Biltmore Forest

Biltmore Forest Country Club is yet another example of great Donald Ross golf residing in North Carolina, although this route rests in the more mountainous western region of the state, near Asheville. Those familiar with the town will recognize the club’s name for its similarity to the Biltmore Estate, a nearby tourist attraction and perhaps the most grandiose residence in the United States. Indeed, the Biltmore family was also involved with the founding of the club, and the sublime conditioning at the course evokes the town’s Gilded Age history.

Those conditions are due in part to a series of renovation projects conducted over the years by Brian Silva, but there is little doubt that Ross provided the Biltmores and friends a course that both looks, and plays, well.

Nos. 10 and 12 are perhaps the most photographed of the group, thanks to their plentitude of bunkers. The former requires a pinpoint approach (and a tee shot to set up that angle), as anything left or right will be buried in a graveyard-plot bunker. Two holes later, players must negotiate 10 sand hazards across just 315 yards in order to get home with a birdie (or even par). If the sand wasn’t enough, the rolling hills of the region will impress both your eye and your appreciation for Golden Age challenge.