TL;DR: Burlingame Country Club, located in Sapphire Valley minutes from Cashiers, NC, offers full golf, social, and junior membership tiers with access to a championship 18-hole mountain course, USCA regulation croquet lawns, four Har-Tru tennis courts, four pickleball courts, a full spa and wellness center, and six dining venues. To apply or ask questions, contact Membership Director Jennifer Webb at 828.966.9200.
What are the best golf courses to play in Cashiers, NC, and what membership options are available?
Burlingame Country Club in Sapphire Valley is widely regarded as one of the finest golf experiences near Cashiers, NC, offering an 18-hole championship mountain course designed by Tom Jackson with elevations ranging from 3,000 to 3,500 feet. The course works with the natural terrain rather than against it, weaving through old-growth forests, past waterfalls, along rivers, and across mountain ridges that frame every hole with views you will want to stop and take in.
What separates Burlingame from other courses in the region is not only the setting but the way the course rewards thoughtful play. Elevation changes require careful club selection. The terrain asks you to read each hole like a story rather than simply overpower it with distance. For families who want a course that challenges beginners and satisfies low-handicap players alike, this is a rare combination in the Western North Carolina highlands.
The complete guide to Cashiers golf walks through what makes mountain course play unique and how Burlingame fits into the broader landscape of courses available in the region. Members benefit from professional instruction, a fully stocked pro shop, and practice facilities dedicated to driving, chipping, and putting so you can work on exactly what your game needs between rounds.
If you are exploring luxury golf memberships in Western North Carolina, Burlingame offers full golf membership as its most comprehensive tier, along with social and junior membership options for those whose needs are different. Each tier is described in detail in the section below.
What membership categories does Burlingame Country Club offer?
Burlingame Country Club offers three primary membership categories: full golf membership, social membership, and junior membership, each providing a different level of access to the club’s amenities while preserving the warmth and community that define daily life here.
The full membership guide outlines every tier in plain language so you can match your lifestyle to the right option before you ever pick up the phone. Below is a side-by-side look at how the two most popular tiers compare.
| Amenity or Benefit | Full Golf Membership | Social Membership |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited 18-hole championship golf | Yes | No (guest play available) |
| Priority tee times and tournaments | Yes | No |
| Pro shop and professional instruction | Yes | No |
| Four Har-Tru tennis courts | Yes | Yes |
| Four pickleball courts | Yes | Yes |
| Regulation USCA croquet lawn | Yes | Yes |
| Rejuvenate Spa and Wellness Center | Yes | Yes |
| Pool complex | Yes | Yes |
| All six dining venues | Yes | Yes |
| Hiking trails and Horsepasture River fishing | Yes | Yes |
| Dog park | Yes | Yes |
| Club events, wine society, social activities | Yes | Yes |
| Age-adjusted pricing available | Yes (junior tier, under 40) | Yes (junior tier, under 40) |
Full Golf Membership
Full golf membership provides complete access to everything Burlingame offers. You play unlimited rounds on the championship course, hold priority tee times, and participate in all member tournaments and events throughout the season. You also receive full access to the spa, all lawn sports courts, the pool complex, hiking trails, and every dining venue inside the renovated clubhouse.
For families who want to anchor an entire mountain lifestyle around Burlingame, this membership tier makes the club your home away from home in the truest sense. Learn more about the golf club membership benefits that come with this tier.
Social Membership
Social membership focuses on the lifestyle and community aspects of Burlingame without golf privileges. You have full access to tennis, pickleball, croquet, the fitness center, spa services, the pool complex, and all six dining venues. Club events, wine society gatherings, and social activities are open to you without restriction.
Many social members appreciate having the option to play golf occasionally as guests of full members, letting them enjoy the course without the full commitment. The hiking trails, Horsepasture River fishing access, and dog park round out an outdoor life that has nothing to do with a scorecard.
Junior Membership
For members under age 40, Burlingame offers junior membership options with age-appropriate pricing while preserving the same access as standard membership tiers. Young families are especially drawn to the child-friendly amenities, from the pool complex to organized youth activities during peak seasons. Junior memberships are designed to grow with your family and build lasting ties to the Burlingame community across generations.
Corporate and Group Options
Businesses seeking client entertainment or employee benefit options can explore corporate membership structures that allow multiple users under a single membership. Contact Jennifer Webb, Membership Director, at 828.966.9200 to discuss arrangements that fit your company’s needs. You can also review the membership overview page for additional context before you call.
What are the requirements and offerings for croquet at Burlingame, including USCA-certified lawns and private lessons?
