The Club at High Hampton in Cashiers, North Carolina, has reopened following a three-year renovation by Fazio Design.
“High Hampton has been around as a rustic mountain family retreat for over 100 years,” said Bryan Bowers of Fazio Design. “The resort was purchased in 2017 from the original owners and it was time to renovate the inn and the golf course for the next 100 years.”
High Hampton was originally designed as an 11-hole layout in 1923 by J Victor East before it was renovated and expanded to 18 holes by George Cobb in 1956. The routing remained the same until the recent Fazio renovation.
“We have reimagined the golf course to allow for the expansion of the resort core, with six new holes constructed and 12 others reconstructed in existing corridors,” said Bowers. “It is a brand-new golf course, every hole reshaped reconstructed with new infrastructure. The finishing holes, 15 to 18, are framed by Rock Mountain and Chimney Top. They are spectacular.”
Contractor Pristine Golf began construction in 2018 and completed work in autumn 2020, with the course reopening in May 2021.
“It was like putting a puzzle together from a design perspective,” said Bowers. “We experienced heavy rainfall [370 inches over three years], it was critical to protect trout streams and wetlands from erosion, we were required to work in two-acre increments at a time, and we had to have those two-acre areas turfed before opening up new ground.”
The golf course, which is close to both Wade Hampton GC and Mountaintop Golf & Lake Club, now plays as a par 71 that extends to 6,900 yards.
“Western North Carolina has been my home for the past 40 years, and I’m fortunate to be part of the evolution of golf in the mountains during that time,” said Tom Fazio. “The course at High Hampton is truly exceptional. The property is a family environment with landscaping and natural resources unlike anywhere else. With six new holes and the renovated 12, we blended old and new to create a course that is playable, approachable and fun. I look forward to seeing golf continue to thrive at High Hampton for generations to come.”