Golf courses in Sapphire, NC.

Sapphire, NC

Sapphire National Golf Club lies in the Sapphire Valley and Cashiers Plateau area of the Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina, and is the only golf course open to the public without a hotel stay in that part of the state. Architect Ron Garl designed the course to work with the mountainous terrain and a waterfall on the property. The layout moves through steep elevation changes, with a par-4 13th hole running beside a waterfall and a par-3 15th hole built around an island green. Bunkers, creeks and blind shots appear throughout, and the front nine carries more par 3s than the back. Sapphire National opened in 1982 and plays to a par of 70 across 18 holes, with several sets of tees to suit different distances. The course operates seasonally from March into winter, with bentgrass tees, fairways and greens.