Dr. B's Course Review #7 Boone Golf Club (photos)

[Bart Bradley]

Dr. B's course review  


Installment #7.…

Boone Golf Club

Attributed to: Ellis Maples 1959

Location: Boone, NC

Claim to Fame:  Perhaps the best $30 golf course I have played



A review of the scorecard demonstrates an excellent variety in the lengths of the holes:



What makes it very good:

Boone Golf club has a solid, walkable routing with an amazingly diverse and interesting set of greens.











In addition, the course offers very ample playing corridors.

The opening tee shot:




The approach to the par 4 5th





What makes it unusual?

The course offers the golf architecture enthusiast a chance to see the genius of Ellis Maples for a VERY reasonable fee.  Long known for his routing ability and the interest of his putting surfaces, Ellis Maples delivers a very fun and challenging experience.  The cost: $32!

What makes it not as good?

The soil and environment of Boone, NC tend to make for softer playing conditions.  The course was built before the days of sand-capping and was fairly soft underfoot.  The 10th and 11th holes, built on more severe property are not up to the standards of the other holes.

The somewhat cramped approach on the par 5 #10



The uphill par 3 #11



The quality of the greens on the holes saved them from being too objectionable.



My visit:  October 2012

My overall rating:  6.0

Rating Trend:  UP- -- This course is a true hidden gem.  As the cognoscenti rediscover its charms, it will become more appreciated




My previous reviews:

Installment 1 -- Fontainbleau -- France: http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,45366.0/

Installment 2-- Whistling Straits -- Haven, WI : http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,45417.0/

Installment 3 - Grandfather Mountain Springs - Linville, NC: http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,45569.0/


Installment 4 -- Golf de Saint-Germain --Saint-Germain-En-Laye, France -- http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,45664.0/

Installment 5 -- The Virginian -  Bristol, VA:
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,45718.0.html

Installment 6 -- The Country Club - Morristown, TN:  http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,53221.0.html

[hhuffines]

Bart, great to see some notice for a great little public course!   # 9 is one of my favorite short par fours.  Wish Brad K. would add it on his lst. Thanks!

[Bart Bradley]

Bart, great to see some notice for a great little public course!   # 9 is one of my favorite short par fours.  Wish Brad K. would add it on his lst. Thanks!

Hart:

I agree with you that this course deserves more recognition.  At $32, the price can't be beat.  I will suggest to Dr. Klein that he put it on the Golfweek list.

Bart

[hhuffines]

You da man!  I enjoyed the photo tour of Mountain Springs too.  Great place to relax and finish off the day after battling Grandfather!

[Bart Bradley]

Hart:

Thanks.  I am surprised nobody has seen this course.

Bart

[hhuffines]

Exactly, especially since the owners changed and improved holes #2, #3, and #16.   If you throw in Jefferson Landing and Newland, a group can enjoy some pretty good mountain golf on a budget and no access issues.   I haven't played out in Roan, Tn in 20 years but Matt said it was sketchy.  Cheers....

[Bart Bradley]

Whew...beyond sketchy...

Bart

[Ronald Montesano]

I cannot tell you HOW MUCH that #11 looks like a hole at Lookout Point in Ontario. I don't think that Travis and Maples were kindred spirits, but I guess that you can't resist a Reverse Cascade hole when it bites you in the face! By the way, the Reverse Cascade is a template term that I have invented and plan to lease for a reasonable price.

[Mark Saltzman]

Stan, right on...

[Ronald Montesano]

I will state that, due to the absence of a footbridge at the Boone version of the hole, I would not be able to replicate my successful lay-up tee shot...sigh.

[Brett Waters]

We got to play Boone in high school matches every year. Was always the best course we played until regionals or states. Interesting to hear it's in the $30's this time of year. I'm pretty sure it's nearly $80 in-season. Fun course, though.

[Bart Bradley]

Brett, actually not.  The rates never go higher than $43 (peak season, weekend, AM).  Even in peak season, $25 after 4pm.

http://www.boonegolfclub.com/aboutus/rates/

Bart

[Sean_A]

Bart


Thanks for this quick review.  It looks ike a course I would enjoy.


Ciao

[Tom Fagerli]

Bart


Thanks for this quick review.  It looks ike a course I would enjoy.


Ciao

Sean- if you go to the NC mountains to play Linville or Grandfather, you should,play Boone GC. The pitch into No 10 is quite exacting and fun and No 11 is a good,hole too. Greens are pretty undulating and the weather is usually cool. Busy place though   

[Ian Mackenzie]

Love how this course's routing makes three nice 6-hole "loops".
Makes it easy to play 6 or 12 holes instead of 18.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Interesting study, as I see a bit of Ross and a bit of 1950's conventional design.

That 10th green was quite a cut.  I copied the picture as an example of how to put a green in a hillside.  One thing I don't generally care for is building up the bunker base as was done on the left. I prefer they sit at natural grade, but understand old Ellis probably didn't want a 15 foot or more deep bunker, so he placed it up quite a bit.

Also, the cart path, probably added later, is also elevated and in view, which is unfortunate, but I doubt anyone would use it if at the base of the slope and out of view, especially if it was cart path only and they had to hike up that hill!

[Andy Shulman]

I played Boone GC back in May and it's a very solid golf course nonetheless and a steal at around $40.  In very good condition, it's not long, although #6 will test any golfer with a long carry over water on the approach and #16 is a treacherous par-3.  The course is very manageable to walk despite a couple of steep climbs back to the clubhouse on #s 6 and 9.  If "memorability" is any indication, Boone is a winner, as I remember almost every hole.


And, as I learned by playing with a member, a plane crash landed on the course earlier this year (http://theappalachianonline.com/2016/04/25/plane-crashes-boone-golf-course/).