An ultra-private equity membership club, the beauty of Wade
Hampton has not been encroached upon by fairway homes. In fact, there
are no
holes with property development on both sides. And
there are no
out of bounds on
the course.
Golf balls are granted right-of-way by property deed. That is, of
course, as long as the golf balls are not orange or yellow. You play
with white
balls only – that’s one of the club customs.
Like the golfers he surveyed, Stokes has difficulty naming the
outstanding hole, although he does offer colorful descriptions of some,
such
as:
No. 3 219-yard par-3 – “You don’t want to be short left or long
anywhere.”
No. 4 581-yard par-5 – “You need a safe tee shot and a safe second
shot. The emphasis is on the pitch shot.”
No. 6, 156-yard par-3 – “Be sure to hit enough club. Two creeks
come from behind the green and merge into one in front. It’s fair, but
the tee
shot can range from a wedge to a 7-iron depending on
the
weather
conditions.”
No. 10, 564-yard par-5 – “It looks mean, but there’s room on the
right and it’s reachable under certain conditions. If you lay up you
have a
decision to make because of the tiered green. The hole
gives you
a little of
everything.
No. 11, 168-yard par-3 – “There’s a 14-foot-deep bunker behind the
green. If you get in, it can be a memorable experience.”
No. 12, 317-yard par-4 – “We call this one the Temptress. I can be
driven and that makes you want to go for it. You can make
anything from
a two on
up.”
No. 15, 420-yard par-4 – “This is the most bogeyed hole. It’s 420
yards to a car hood.”
No. 16, 489-yard par-4 – “A pack-a-lunch” hole. A big ol’ good
one. But the green is more level than most.
Built on 700 acres, Wade Hampton will be a $7 million development
when the $2 million clubhouse opens next spring. It is strictly a golf
club,
offering no swimming pool or tennis courts, that opens
May 1 and
closes at the
end of October. It currently has 150
members, but Stokes,
his wife Martha and
their son Matthew are
the only full-time residents.
Development property ranges from $75,000 to $400,000, and play is
limited to member s and guests.
“We’re member sensitive,” says Stokes. “We’re not trying to please
everyone. We have seven or eight groups playing on a fairly
busy
weekday. On
weekends we’ll probably have 50 to 60 players
per day. We
try to space it so
there is never more than one
group on a hole.”
The fairways feature Pennway grass, with Penncross on the tees and
greens, protected by a mist watering system to lower the air
temperature on hot
days.
The man responsible for the superb condition of the course is
superintendent Bill Knox, who was first assistant at Augusta National
for five
years. Stokes’ assistants are Will Hopkins, formerly
of
Magnolia Point in
Jacksonville, Fla. And Tony Brabham, who
came from
Benevue Country Club in Rocky
Mount, N.C.
The project is owned by A. William McKee of Cashiers and Ann McKee
Austin of Atlanta. The McKee family purchased the property
from the
Hampton
heirs in the early 1920s.
The Wade Hampton Golf Club is 65 miles southwest of Asheville,
N.C., 11 miles northwest of Highlands, N.C., or nine miles due north of
the
common corners of North Carolina, South Carolina and
Georgia.
The property is bordered by High Hampton Inn and Country Club on
the north, and Nantahala National Forest on the east, a private estate
on the
south and U.S. Highway 107 on the west.
