Bald Mountain at Rumbling Bald set to reopen in April following tree and tee work

Bald Mountain, Rumbling Bald’s original W.B. Lewis-designed mountain-style golf course in Lake Lure, North Carolina, is scheduled to reopen April 1 following a series of enhancements to beautify its surrounds, increase overall playability and restore original shot values.

 

Tree canopy coverage will be reduced throughout the 6,300-yard layout, allowing for more sunlight to penetrate areas around tee boxes and green complexes. On several dogleg holes, tree lines will be restored to their original borders, providing golfers more options on approach shots into greens. New turf will be installed on several tee boxes and in fairways running up to green complexes.

 

“Bald Mountain is loved by so many people and we’re excited to give golfers a fresh look at the course they enjoy so much,” golf operations manager Adam Bowles said. “Bald Mountain is a blast to play and has so much character, and with the new Champion Bermudagrass greens on Apple Valley, the golf courses are the best they’ve ever been heading into the golf season.”

 

Golfers playing either course will encounter new branded signage throughout all 36 holes, at both clubhouses and around the entire 3,000-plus acre Blue Ridge Mountain retreat. Apple Valley and Bald Mountain are using new E-Z-GO cart fleets, bag drop areas and water coolers, and both practice ranges have new performance-engineered mats and spacious hitting bays.

 

“We’re committed to creating one of Western North Carolina’s best multi-course golf destinations, and the enhancements at Bald Mountain are a major step in that direction,” general manager Jeff Geisler said. “There are other exciting projects in the pipeline, and we look forward to showcasing Rumbling Bald to golfers this year and in the years to come.”

 

Rumbling Bald features contrasting 18-hole layouts: W.B. Lewis-designed Bald Mountain and Dan Maples-designed Apple Valley.

 

At 6,300 yards Bald Mountain, is renowned for its unique configuration of five par 5s and five par 3s. Movie buffs appreciate the 16th green, the backdrop of a scene from the movie “Dirty Dancing.”  A protégé of golf course architect George Cobb, Lewis is known for his traditional approach to course design. This philosophy is reflected in Bald Mountain’s playability from tee to green.

 

Rumbling Bald’s marquee course, Apple Valley, stretches to nearly 6,800 yards and features expansive views of Bald Mountain and the surrounding Lake Lure area. Maples estimated 75 percent of shots at Apple Valley are either level or downhill, virtually unheard of for a mountain course. Shimmering mountain lakes adorn 12 holes, but water only occasionally comes into play.