High in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Wade Hampton lies in a valley framed by Chimney Top Mountain and Whiteside Mountain. Although one may need to play the course a few ties before being able to concentrate on the game instead of the scenery, the course is pleasantly playable, regardless of the caliber of the golfer. Four sets of tees, names The Fazio course, Wade Hampton, The Founder’s Course and Chimney Top, offer various challenges. From the back tees it plays to a rugged 7,109 yards, but drops to 6,459, 5,955 and 5,120 from the others. Par is 72 from all four tees, but championship tees have a USGA rating of 74.2.

“We wanted to challenge the good player, but we weren’t trying to build a U.S. Open course,’ says Stokes. “After all, how many golfers are that great?”

The first tee provides golfers a breathtaking view of what to expect further on. This is the highest point of elevation of the course, with a drop of some 5 feet to the fairway. But surprisingly, the course does not suffer from the normal uphill-downhill treks found on most mountain layouts. Although more that 3,650 feet above sea level, the course lends itself to walkers. There is only one hole, the 402-yard, par-4 ninth, that plays uphill.

“The high point and low point of the course are only 110 feet apart,” says Stokes. “It’s very walkable. And when caddies are available, tow out of every three rounds are walkers.”

Despite the terrain and the nature beauty, the excellence of Wade Hampton is hardly an accident.

“We studied the great courses and what made them great,” says Stokes. “And the one thing we found that they all had in common were good, fast greens. A lot of this course is in the movement of the greens.”

There is water, usually provided by the wandering streams, on 13 holes, although it is more often scenic than hazardous. Fazio also put in 110 bunkers, whose dazzling white sands create a stunning visual effect against the emerald green of the bentgrass fairways.