Linville Course, Eseeola Lodge Survive Test of Time

Linville Course, Eseeola Lodge Survive Test of Time

By JOHN COMPANIOTTE

With a heritage stretching back to 1892 as a resort community, Linville, in northwestern North Carolina has long been a favorite for people appreciating refreshing cool breezes during the summer. A visit is enhanced by some of America's most dramatic mountain scenery of rhododendron thickets and maple, ash, pine, chestnut, and balsam trees, which in the fall provide bright splashes of color along the ridges.

Guests of the Eseeola Lodge in Linville have the privilege of playing an excellent Donald Ross layout at the very private Linville Golf Club, essentially the same as it was when he "found" the course among the underbrush and trees in the late twenties. The original Ross plans for the golf course at Linville Golf Club were dated 1924, and the course still matches his design. Ceremonies dedicating the clubhouse and official opening of the course were held in August of 1928, with Tommy Armour participating in an exhibition match that included Linville club professional Roland Hancock, who at age nineteen led the 1928 U.S. Open for seventy holes.

Other noted players have competed in events at Linville. In 1957, Billy Joe Patton and Frank Nabers teamed to win a Men’s Four-Ball Tournament here, an event won by Jay Baumgardner and Jim Reuning in 1960 and Baumgardner and Brock Rowley in 1971.

A key figure in updating the course to current USGA standards was former Linville Resorts President William McWane of Birmingham. McWane was a member of the USGA executive committee, a member of the rules committee at Augusta National and a former president of the Southern Golf Association. During McWane’s tenure Robert Trent Jones Sr. was brought in to make design suggestions about enhancing the course, but no dramatic changes were done.

Linville plays through a valley, with some holes having elevated tee boxes on hillsides, but for a course in the mountains, side-hill lies are not a problem. The par-4 third hole covers 449 yards and twice requires traversing a stream that snakes across the fairway, with an uphill approach shot. The hole was rated among the best par-4s in the nation for many years.

Over time some lengthening of a few holes has extended the course to 6,780 yards from the back tees, but as with many courses that Ross designed, the real interest is on the poa annua greens, which are easily maintained in the mild summers for a slick putting pace. Another unusual feature of the course is the natural springs appearing occasionally in the fairways, adding a little unexpected moisture.

For any golfer with an appreciation of Donald Ross and his contributions to the game of golf (something which seems to be more understood now than in his own lifetime), playing golf at Linville Golf Club is a special treat, because the course so closely reflects his original vision for it. A round of golf here is an education in classic shot values, accented by remarkable scenery and the frequent distraction of wild rabbits traversing the fairways.

The Eseeola Lodge is located a 3-iron shot from the parking lot of the clubhouse of the golf course. Eseeola first opened for the 1929 season, which each year runs from late May through late October. A major renovation of the rooms of the hotel reduced the number from 29 to 24 for the 2000 season, creating five new suites. The rooms are decorated with antiques and the high beds offer a comfortable nights sleep.

The food is excellent, with herbs coming from the garden just outside provide the seasoning for the selection of entrees which change each evening. The trout is always recommended and try to schedule your stay around the night the lodge offers the seafood buffet.

The Eseeola's staff of more than 40 assures personal attention for every guest. Linville Resorts President, John Blackburn, grew up in Linville and his family has been associated with the Lodge since before the turn of the Twentieth Century.

Recreational opportunities abound at the Eseeola Lodge, with a heated swimming pool, eight Har-tru tennis courts, a croquet lawn, hiking trails, and fishing in Grandmother Creek and Kawana Lake. One mild frustration for any fisherman playing Linville Golf Club is seeing monster trout languorously slipping along the creek beds that meander through the course.

For reservations at The Eseeola Lodge call 800-742-6717.