Waynesville Inn Golf Resort

Getting To Know: Waynesville Inn Golf Resort

An Insightful Interview With Travis Smith, Director of Golf

By Brian Weis

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with Travis Smith who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
The Carolina Course was designed by the legendary Donald Ross and completed in 1926! Enthusiastic response from the community led to the club purchasing an additional 50 acres and completing the Dogwood Course in 1929. In 1935 the Lodge was built of native stone and included a pro sop. Prominent Southern families came to the inn staying for a month or longer to play golf. In 1985 additional acreage was purchased and The Blue Ridge Course was designed by golf course architect Tom Jackson. We have been rated Four (4) Stars by Golf Digest - Best Places to Play.

Over the years the Waynesville Inn has hosted many well known national figures including President Richard Nixon, Reverend Billy Graham, Sam Sneed, Chi-Chi Rodriguez, Arnold Palmer, and NBA greats Artis Gilmore and Otis Birdsong, Willy Nelson; and numerous others.

The Inn offers 115 guest rooms; swimming pool, exercise room; complimentary Wifi; and the Balsam Spa. Shopping is a half mile away in downtown Waynesville. Nearby, outside activities include hiking, biking; fly-fishing and elk tours.

The courses have spectacular views of the Blue Ridge and Balsam Mountain range. It's a favorite of Seniors. We have been home to numerous State Golf Associations annually. Our Director of Golf and staff are knowledegable in running tournaments. With two on site restaurants, The Cork & Cleaver for more upscale dining (open seasonally) and The Tap Room Sports Bar & Grill for casual fare, guests arrive, park their cars and walk to all amenities. We are known for preserving a certain character, tradition, charm, and Southern hospitality across five generations. We invite you to become part of our long, proud tradition.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
The courses are fun yet challenging to play. Seniors and mid to high handicap golfers find it enjoyable to play. Wives love to play the courses so the husbands automatically like it. Overall, the course is in great condition and voted the best in the area.

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course? The course is very open
The course does not have a lot of water. Plus, you'll need eagle eyes to read the greens - they are tough

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course? Golf Digest Rated 4 Stars - Best Places to Play
* Haywood County Favorite Golf Course
* Best Country Club in Haywood County 2012

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole? Number 5 Blue Ridge
It has a panoramic view of two golf courses with a back drop of the mountains.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
Number Two - Blue Ridge
Tee off from an elevated tee box, downhill. Take one club length less than the yardage dictates

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
Our famous Signature Hamburger and a locally brewed beer by Highlands Brewing Company

Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
Duane Page - scored 61 - He's a Pro

Back Tee Stats
Par: Carolina 35; Dogwood 35; Blue Ridge 35
Yardage: From the Tips 5900
Slope: Carolina/Dogwood 120;Dogwood/Blue Rdge 119;Blue Ridge/Carolina 122
Rating: Carolina/Dogwood 66.2/120; Dogwood/Blueridge 66.2/119; Blue Ridge/Carolina 67.4/122

More Information
The Waynesille Inn Golf Resort & Spa
176 Country Club Drive
Waynesville, NC, 27686
828.456.3551
www.thewaynesvilleinn.com

Revised: 01/07/2015 - Article Viewed 31,139 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.