The mountains around Asheville with their scenic beauty and pleasant climate ì year-round provide a magnificent setting for a game of golf at one of the ì area's many public and private golf courses and country clubs. But the primary ì attractions to mountain golf are lush fairways, sprawling bent grass greens, ì cool breezes and a gently undulating terrain.

The Asheville region boasts over twenty championship golf courses that offer ì challenging mountain golf packaged with lodging and dining. In addition, there ì are over forty resort, municipal and daily-play courses offering the same ì challenge of the mountain terrain.

Four distinct seasons of play are a highlight of mountain golf. Spring play is ì popular from late March through May with cool temperatures and the bright ì colors of spring flowers. Summer offers cooler mountain temperatures than the ì rest of the humid southern summer, while autumn provides a spectacular display ì of leaves on the mountain slopes amid warm, sunny days. Winters are the ì greatest surprise since snows rarely cover the courses for more than a few ì days and the winter sun often brings daytime temperatures into the 40s and ì 50s.

The lure of the mountains offered a unique design challenge to the dean of ì American golf course designers, Donald Ross. He designed several courses in ì Western North Carolina, including the newly renovated course at The Grove Park ì Inn Resort & Spa course. Continuing the tradition, Great Smokies Holiday Inn ì SunSpree Resort also maintains its own 18-hole championship course.