into the valleys below. There are fourteen of these downhill holes on the course. Fazio makes use of the contour of the land in his design (as seen in the par 5 third hole pictured below). There were at least six holes on the front nine, which could have served as the course’s signature hole. The surrounding mountains provide an impressive backdrop for nearly every tee shot.

            The ninth hole at Champion Hills is a roughly 185-yard par 3 with a massive elevation drop from tee to green. Having never played the course, judging clubs and distance changes was challenging, but the local knowledge feature added to the experience.

View from the 9th tee box

View of the 9th showing the impressive elevation change

            Fazio has been quoted saying, “It looks hard but plays easy.” With five sets of tees at the course, it can play as easy or difficult as the golfer chooses. I played the course from the tips, with the final day Club Champs pine placements, and it provided me with plenty of challenge. This quote from Fazio speaks to the entire philosophy of the club along with the cross-section of people who would be living at or playing Champion Hills on a consistent basis. The Champion Hills clientele is made up mainly of early 60’s retirees.

            The clubhouse at Champion Hills is very impressive. There is a healthy balance between monstrous clubhouses and a small shanty with a pro shop. This clubhouse tastefully meets that balance. A large bar area included a large buffet style lunch during my visit. There is also a “formal” dining room along with everything else that would be expected in a high level golf club. The locker room was spacious and I imagine would have scored a respectably high PowerShower rating. To top off the clubhouse experience, large windows provide a panoramic view of the gorgeous North Carolina mountains.

Par 3 11th hole

            I owe the professional at Champion Hills for his hospitality and generosity during my visit to the course. The Fazio designed course is very strong and the overall experience of Champion Hills leaves very little to be desired. It isn’t the first club I would try to join in Western North Carolina at this point in my life, but I’ll never turn down another opportunity to play the course.