Burlingame Country Club maintains a regulation USCA croquet lawn that supports both six-wicket sequential play and the faster-paced golf croquet variation, making it one of the most complete croquet facilities available to private club members in Western North Carolina.
The United States Croquet Association sets the standards for regulation lawn dimensions and surface conditions that serious players expect. Burlingame’s lawn meets those standards, which means the experience you get here is the same one used in sanctioned competitive play. Whether you are new to the game or already play at a competitive level, the surface holds up to both.
Tom Tyler, the club’s Lawn Sports Professional, oversees the croquet program alongside tennis and pickleball. He brings experience across all three disciplines and designs programs that welcome first-timers while giving advancing players real challenges to work toward. Private lessons are available through the lawn sports program for members who want focused, one-on-one instruction.
What surprises many newcomers is how much strategic depth competitive croquet holds. The mental chess match that unfolds on a regulation lawn draws members who appreciate precision and patience as much as they appreciate any other element of the game. It also happens to be one of the most naturally social activities at the club, the kind of afternoon that stretches into evening without anyone noticing.
Croquet access is included for both full golf members and social members, so you do not need a golf membership to enjoy the lawn. Visit the croquet page for current program schedules and lesson availability.
What are the best spa and wellness programs available for members in Cashiers, NC?
The Rejuvenate Spa and Wellness Center at Burlingame Country Club is the most comprehensive member-access spa and fitness facility available in the Cashiers and Sapphire Valley area, offering therapeutic massage, yoga classes, state-of-the-art fitness equipment, free weights, and a pool complex within a mountain setting.
This is not a spa you visit once and forget. It is the kind of place that becomes part of your weekly rhythm. The Rejuvenate Spa and Wellness Center is built around a comprehensive approach to health that fits naturally into mountain living. Morning yoga with a ridge view. A massage after nine holes. A quiet hour in the fitness center before the rest of the family wakes up.
Service providers within the wellness center offer therapeutic massage and other spa services that members use consistently throughout the season. The fitness space includes both dedicated equipment areas and open space for group fitness classes, so your preferences on any given day can guide which direction you go.
The pool complex extends the wellness experience outdoors, giving families a gathering place and giving individuals a low-impact option for active recovery. For retirees and empty nesters who have made Burlingame their primary mountain retreat, the wellness center often becomes the daily anchor around which everything else is planned.
Spa and wellness access is included in both full golf and social memberships, so every member at Burlingame carries this benefit from their first day.
What dining experiences come with a Burlingame membership?
Every Burlingame membership includes full access to six distinct indoor and outdoor dining venues inside the renovated clubhouse, ranging from a casual barista station with grab-and-go options to panoramic mountain-view dinners prepared by a Culinary Institute of America-trained executive chef.
The clubhouse dining guide walks through each venue in detail. Here is a quick picture of what you will find:
- Main dining room: Elevated mountain cuisine at lunch and dinner with panoramic mountain views and seasonal menus that draw on local and organic purveyors.
- Elevation 3042: Named for the club’s elevation, this venue serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a barista station and grab-and-go options for members moving between activities.
- Overlook Lounge: Casual atmosphere with panoramic views of the mountain and golf course, a natural gathering spot for local craft beer and easy conversation after a round.
- Outdoor dining deck: One of the most popular venues for post-round meals and Friday evening gatherings when the mountain air is at its finest.
- Presidents’ Room: An intimate private dining space for 8 to 14 guests, suited for special occasions, family celebrations, or business meetings that deserve a beautiful setting.
Executive Chef Gerry Fong brings Culinary Institute of America training and broad experience to Burlingame’s kitchen. His menus draw on cultural inspirations while staying grounded in seasonal ingredients and organic selections sourced from local purveyors. The wine cellar is stocked with carefully chosen bottles selected to pair with his creations.
Wednesday buffets have become a multi-generational tradition at the club, the kind of weekly gathering where grandparents, parents, and grandchildren all end up at the same table without anyone having to plan it. That easy, layered togetherness is what Burlingame dining is really about.
What lawn sports programs are available to Burlingame members?
Burlingame members have access to four Har-Tru tennis courts, four pickleball courts, and a regulation USCA croquet lawn, all overseen by Lawn Sports Professional Tom Tyler who offers instruction, clinics, and organized play for all skill levels.
The tennis program runs throughout the season with regular lessons, clinics, and interclub matches. The Har-Tru surface is gentle on joints and holds up beautifully through the mountain seasons, making it a favorite for members who have played for decades and for younger players just finding their game.
