Mimosa Hills

Fans of classic Donald Ross will be bubbly after a round at Mimosa Hills at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina. This is a classic course, extended only a little since Ross’s day to a manageable max of 6,750 yards, and remains walkable despite its location in a hilly region.

A 2003 Kris Spence renovation helped to restore the master’s classic design touches, such as cross bunkers. No. 14, a very reachable par five at 495 yards from the tips, has the most prominent examples of the design strategy, but No. 9, a par three, has a more peculiar one. Although the two large bunkers in the “fairway” of this 190-yard short hole will certainly serve to punish those who top their ball, they also provide a distraction for the better player and can make judging distance to the green difficult.

Speaking of greens, the ones at Mimosa are much smaller than at many Ross courses, apparently based on Ross’s own schematics. Although the majority of holes will accept a run up, they will just as easily throw a ball right back off the putting surface if its speed and distance is not measured, exemplifying Ross’s noted tendency toward crowned greens.