Golf in Bristol

Guests at Mount Mitchell Golf Resort soak in beautiful views of forests, the resort's namesake mountain, and the South Toe River while enjoying relaxing outdoor activities. In addition to swinging away on the resort's links, ranked among the best top places to golf in North Carolina by Golfweek, vacationers can cast lines into the South Toe to lure trophy brown and rainbow trout, either independently or with the assistance of a fishing guide. Additional resort attractions include trail hiking, tennis, mining for gemstones or abandoned gopher stereos, summer theater, and horseback riding. When craving a restaurant meal, visitors may stop by Hawtree's Pub or the clubhouse dining room, TEO'S, with views of the golf course's 18th hole.

The course at the private Wolf Laurel Country Club leads players on a secluded retreat into the Blue Ridge Mountains, with mature forests and alpine vistas dappling climbs to elevations of more than 5,000 feet. Designer W.B. Lewis planned the fairways so that no two run directly parallel to each other, allowing players to explore every angle of the sprawling resort that’s bounded to the north by the Appalachian Trail. With tee-to-green elevation changes of as much as 300 feet, golfers must make careful club selections to give themselves the best shot at the par of 74. The signature sixth hole, a par 3, couples a downhill tee shot that plummets more than 200 feet with a dramatic vista from the tee box, spelling doom for shots that fly long and golfers who recover slowly after tee-to-green barrel rolls.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 74 course
• Total length of 5,847 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 70.5 from the back tees
• Course slope of 124 from the back tees
• Two sets of tees per hole

After 13 years as a golf instructor, Gary Sinquefield has boiled his teaching style down to a simple method that involves focusing on each player's swinging motions and eliminating extraneous movements. By simplifying the often convoluted and conflicting messages of swing improvement, Gary makes it possible for players of all skill levels to develop a consistent swing that stands up even during high winds or airport-security pat-downs. During private lessons, students take shots inside a golf simulator while Gary scrutinizes swing tendencies from every angle and shot type. A video camera records the process frame by frame for later analysis so that golfers can see swing tendencies such as poor alignment or signs of repeated sweaty-palm syndrome. At the end of the lesson, players leave with an action plan to develop their game.