B I like the massive greens that roll true and
fast and in some cases boast wild, but eminently
fair, undulations. The par 4s are both long and
short, the tee shots call for draws and fades, and
the coolness of this mountaintop refresh on a day
when the temperatures at sea level are climbing
into the 90s. So do the breezes that always seem
to blow.
Steel made great use of the rugged ravines
that run through this land and give visual excitement to so many of the shots. And nowhere is that
clearer on the front side than on the par- 3 eighth,
which requires a long iron (or better yet, a hybrid)
over a gaping chasm to reach the green in regulation. Coming up to the green on the ninth hole, I
I look over at the observatory
that abuts the lodge, thinking
of the views of the planet
Saturn I took in from that silo-like structure the night before.
admire the lodge where I have been staying, made
of stone and cedar with vaulted ceilings and ex-
posed beams. Then I look over at the observatory
that abuts the lodge, thinking of the views of the
planet Saturn I took in from that silo-like struc-
ture the night before, courtesy of its Celestron
CGE Pro 1400 telescope.
www.globalgolfpost.com
JULY 2, 2012
layer of topsoil that turned out to be good for
growing grass and good for drainage. I felt that
the terrain combined with the views and the set-
ting gave me the opportunity to make something
quite memorable.”
The front nine is memorable, and so is the
back, with more approach shots over ravines to
expansive greens and more drives off of teeing
areas that are as scenic as they are strategic. And
the finishing hole is a stunner, a long par 4 that
doglegs slightly to the right and gives golfers yet
one more look across the Dan River gorge and
those blue-tinged Blue Ridge Mountains beyond.
After 18 holes, the views still have my attention. l
