Elk River Club, Banner Elk, N.C.
It’s winter mode at Elk River Club, located in the mountains of North Carolina.
The course is shut down. No golfers until May 1st. Superintendent Josh Smith breathes a sigh of relief.
“I’m feeling good. We’re shut down, repairing flood damage,” he says. “In spite of a wet season, we finished well.”
The 18-hole private course took on 24 inches of rain in the 31 days of July. It was rough going for Smith and his crew, but it was a heyday for the local fungicide sales reps.
Smith was excited to learn that not only was Golfdom featuring his course as “Course of the Week,” but also that his course would be featured on the November cover of the magazine
For the November cover story — arriving in mailboxes soon — Golfdom discusses the results of a recent survey, in which we saw that many superintendents, if given the choice of going to a higher-profile golf course, would stay right where they are. The cover reads “My Green Heaven” and features a beautiful fall shot at Elk River.
It’s clear that Smith loves his position at Elk River Club. He first worked at the course back in 1984, as an intern. He returned in 1989, accepting the position of superintendent in 2002.
For more on Elk River Club, visit www.elkriverclubnc.com.