TL;DR: Highlands, NC sits above 4,000 feet in the Blue Ridge Mountains and offers some of the Southeast’s finest mountain golf, including Burlingame Country Club, Highlands Country Club, High Hampton, and Wade Hampton Golf Club. Cool summers, dramatic elevation changes, and stunning scenery make this region a true golf destination. Stay-and-play packages and private memberships are both available in the area.
Why Does Highlands NC Golf Feel So Different From Anywhere Else?
Highlands, NC golf stands apart because courses sit between 3,000 and 4,500 feet in elevation, which changes how the ball flies, how the air feels on your skin, and how every fairway bends into the mountain landscape around it. This is not just another round of golf. It is a round shaped by Blue Ridge terrain that has been drawing travelers since the late 1800s, when people first called this region “America’s Switzerland.”
At this elevation, the thinner air can add 10 to 15 yards to your drives, but your short game needs recalibrating too. What feels like a comfortable 8-iron shot might actually call for a 9-iron or a wedge, depending on how the mountain slope tilts beneath you. Those surprises are part of what makes elevated mountain golf so rewarding to learn.
Temperature is another quiet gift. While courses across the Carolinas and Georgia bake through summer, Highlands holds to highs in the 70s and low 80s. Cool mornings make dawn tee times feel genuinely refreshing. You can play 36 holes in a day and still feel like yourself at dinner. That ease belongs only to the mountains.
The terrain itself writes the character of every course here. Designers do not bulldoze these hills into something flat and obedient. They route holes through steep hillsides, across creek crossings, past natural rock formations, and beneath forests of oak, maple, and rhododendron that have stood for generations. The golf feels like it grew here, rooted in the same soil as the trees. To read more about how this tradition began, visit the history of golf in Highlands, NC.
What Are the Top Golf Clubs to Play Near Highlands, NC, and What Stay-and-Play Options Are Available?
The top golf clubs to play near Highlands, NC include Burlingame Country Club in Sapphire Valley, Highlands Country Club, High Hampton Resort and Golf Course, and Wade Hampton Golf Club in Cashiers, with stay-and-play packages available through resort properties like High Hampton and through private club membership communities like Burlingame. Each offers a distinct experience shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains.
For families and retirees looking to linger longer than a single round, the Highlands area rewards a multi-day stay. Stay-and-play packages near Highlands are designed to let you settle into the rhythm of the mountains, waking each morning to cool air and a tee time that feels earned rather than rushed.
Burlingame Country Club, located just minutes from Highlands in Sapphire Valley, anchors its stay-and-play experience within a full private club setting. After your round, you are steps from six distinct dining venues, a spa and wellness complex, and the kind of evening where the mountain air does the talking. Explore all things Highlands NC golf to plan your itinerary.
High Hampton Resort sits along Cashiers-Highlands Road and offers lodging right on the course property, making it one of the most seamless stay-and-play experiences in the region. Its accessibility for all skill levels makes it especially appealing for multi-generational groups where grandparents, parents, and children all want time on the course together.
Wade Hampton Golf Club in Cashiers, designed by Tom Fazio, is one of the most celebrated private courses in the American Southeast. Access is through membership or a sponsored guest visit, which makes planning ahead essential. Learn more about what sets it apart in our Wade Hampton Golf Club review.
For a broader view of what surrounds this region, the Cashiers golf directory lists options for every style of player and visitor.
What Are the Must-Play Golf Courses Around Highlands, NC, and Where Can You Shop for Premium Golf Gear?
The must-play golf courses around Highlands, NC are Burlingame Country Club, Highlands Country Club, High Hampton, and Wade Hampton Golf Club, and golfers visiting the area can find premium equipment and apparel at local pro shops connected to each club, as well as dedicated golf equipment resources to help you prepare for mountain conditions. The right gear matters more than usual here, because mountain terrain demands adjustments that sea-level players rarely consider.
When you play golf in Highlands, every round introduces you to small revelations: the ball that flies farther than expected, the green that breaks toward the valley, the morning fog lifting off a fairway as the sun finds its angle through the ridge. Having the right clubs and the right mindset for mountain golf changes everything.
