Golfweek's best new course list draws from shrinking supply

: Oct 28, 2008

Trillium Links may not have the kind of street cred that nearby top-rated Mountaintop has, but the views from the 8th green are great compensation.

   The number of net new golf courses will decline this year, according to a report by the National Golf Foundation released last week. The NGF predicts that a maximum 85 courses will open nationwide by the end of the year, the lowest total in two decades. As many as 100 courses -- many of them public, nine-hole facilities -- are expected to close, according to the organization.
   The NGF press release is available at the organization's website (click here).
   Against this backdrop, Golfweek magazine has published its latest list of "best new courses" in America. The list is 100 courses deep, but if things keep going the way they are, next year's list could very well be a top 50.
   Topping the Golfweek list is Mountaintop Golf Club in golf rich Cashiers, NC, where Wade Hampton Golf Club annually tops or is close to the top of the magazine's list

It is not too soon to plan a trip to the mountains for next spring and to take advantage of aggressively priced "discovery" packages.

of best residential courses in America. During a swing through the mountains of North Carolina recently, I heard a lot of buzz about Mountaintop, a Tom Fazio design that is walkable, unusual for most mountain courses. Golfweek writer Brad Klein explains in his intro to the top 100 list that Fazio "confined the uphill transitions for the land between greens and the next tees, while the steepest downgrades are reserved for the carry areas immediately fronting tees."
The private Mountaintop [MountaintopGolf.com] features homesites that start around $500,000 and run to above $1 million. Some dramatic-looking homes are currently available from $2 million and up (some are fully furnished). A few "clubhouse suites" are available at $750,000.
The lake and golf community of Trillium is just a few miles away from Mountaintop, and although its quirky Morris Hatalsky golf course probably won't hold a candle to the Fazio layout, real estate options abound at about half the prices of Mountaintop. Selling has slowed down in most mountain golf community enclaves, with prices dropping to 04/05 levels. Although in a few weeks it will be too late to enjoy sweater golf and the colors of the surrounding mountains, it is not too soon to consider an exploration next spring. I would be happy to help you build an itinerary of communities to visit, many of which offer discounted "discovery" packages. Just click on the Contact Us button at the top of the page.