Best golf courses near Asheville, NC

Situated in the dense forested mountains outside of Asheville is the timeless 1922 Donald Ross-designed golf course at Biltmore Forest Country Club. The course is known for its exceptional yet difficult conditions, highlighted by undulating and tree-lined zoysia fairways with extensive bunkering and ticklish bentgrass greens. In recent years, architect Brian Silva has undertaken major renovations aimed at returning the Ross’ original bunkering and characteristics. This is evident at the challenging par-4 10th and 12th that now require pinpoint accuracy if one hopes to avoid the penal cross-bunkers dotted throughout the fairways.

Donald Ross' design at Grove Park leverages the rolling terrain very well with holes that traverse up the mountain and many that go down. The rough and the undulating greens provide some difficulty even though the course measures only 6,700 yards from the back tees (par 70). The backdrop of the N.C. mountains and the historic Grove Park Inn are beautiful and provide for a lovely environment with which to play.

The Cliffs at Walnut Cove is a Jack Nicklaus design in a valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Pisgah National Forest. The course sits over 2,000 feet above elevation with wider playing corridors to be playable for all levels of players, but a number of bunkers that challenge the better players within landing zones. The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, which opened in 2005, will get its first taste of the limelight with a new event on the PGA Tour in 2026 as the kick off event of the fall.