The mountain golf equipment guide walks you through what experienced players bring to elevation courses, from club selection adjustments to footwear suited for hilly terrain. Each club pro shop in the Highlands area also carries gear tailored to local conditions, and staff at these shops understand the specific challenges of the courses surrounding them.
For those who want to study the broader mountain golf experience before their trip, the complete mountain golf guide is a useful companion. It covers everything from how elevation affects ball flight to how to read greens that tilt with the natural contours of the mountain beneath them.
What Are the Best Golf Courses to Play in Cashiers, NC, and What Are Typical Membership Options?
The best golf courses to play in Cashiers, NC are Wade Hampton Golf Club and Burlingame Country Club in nearby Sapphire Valley, and membership options in the area range from full private club memberships with access to dining, wellness, and social amenities to more focused golf-only arrangements depending on the club. Cashiers sits in the same elevated valley corridor as Highlands, sharing the same cool summers and mountain grandeur.
Wade Hampton is a pure private club, meaning access requires membership or a sponsored invitation. The course, designed by Tom Fazio, is consistently recognized among the finest in America. Our detailed Wade Hampton review covers the course layout, what to expect from the experience, and how to plan a visit.
Burlingame Country Club, while located in Sapphire Valley rather than Cashiers proper, sits only minutes away and serves the same community of families and retirees drawn to this mountain corridor. Membership at Burlingame opens the door to far more than golf. The membership options at Burlingame include access to dining at six venues, the Rejuvenate Spa, the pool complex, fishing, and a social calendar that brings the community together across seasons.
For families thinking about property alongside membership, the question of golf course community vs. mountain property is worth exploring carefully. There is a meaningful difference between owning land near a course and truly belonging to the community that surrounds it. The Cashiers golf directory also helps visitors and prospective members understand the full landscape of options in this part of Western North Carolina.
For context on how private mountain golf compares nationally, see our guide to private golf in America.
Burlingame Country Club: Tom Jackson’s Mountain Masterpiece
In Sapphire Valley, just minutes from Highlands, Burlingame Country Club’s golf course represents mountain golf at its most thoughtful. Tom Jackson designed 18 holes that move between 3,000 and 3,500 feet elevation, creating a championship layout that works with the natural terrain rather than against it.
Jackson understood that great mountain golf does not force a traditional parkland course into a mountain setting. His routing at Burlingame follows the natural contours of the land, incorporating the Horsepasture River, mature forests, and elevation changes that bring strategic interest to every hole. The course rewards accuracy more than raw power, though you will need both to score well here.
The front nine introduces you to what mountain golf truly demands. Club selection becomes a puzzle on nearly every approach shot. Do you take enough club for the uphill lie? Will the valley wind push your ball left or right? The greens are generous in size but complex in their contours, rewarding players who take the time to read the subtle breaks shaped by the mountain beneath them.
The back nine steps up the challenge. Water enters play more frequently, and elevation changes grow more dramatic. Several holes offer views across Sapphire Valley that can steal your focus even mid-backswing. The par 3s are among the most memorable on any mountain course, requiring precise distance control to hold greens that may sit 30 or 40 feet above or below the tee box.
What makes Burlingame truly special is how the golf course fits into a larger life. After your round, the full Burlingame golf experience continues at the clubhouse with its six dining venues, all framed by the same mountain views you carried with you through 18 holes. The Rejuvenate Spa and Wellness complex eases muscles that may not be used to walking mountain terrain. The community gathered around this course is one where families return year after year, where new friendships form at the turn, and where the game itself is only one reason people keep coming back.
To learn more about how Burlingame compares to other celebrated private courses, explore our guide to championship mountain golf.
Highlands Country Club: Historic Mountain Golf Since 1929
Highlands Country Club has offered mountain golf since 1929, making it one of the oldest and most storied courses in Western North Carolina, and it welcomes non-member play during certain times of the year so visitors can experience this classic layout firsthand. The course plays around 6,000 yards from the tips, but its age and terrain make every yard feel earned.