The pickleball program has grown rapidly since the four courts opened in 2026. Members across age groups have embraced the sport, and regular play sessions, instruction, and tournaments keep the courts active from morning through late afternoon. It has become one of the most natural ways for multi-generational families to play together on the same day at the same skill level.
Croquet, as described above, rounds out a lawn sports offering that is genuinely rare for a mountain retreat community. All three sports are accessible to both full golf and social members.
How do you apply for membership at Burlingame Country Club?
Applying for membership at Burlingame Country Club begins with a conversation, and the right person to start that conversation with is Jennifer Webb, the Membership Director, who can walk you through tier options, current availability, and the application steps that fit your family’s situation.
The club currently serves over 600 members, and the community atmosphere that makes Burlingame distinctive is something you will want to experience firsthand before committing. Most prospective members find that a visit, a round of golf, or a meal at the clubhouse answers questions that no brochure can.
The Burlingame membership guide gives you a thorough overview of all tiers and what each includes. The membership overview page covers the formal steps of the application process. And the contact page connects you directly when you are ready to move forward.
Corporate and group arrangements are also available. Contact Jennifer Webb at 828.966.9200 to discuss options that go beyond a standard individual or family membership.
Quick Recap
- Burlingame Country Club sits in Sapphire Valley, minutes from Cashiers, NC, at elevations between 3,000 and 3,500 feet.
- The 18-hole championship course was designed by Tom Jackson to work with the natural mountain terrain, not against it.
- Three membership tiers are available: full golf, social, and junior (under age 40), plus corporate options.
- Full golf membership includes unlimited golf, priority tee times, tournaments, and access to all amenities.
- Social membership includes all amenities except golf privileges, with occasional guest play available.
- The USCA regulation croquet lawn supports six-wicket and golf croquet, with private lessons available through Lawn Sports Professional Tom Tyler.
- The Rejuvenate Spa and Wellness Center offers therapeutic massage, yoga, fitness equipment, and a pool complex.
- Six dining venues serve every occasion from a quick breakfast to a private dinner for 14 guests.
- Wednesday buffets have become a beloved multi-generational gathering tradition at the club.
- The club serves over 600 members and places community connection at the center of its identity.
- To apply or ask questions, contact Jennifer Webb, Membership Director, at 828.966.9200 or use the contact form at burlingameccwnc.com/contact-us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Burlingame Country Club open year-round?
Burlingame Country Club operates seasonally in the Western North Carolina mountains. Contact Jennifer Webb at 828.966.9200 for current season dates and member access schedules.
Can social members play golf at Burlingame?
Social members do not receive golf privileges as part of their membership tier, but they can play the championship course as guests of full golf members. The social vs. full golf membership comparison explains this distinction in detail.
What makes Burlingame’s croquet program different from casual backyard croquet?
Burlingame maintains a regulation USCA croquet lawn that meets the standards used in sanctioned competitive play. The club supports both six-wicket sequential croquet and golf croquet, and private lessons are available through the lawn sports program for members at any skill level.
Are children and grandchildren covered under a family membership?
Burlingame’s membership structure is designed with multi-generational families in mind. Contact Jennifer Webb at 828.966.9200 to confirm exactly how dependents are covered under the membership tier you are considering.
What wellness services does the Rejuvenate Spa offer?
The Rejuvenate Spa and Wellness Center offers therapeutic massage, yoga classes, state-of-the-art fitness equipment, free weights, group fitness classes, and a pool complex. Spa services are included in both full golf and social memberships.
How do I compare the full golf and social membership tiers before applying?
The social membership vs. full golf membership page lays out a direct comparison of both tiers. You can also request a personalized conversation with Membership Director Jennifer Webb at 828.966.9200.
Is there a junior or young professional membership option?
Yes. Burlingame offers junior membership tiers for members under age 40, providing the same amenity access as standard tiers with age-appropriate pricing. These memberships are designed to encourage young families and professionals to build lasting roots in the Burlingame community.
Ready to See If Burlingame Feels Like Home?
The best way to understand what life as a Burlingame member feels like is to come and experience it. Walk the fairways at 3,500 feet. Sit on the outdoor deck as the mountain light changes. Watch your grandchildren discover the pool while you settle into a chair with something cold and a view that goes on forever.
When you are ready to take the next step, please contact Jennifer Webb, Membership Director, for more information. Please use the form below or call 828.966.9200. You can also visit the contact page to reach her directly, or start with the full membership guide if you want to explore options at your own pace first.