Munis have a special place in my heart because that's where people learn to play golf, where the game grows. Asheville is really a tale of two nines. The front is on a flatter piece of land where you an see nearly every hole from the first tee. The back nine is hilly and proves that no matter who designs a golf course, bad land is going to produce bad golf.
Now when I played Asheville, I played with an older couple who told me they only play the front nine. It's walkable, it's playable, and only takes a few hours. How great is that?!
The front nine starts off with some easy holes. I liked the first hole. It has a great view from the tee, and the it's challenges are demanding yet simple. Three is a short par four with a cross bunker obscuring the putting surface, making the approach a tricky shot. Seven is a dogleg right with OB on the left. A drive down this side opens the green up. Eight is a difficult long uphill par three. Then nine ends the front with a good solid par four. The hill on the left allows the player to favor that side on the drive but a few Ross bunkers have to be accounted for.
I am not a big fan of the back nine. Ten is weird. No real landing area off the tee. Eleven plays straight uphill. Just a slog of a hole. I do like fifteen and sixteen. Fifteen is a solid par three across a shallow valley. Sixteen is a short par four played at a diagonal. The key is keeping it in play off the tee to setup a short iron approach. While driver is a tempting choice, it has to be absolutely perfect otherwise the ball will be in one of the gullies on the sides of the diagonal. Very good hole!! Finally the course ends with a long par three. The view of the mountains backdropping the shot.
Not every Donald Ross course is special. I guess Asheville proves that. But for people, just like that old couple I played with, it's a chance to play golf. And it does have some good holes too.
3 (average rating)
(Photos from golfholes.com)
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