What it lacks in raw length it returns in shot-making demands. The original designers worked with severe topography, creating holes that climb mountainsides, plunge into valleys, and traverse hillsides where a level lie is something worth appreciating when you find one. Errant shots find themselves perched on hillsides, lodged against tree roots, or settled into the creek that winds through several holes.
Accuracy matters far more than distance here. The course rewards players who think their way around it, who choose the smart play over the heroic one, who understand that par is always a good score on a mountain course. The greens carry the subtle complexity that comes with age and natural terrain, with breaks that can fool players who do not take the time to read them. Putts that look uphill may run faster than expected, and side-hill putts can break more sharply than you imagine.
The clubhouse sits on elevated ground with views across the course and out toward the surrounding mountains. The 19th hole here has the feel of a traditional mountain club: comfortable without being showy, welcoming without being stiff. People have been finishing rounds here and sharing stories for generations. That unbroken thread of history is part of what you feel every time you walk off the 18th green.
To understand how public and semi-private golf fits into the broader Highlands picture, visit the guide to public golf courses in Highlands, NC and explore budget-friendly golf options in Highlands as well.
High Hampton Resort and Golf Course
High Hampton Resort offers a welcoming, family-friendly style of mountain golf along Cashiers-Highlands Road, where the course works through rolling terrain around Hampton Lake and suits players of every skill level while still delivering the views and character that define golf in this region. The resort setting means lodging and dining sit right alongside the course, making it one of the most complete stay-and-play experiences near Highlands.
The course runs about 6,000 yards, manageable for most players while offering enough variety to keep better golfers engaged. Several holes play along Hampton Lake, bringing water into the picture in strategic ways without making the round feel punishing. The back nine climbs to higher ground, where mountain views open wide and the terrain reminds you exactly where you are.
High Hampton has long been the course that families return to together. Beginners find their footing without feeling overwhelmed. Intermediate players discover shots that challenge them in new ways. Better players use the round to sharpen specific parts of their game in a relaxed setting. When everyone in a group can enjoy themselves, the memory of the round lasts longer than the scorecard.
For visitors who want to compare all the options in this mountain corridor, the Highlands NC golf resource hub pulls together the full picture. And if you are curious about how wildlife and the natural landscape shape the experience of playing here, wildlife encounters and natural hazards on Highlands golf courses is a fascinating read before your first round.
Wade Hampton Golf Club: Championship Mountain Golf
Wade Hampton Golf Club in Cashiers is one of the most acclaimed private golf courses in the American Southeast, designed by Tom Fazio and accessible only through membership or a sponsored guest invitation, making it a destination that rewards careful planning and strong connections. For those who earn access, the experience lives up to every expectation.
The course works through mountain terrain with the kind of routing that makes even experienced golfers stop and look before they swing. Every hole is framed by forest, elevation, and a sense that the land itself designed the challenge and Fazio simply found it. Wade Hampton consistently appears on national lists of the finest private courses in the country. Our full Wade Hampton review covers the experience in detail.
For context on how Wade Hampton fits into the national conversation about private golf, explore our guide to private golf in America and the top 50 public golf courses in America for comparison. Those who are weighing a mountain club membership will also find value in reading about Highlands Ranch golf courses for a wider regional perspective.
The staff at Burlingame Country Club can help guide prospective members through the options available across the region. Visit the staff directory to connect with the right person for your questions.
Highlands Area Golf Course Comparison
Choosing the right course for your visit or membership search is easier when you can see the key differences side by side. The table below summarizes what each major course in the Highlands and Cashiers area offers.
| Course | Location | Access Type | Approx. Yardage | Best For | Stay-and-Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlingame Country Club | Sapphire Valley, NC | Private / Member | Championship layout | Families, retirees, serious golfers | Yes, via membership community |
| Highlands Country Club | Highlands, NC | Semi-private | ~6,000 yards | Classic mountain golf enthusiasts | Limited |
| High Hampton Resort | Cashiers-Highlands Rd, NC | Resort / Public | ~6,000 yards | Families, all skill levels | Yes, on-site resort lodging |
| Wade Hampton Golf Club | Cashiers, NC | Private / Member | Championship layout | Accomplished golfers, serious members | Via membership only |
For a broader look at how these courses fit into the national picture of mountain golf destinations, see the guide to top public golf courses in America and our overview of championship mountain golf. If you are also interested in how other celebrated private clubs approach the game, the Forest Hills Golf Club Augusta review offers an interesting point of comparison from a very different landscape.
