Three Things to Know About Western North Carolina’s Thriving 3,000-Acre Resort Community
When it comes to golf destinations in the Carolinas, Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head Island and Pinehurst are known as the big three, with Charleston sliding in as distant fourth.
But when it comes to golf course living, the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina have few if any rivals in either state. The region is vast – spanning more than 170 miles east-to-west – and diverse, ranging from basins at 1,000 feet above sea level to towering mountains over 6,000 feet.
Legendary golf course architect Donald Ross was enamored with the dramatic terrain in the western half of the Old North State, designing numerous courses in the 20s and 30s including famed Linville Golf Club and the Omni Grove Park Inn Golf Course.
His protégé Ellis Maples followed suit, crafting several highly regarded mountain tracks such as Grandfather Golf and Country Club and Boone Golf Club. And his son, Dan, made his mark in the mountains with the Apple Valley course at Rumbling Bald on Lake Lure.
Rumbling Bald sits along the northern shore of Lake Lure, centrally located in the Eastern foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Asheville is just an hour west, and all the major metropolitan offerings of Charlotte are less than two hours east.
And while it has served guests from around the world for decades, Rumbling Bald is more than resort; it’s a thriving, 3,000-acre mountain golf community blessed with a comfortable climate year-round, stunning mountain views and full of friendly faces and kindred souls.
Here are three things to know before planning your visit to Rumbling Bald.
1. It’s Really a Resort Community
For years, there’s been a “rite of passage” at Rumbling Bald Resort: a weekend getaway one year becomes a week-long visit the next; a week turns into a month the following year; and month turns into a lifetime after that.
After all, Rumbling Bald is a highly amenitized “resort community,” and the property’s 36 holes of golf, lakefront amenities and activities, and cozy vacation rental homes attract visitors from points near and far.
For racquet sports enthusiasts, there are both tennis and pickleball courts. And while Rumbling Bald sprawls over 3,000 acres of lush mountain terrain, it is also the perfect base camp for exploring the region’s myriad hiking trails, vineyards and other tourist attractions.
But for many residents, it’s what’s missing that attracts them to Rumbling Bald. No traffic, air pollution or crowded city streets. Long, languid evenings are spent on front porches and backyard decks as the stars emerge from the Western North Carolina night sky.
2. Golf Membership has its Privileges
Rumbling Bald’s two 18-hole layouts, Bald Mountain and Apple Valley, are just minutes apart but decidedly different in their look, feel and playing characteristics.
Designed by W.B. Lewis, a protégé of George Cobb, Bald Mountain is just what the name suggests: a pure mountain course with a beguiling mix of uphill and downhill holes inviting golfers to use every club in the proverbial bag.
Apple Valley, in contrast, is a traditional design that Maples delicately routed through the hills and dales just south of Bald Mountain. Maples estimates that nearly three-fourths of all shots on Apple Valley are either level or downhill, a rarity for a course in these parts.
Rumbling Bald offers value-packed resident and non-resident golf memberships with no initiation fee required. Individual, family and weekday options are available, as is a six-month seasonal membership for residents spending part of the year elsewhere.
Golfers can also add a practice range plan with unlimited use of the facilities and range balls. Golf members receive 20% off in either golf shop and are treated to quarterly “Shopping Sprees” in which they can buy up $750 in merchandise at 10% above cost.
Members also have access to several exclusive events and tournaments, many of which are highly competitive, and others being just flat-out fun.
3. There’s a Home for Every Buyer
Everyone’s timeline for relocation is different. With remote work becoming not only acceptable but mandatory at many companies, and schools rolling out virtual classroom options, people’s timelines for moving have been dramatically altered.
Through Beverly Hanks onsite office at Rumbling Bald, buyers can select among resale homes, condos and townhomes, as well as building lots for custom homes and a limited number of existing new homes. A wide variety of price points are also available to suit almost any budget.
For prospective buyers who want a taste of the Rumbling Bald lifestyle, one- and two-night Discovery Packages are available year-round. The packages include lodging in an Apple Valley studio vacation rental, a scenic lake cruise, and a guided tour of the property.
For more information, simply fill out our contact form or call 828.694.3001.
