Community
No ratings yet
Sign up and review 3 courses to unlock your For You Score.
Few mountain golf experiences in the Appalachians carry quite the reputation of Elk River Club. Jack Nicklaus designed this private course in the early 1980s, carving 18 holes through a high-elevation valley in Avery County where the Elk River runs alongside several holes. It's a design that works with the mountain terrain rather than against it — elevation changes are dramatic, sightlines are long, and the surrounding ridgelines of the Blue Ridge feel ever-present. The course has earned consistent recognition among North Carolina's finest private layouts, and membership here has long been tied to the broader Elk River residential community.
Banner Elk sits at roughly 3,700 feet, which means the air is thinner, the ball flies farther, and summer afternoons feel nothing like the Carolina lowlands. The town is close to Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain ski resorts, giving the area a distinct four-season resort identity unusual even by mountain standards.
This is not a course that telegraphs itself easily. Nicklaus built in enough strategic demand — precise tee shots, tricky approaches into elevated or angled greens — that Elk River rewards return visits and punishes the inattentive, which is exactly what a serious private club should do.
| Tee | Yards | Rating | Slope | Par |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Tees · men | 6,778 | 73.4 | 143 | 72 |
| Gold/Blue Hybrid · men | 6,520 | 72.2 | 139 | 72 |
| Blue Tees · men | 6,227 | 71 | 134 | 72 |
| Nicklaus Tees · men | 5,896 | 69.5 | 129 | 72 |
| White Tees · men | 5,453 | 67.3 | 124 | 72 |
| White Tees · women | 5,453 | 72.6 | 135 | 72 |
| Red Tees · men | 4,972 | 65 | 119 | 72 |
| Red Tees · women | 4,972 | 69.6 | 131 | 72 |
| Bear Tees · women | 4,460 | 66.9 | 124 | 72 |
No scores yet
Be the first to log a round here.