Quick Recap
- Highlands, NC sits above 4,000 feet elevation, creating cool summers and ball-flight conditions that differ from sea-level golf.
- Elevation can add 10 to 15 yards to your drives but demands recalibrated club selection throughout your round.
- Burlingame Country Club in Sapphire Valley is a Tom Jackson-designed championship course woven into natural mountain terrain, minutes from Highlands.
- Highlands Country Club, established in 1929, is one of the area’s oldest layouts and offers semi-private access for visitors.
- High Hampton Resort provides family-friendly golf with on-site lodging, making it ideal for multi-generational groups.
- Wade Hampton Golf Club in Cashiers is a Tom Fazio-designed private course ranked among the best in the Southeast.
- Stay-and-play options range from resort packages at High Hampton to full membership communities like Burlingame.
- Burlingame membership includes dining, spa, pool, fishing, and a social community built around shared love of this mountain landscape.
- The mountain golf equipment guide helps you prepare for the specific demands of elevated course play.
- Wildlife, natural hazards, and forest terrain are part of the experience on every course here. Read about wildlife encounters on Highlands golf courses before you arrive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What elevation are golf courses near Highlands, NC?
Golf courses near Highlands, NC sit between 3,000 and 4,500 feet above sea level. This elevation keeps summer temperatures comfortable, typically in the 70s, and causes the golf ball to fly farther than it would at sea level.
Can visitors play golf at Burlingame Country Club without a membership?
Burlingame Country Club is a private club, so golf is available primarily to members and their sponsored guests. If you are interested in experiencing the club, the best step is to contact Jennifer Webb, Membership Director, at 828.966.9200 or through the membership inquiry page.
What is the best time of year to play golf in Highlands, NC?
Late spring through early fall is the most popular season for golf in Highlands, NC. Summer highs stay in the 70s and low 80s, making midday and afternoon rounds comfortable. The Highlands NC golf guide has seasonal tips to help you plan.
How does mountain elevation affect my golf game in Highlands, NC?
At 3,000 to 4,500 feet, the thinner air lets your ball fly 10 to 15 yards farther than at sea level. You may find yourself using one less club on uphill shots and need to re-learn how to read greens that tilt with the natural mountain contours beneath them. The mountain golf equipment and preparation guide covers these adjustments in detail.
Are there budget-friendly golf options near Highlands, NC?
Yes. Not every round near Highlands requires a private club membership. The guide to budget-friendly golf in Highlands outlines accessible options for visitors who want to experience mountain golf without a full club commitment.
What makes Cashiers, NC a golf destination worth visiting?
Cashiers sits in the same elevated mountain corridor as Highlands and is home to Wade Hampton Golf Club, one of the Southeast’s top-ranked private courses. The Cashiers golf directory lists the full range of clubs and courses in the area, from championship private clubs to resort options.
What amenities does Burlingame Country Club offer beyond golf?
Beyond the championship golf course, Burlingame members enjoy six dining venues, the Rejuvenate Spa, a pool complex, fishing, wellness programming, and a community calendar designed to bring families together across every season. Explore the full picture at the Burlingame Country Club homepage.
Ready to Experience Mountain Golf at Its Finest?
The Blue Ridge Mountains have been welcoming families to this corner of Western North Carolina for well over a century. The golf here is part of something larger: a way of life shaped by cool air, ancient forests, and a community where the people around the table after a round matter as much as the scorecard. Whether you are exploring stay-and-play options for a week this summer or considering a membership that becomes part of your family’s story for generations, Burlingame Country Club is a place worth knowing.
Please contact Jennifer Webb, Membership Director, for more information. Please use the form below or call 828.966.9200.