Elk River Club: Luxury Golf Course in North Carolina

There is nothing quite like when spring finally arrives in Banner Elk, North Carolina. The skies are a crystalline blue, birdsong fills the air, and a cool breeze gently kisses your cheeks every few moments. The North Carolina High Country offers a seemingly endless bounty of outdoor activities for residents and tourists alike to enjoy in the spring and summer. Whether you’re looking for a challenging hike with long range mountain views, craving some good ol fashioned southern hospitality with neighbors, or looking to take a few strokes off your golf game, there’s no better community to find each of these than in Elk River. In this post, we spotlight what one can expect when playing a round at our famed Jack Nicklaus luxury golf course. Let’s tee it high and let it fly!

The golf club at Elk River has the honor of being the first golf course designed by the great Jack Nicklaus in North Carolina. As with all things Elk River, the experience at the Elk River Club stands head and shoulders above the rest. Throughout the course, players are treated to more long range mountain views with altitude ranges from 3,450ft to 4,650 ft. Since opening in 1984, The Elk River Club has been included annually as one of North Carolina’s Top 10 Golf Courses. As one would expect, the golf course is perfectly maintained down to the most minute of details. There are 35 acres of fairways, 19 greens, 75 tees, 51 bunkers, and more throughout this exquisite course. The course is challenging but members return day after day to tackle the challenge of this pristine treasure nestled away in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Truly experience all that nature has to offer during a round at The Elk River Club. The serene sounds of the Blue Ridge Mountains that surround the course make for an idyllic soundtrack. While making that birdie putt should take up the majority of your focus, don’t forget to enjoy the views seen throughout; shimmering lakes brimming with fish, tree-lined fairways, and all the natural beauty the North Carolina mountains has to offer. Jack Nicklaus seemingly created two different experiences for players on the front and back nine. On the front nine, players can expect an open feel, with tall grasses surrounding the holes, almost a links style course. Whereas the back nine presents players with a much more traditional, tree-lined mountain golf course; greens are cut into mountainsides, downhill tee shots, and small streams come into play. One magazine has stated that playing golf at Elk River club is “easily one of the best mountain courses in the Southeast.”

A luxury golf course is not complete with a first class pro shop on the premises, and the pro shop at Elk River Club is one of the best around. Known as “The Bear’s Den,” the pro shop is part of the practice range, where players will find two dedicated hitting bays equipped with the most advanced Trackman® measurement and training equipment on the market. Our Director of Golf, Davis Ambrose, is a Class A PGA member, and he and his team provide a full season of club-sponsored major and social tournaments for men, women, juniors, and couples. Regardless of skill, players can access world-class instruction and equipment at The Bear’s Den year round.

Elk River Club is a private mountain golf community in Western North Carolina, home to the first signature Jack Nicklaus golf course in the state. Residents and their guests enjoy long range mountain views of Beech, Sugar, and Grandfather Mountains. Amenities at Elk River Club include an Equestrian Center, a private airport, Har-Tru tennis courts, a pool complex, spa services, Clubhouse, fishing, private events, and much more. If you are interested in learning more about golfing at Elk River Club or considering moving to Banner Elk North Carolina, contact our team of expert real estate agents today!