Southeast
Southeast
Cashiers & Highlands, North Carolina
A 3,800-foot plateau where summer highs sit in the seventies, the waterfalls outnumber the traffic lights, and Sapphire National is the public-access prize.
Overview
Cashiers and Highlands sit on a high Southern Appalachian plateau between 3,400 and 3,800 feet, and that altitude is the whole story. While Atlanta and Greenville swelter, this corner of western North Carolina runs 10-15°F cooler, which is why generations of Lowcountry and Piedmont families have summered here. It is an upscale, understated resort community of shingled cottages, garden clubs, and gated golf enclaves, and it suits groups who want refined mountain golf and a genuinely good dinner rather than a party weekend.
The golf takes some navigating, because the plateau's most famous names are firmly private. Wade Hampton and its neighbors are members-only, so the trip is built around three real public-access options. Sapphire National Golf Club is the standout: a Ron Garl layout ten minutes from Cashiers, rated 4.5 stars by Golf Digest after a multi-million-dollar renovation. Sequoyah National, a Robert Trent Jones II design near Cherokee, delivers the most dramatic Great Smoky Mountain terrain of the three and the widest price range. Burlingame Country Club in Sapphire Valley is a George Cobb mountain layout that accepts limited outside play and rewards a phone call.
Practically, this is a driving trip through winding two-lane mountain roads, and you should treat the drive times as real rather than optimistic. Cashiers and Highlands are ten miles apart but separated by the steep switchbacks of US-64, and Sequoyah sits about an hour west near Cherokee. Groups of four to eight do best here, ideally split across a rented mountain home or a resort base. Bring a jacket even in July, and plan at least one afternoon around a waterfall, because Whitewater Falls, the highest east of the Rockies, is fifteen minutes from Sapphire.
Courses · 3
Sapphire National Golf Club
Semi-Private · Championship
$125-$175
Best for: The must-play round of the trip and the one everyone will talk about. Strong enough to satisfy low handicaps after the renovation, but fair enough that a mixed foursome will enjoy it from the right tees.
Insider tip: At 3,500 feet you are picking up roughly 7% of carry, which is a full club on most mid-iron approaches. The renovation firmed up the greens considerably, so the extra distance plus less spin means balls release further than expected. Play a club less than the yardage says and land it short.
Sequoyah National Golf Club
Public · Championship
$59-$145
Best for: The most dramatic scenery of the trip and the best value on a weekday. Also the right choice if part of your group wants to pair golf with the Cherokee cultural sites or the casino.
Insider tip: The elevation changes here are the steepest you will play in the region, and the altitude bump compounds them. A downhill tee shot at 3,000-plus feet can travel 20-30 yards past your normal number, so take less club and aim for the fat part of the fairway. Budget an hour each way from Cashiers.
Burlingame Country Club
Semi-Private · Moderate
$80-$130
Best for: The most club-like experience available to visitors on the plateau, and a good second round for a group that wants a shorter, more strategic test after Sapphire National.
Insider tip: At 6,100 yards this is the shortest card of the three, and the altitude effectively shortens it further, so leave the driver in the bag on most holes. Position off the tee beats power here. Ask about caddie or forecaddie availability when you call, since local knowledge is worth several shots on a first visit.
Lodging
Premium
The Canyon Kitchen at Lonesome Valley
$300-$600An upscale cottage community set in a natural rock amphitheater outside Cashiers, with the region's best restaurant on the property. The cottages are full homes rather than hotel rooms, which suits a group that wants shared living space and a kitchen. Book well ahead in summer, as the community is small and turns over slowly.
High Hampton Resort
$250-$500The historic anchor of Cashiers, recently and expensively renovated, set on Lake Hampton beneath Rock Mountain. Rooms in the inn plus cottages, a full dining program, lake activities, and the most polished service on the plateau. It is the easiest single base for a group that wants everything on one property and non-golfers who need something to do.
Mid-Range
Sapphire Valley Resort
$150-$300Slopeside condos and homes in Sapphire Valley with access to Sapphire National, which makes it the most efficient base for the trip's marquee course. Units run from two to four bedrooms, so a group of six or eight can spread out affordably. Ask about golf-inclusive rates when booking rather than paying the rack green fee.
