Grayson and I drove up to Brevard a couple weekends ago to check out Connestee Falls Golf Club. Connestee Falls is a course I’ve passed countless times but never played. It’s tucked inside a gated mountain community that I’d always been curious about, so when it popped up on GolfNow, we figured it was time to make the hour-and-a-half trip from Greenville and give it a shot.
Turns out, it was absolutely worth it.
We caught Connestee right at the tail end of October, and the timing couldn’t have been better. The fall foliage was unreal and the contrast to the green fairways and thick rough really made the colors pop. We had one of the earlier tee times in the morning so it was a crisp fall round that started out in the high 40s but never got above about 60. What was even better was that for most of the round, it felt like we had the course entirely to ourselves.
The clubhouse was another pleasant surprise. The staff mentioned they’d done a $2.5 million renovation in 2018, and it definitely shows. It’s a beautiful setup with big windows overlooking the mountains, a great dining area, and an “Overlook Lounge” just off the pro shop — perfect for grabbing a hot dog mid-round.
The course featured a number of mountain views like this one on the Par 4 14th hole.
The Course
Connestee Falls is a George Cobb design (the same architect behind Cobb’s Glen, Green Valley CC in Greenville, and the par 3 course at Augusta) but this one feels much more like a true mountain track. Fairways are narrow, the rough is thick enough to hide a ball even when you’re standing right over it, and nearly every green sits elevated above you. The greens themselves are small, firm, and quick. Having played a number of Cobb courses, they were much smaller than I expected, which made club selection and distance control a real challenge.
Elevation changes play a huge role here. There are plenty of fun, downhill tee shots that make you feel like you can really let one fly, but you’ll quickly pay the price for missing your spot. Take the par-5 11th, for example: both Grayson and I hit perfect drives that we thought would leave us great looks, but his ball found the creek that cuts partially across the fairway while mine was just left. From there, the approach plays back uphill to a small, elevated green that’s tougher to hold than it looks.
And while some holes (like the 10th) give you flatter approaches, they often have no backstop so anything long just runs off the back and down the hill. It’s the kind of layout that rewards patience and planning.
We played from the tips, just under 6,500 yards, and while that number doesn’t sound long, it played plenty tough. The course asks for precision off the tee and good touch into greens that don’t hold much. Both of us reached a few par-5s in two, but neither of us scored well, likely due to us hitting the driver more often than we should have. It was a good reminder that sometimes leaving yourself a full 100-yard shot is a lot smarter than trying to finesse short wedge shots.
The course featured a number of deceiving tee shots like this on the par 5 11th hole. Although a relatively narrow tee shot, the inviting fairway hides a creek just beyond the hill. A well-struck drive on the left hand side rewards you with a ~175 yard shot in to have a look at eagle.
Final Thoughts
Connestee Falls isn’t just another mountain course, it’s a thoughtful, challenging design set in one of the most scenic parts of western North Carolina. The conditions were excellent, the greens were pure, and the layout strikes a nice balance of elevation without ever feeling exhausting.
For $100, it honestly felt like a steal. By the third hole, I told Grayson I’d have happily paid more for a course in this kind of shape, with those views. The pro shop had some great merchandise too. I picked up a pullover after the round.
Oh, and one funny note: we somehow ended up following the maintenance truck that morning as they were spraying treatment across the fairways. The machine dropped white foam dots to mark its path, which led to several moments of confusion as we mistook them for golf balls — or vice versa. Just part of the charm of mountain golf, I guess.
From the first fairway, I knew we were in for an interesting round when both Grayson and I confused the foam dots (shown on the bottom right) with our balls.
All in all, Connestee Falls is a gem I wish I’d played sooner. We’re already talking about heading back in a few weeks, and next time, I’ll definitely be thinking more strategically about my tee shots. If you’re in the Upstate or western North Carolina and looking for a scenic, challenging round that feels worth every penny, Connestee Falls should be at the top of your list.