Country Club of Sapphire Valley--Cashiers, NC
Sapphire Valley is located in a very high end vacation spot among the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
The course itself is nestled in a valley snug between the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains. What is unique about
the course is this valley location. Most mountain courses I've played are on the top of the mountains and have
views looking out from the mountain peaks. This course however has truly stunning views that are derived from
looking up at the mountain ranges from the bottom of this valley.
Aside from being one of the most beautiful courses I have ever played, Sapphire Valley has some other great
characteristics. One of the most challenging aspects of the course are the extraordinarily small greens that
accompany almost every hole. Not only does this make hitting the green on the approaches difficult, but chipping
onto the greens are also a challenge given that these small greens have a variety of wild undulations.
My favorite hole at Sapphire is the 14th. It is a dogleg right par 5. It requires a solid drive to carry a small creek
in the middle of the fairway. You can elect to hit a fade off the tee, fade your second shot onto the green, or
unleash a booming drive to carry the dogleg portion of the fairway. On your approach you've got a creek in front
of the green to deal with and a few bunkers. The bottom line on this hole is you need to have some length, you
have to be able to work the ball, and you have to be accurate. It is a fun hole that will test your game in many
different ways.
I must admit that I have an insider's angle on this course that many others might not have. A good friend of mine
is a member of the Country Club and he owns a house high up in the Blue Ridge Mountains which overlooks the
course. In fact, below is a picture from his balcony. You can see a few holes of the course which are cut out from
the trees on the mountains.
Sapphire Valley is rated 70.1/126 from the blue tees, measures 6,331 yards and was designed by George Cobb.
Sapphire Valley is located in a very high end vacation spot among the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
The course itself is nestled in a valley snug between the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains. What is unique about
the course is this valley location. Most mountain courses I've played are on the top of the mountains and have
views looking out from the mountain peaks. This course however has truly stunning views that are derived from
looking up at the mountain ranges from the bottom of this valley.
Aside from being one of the most beautiful courses I have ever played, Sapphire Valley has some other great
characteristics. One of the most challenging aspects of the course are the extraordinarily small greens that
accompany almost every hole. Not only does this make hitting the green on the approaches difficult, but chipping
onto the greens are also a challenge given that these small greens have a variety of wild undulations.
My favorite hole at Sapphire is the 14th. It is a dogleg right par 5. It requires a solid drive to carry a small creek
in the middle of the fairway. You can elect to hit a fade off the tee, fade your second shot onto the green, or
unleash a booming drive to carry the dogleg portion of the fairway. On your approach you've got a creek in front
of the green to deal with and a few bunkers. The bottom line on this hole is you need to have some length, you
have to be able to work the ball, and you have to be accurate. It is a fun hole that will test your game in many
different ways.
I must admit that I have an insider's angle on this course that many others might not have. A good friend of mine
is a member of the Country Club and he owns a house high up in the Blue Ridge Mountains which overlooks the
course. In fact, below is a picture from his balcony. You can see a few holes of the course which are cut out from
the trees on the mountains.
Sapphire Valley is rated 70.1/126 from the blue tees, measures 6,331 yards and was designed by George Cobb.
#5 at Sapphire Valley
#14 at Sapphire Valley