Mountain cabin rentals
$175-$450Private mountain homes scattered along the Cashiers-Highlands corridor, ranging from simple two-bedroom cabins to substantial view houses. Split four or six ways, the per-person cost lands well under a hotel and you get a kitchen, a deck, and a place to pour a drink after the round. Confirm the driveway grade before booking in shoulder season, since some are steep enough to matter in ice.
Dining
The Canyon Kitchen
$$$$American / Fine Dining
A chef-driven seasonal menu served in a restored barn at Lonesome Valley, with the rock walls of the canyon as the backdrop. This is the big group dinner of the trip and worth building an evening around. Seasonal hours and limited seating mean you should reserve as soon as your dates are set.
Mica's
$$$Southern / Contemporary
Upscale contemporary Southern cooking in Sapphire with a serious craft cocktail program. Close enough to Sapphire National to be the natural post-round dinner, and the bar is a good place for the group to reconvene. Reserve for parties of six or more.
Buck's Coffee Café
$Café
A Cashiers institution and the standard pre-round stop for coffee and a quick bite. Opens early enough for a first tee time and sits right in the middle of town. Expect to see half the plateau's golfers there at seven in the morning.
The Ugly Dog Pub
$$Pub / American
The Highlands gathering spot and the closest thing the plateau has to a proper bar scene. Solid comfort food, plenty of taps, and no need to plan ahead. This is where the group ends up when nobody wants another tasting menu.
Pro Tips
- 1
Sapphire National is the area's only fully public course, which makes it the single point of failure in your itinerary. Book it before you book flights, especially for peak summer or an October weekend, and build the rest of the trip around the time you get.
- 2
The plateau runs 10-15°F cooler than the lowlands in summer, which is the real draw. It also means mornings in the upper 50s in July, so pack a mid-layer and a rain shell even for an August trip.
- 3
Do not confuse the private clubs with your options. Wade Hampton and several neighbors dominate the local golf conversation and are strictly members-only, so ignore them when planning and focus on Sapphire National, Sequoyah National, and a call to Burlingame.
- 4
Call Burlingame's pro shop rather than trying to book online. Outside play is limited and discretionary, and flexibility on day and tee time is what gets you on. A request routed through High Hampton or your rental manager also carries more weight than a cold email.
- 5
Give Sequoyah National a full day, not a squeezed afternoon. It is an hour each way from Cashiers, and the drive pairs naturally with the Cherokee cultural sites or Harrah's, which turns a long transfer into the group's non-golf day.
- 6
At 3,400 to 3,800 feet you are gaining roughly 7% of carry, and the steep elevation changes on these courses stack on top of that. Take one less club on approaches until you have calibrated, and expect downhill tee shots to run out far past your usual number.
Sample Itineraries
weekend getaway
3 daysDay 1: Fly into Greenville or Asheville, drive up onto the plateau, and check into Sapphire Valley Resort. Late lunch and a walk through Highlands, then dinner at Mica's to keep the first night easy. Day 2: Coffee at Buck's Coffee Café, morning round at Sapphire National, then the fifteen-minute run out to Whitewater Falls in the afternoon. Dinner at The Canyon Kitchen, reserved weeks in advance. Day 3: Early round at Burlingame Country Club if the pro shop came through, otherwise a second lap at Sapphire National, lunch at The Ugly Dog Pub in Highlands, and drive back down for evening flights.
full trip
5 daysDay 1: Arrive at Greenville or Asheville and drive up, settling into High Hampton Resort or a rented mountain home. Dinner at Mica's and an early night. Day 2: Buck's Coffee Café for coffee, morning round at Sapphire National, afternoon at Whiteside Mountain or Lake Glenville, dinner at The Canyon Kitchen. Day 3: The Cherokee day. Drive an hour west for a round at Sequoyah National, spend the afternoon at the Cherokee cultural sites or Harrah's, and eat out that way before driving back. Day 4: Round at Burlingame Country Club in Sapphire Valley, then the waterfall run along US-64 to Dry Falls and Bridal Veil, with dinner and drinks at The Ugly Dog Pub in Highlands. Day 5: A replay at Sapphire National for anyone who wants it, or a morning of fly fishing on the Tuckasegee, then a leisurely drive down the escarpment to the airport.
Ready to play Cashiers & Highlands?
Tell Alfred about your group and he'll build the trip — courses, lodging, dining, logistics, everything.
Plan a Trip to Cashiers & Highlands