The course and restaurant are temporarily closed due to effects of Hurricane Helene.
Read on for details as we have them.
Hurricane Helene Updates
October 28th, 2024- One Month Post Hurricane
One month after this devastating event, we are still assessing much of the damage caused by the roaring winds and record rainfall of Hurricane Helene. In the week of September 23-26, Burnsville received an initial 12″ of rain, saturating the ground and filling rivers and streams. On September 27th when Hurricane Helene deposited another 31.33″ of rain in under 24 hours, the river which has long been a source of peace and happiness for our lovely valley rose with a viciousness for which none of us was prepared. More than 40 trillion gallons of water were dumped.
Some statistics to give perspective to the amount of water Western North Carolina received:
- Enough water to
- Fill the Dallas Cowboy’s stadium 51,000 times
- Fill 60 million Olympic-sized swimming pools (one pool is 660,000 gallons)
- Flow over Niagara Falls for 619 days (748,000 gallons of water per second)
- Cover the entire state of North Carolina in 3.5′ of water
For our community, this resulted in landslides, the loss of homes and businesses, and far worse, the loss of friends and family. The way the nation has come together to support Western North Carolina in this disaster will never be forgotten.
Our initial responses were focused on our community and our team. Each response we receive from each member, neighbor and team member allowed us to breathe a little easier. We established an emergency resource point for those in need at our clubhouse and provided a StarLink for those without service or internet to get in touch with friends and family. Now that the immediate concerns for safety have stabilized, we can begin to focus on the land.
We won’t pretend this is pretty. Many of our bridges were bent or displaced. Fairways resemble riverbeds covered in smooth river rock. Greens have branches, tree trunks, gouges and holes. Our retention pond for the irrigation system will require immediate attention, and much of the irrigation system itself will need serious work. After these most pressing issues are solved, we can begin work on the remainder of the course.
Exactly what our master timeline will look like is unclear. We’re working to gather quotes and individual timelines for restoration as we speak. We appreciate each and every person who has reached out to check on us and ask what they can do. For the time being, we are without revenue, which is devastating to any small business. We will continue to operate as an emergency hub for our community members, and donations towards this are appreciated. We would also like to direct attention to Ryan Wiebe, our beloved maintenance manager who lost his home and four family members in this tragedy. We encourage donations to be made to his family as they grieve and recover from the unimaginable.
We will continue to update as we have more information but for now, we thank you all for being such a wonderful community and for all those, near and far, who have pitched in to take care of our residents. To everyone who purchased items off our Amazon registry, thank you from the bottoms of our hearts.
The course and restaurant will remain closed until we can better assess the full extent of the damage and create a plan. We hope to reopen as soon as possible, and can’t wait to see everyone back when things are safe.
From all of us here at Mount Mitchell Golf Club, thank you for your ongoing support.
Sincerely,
The MMGC Ownership Team
Our History
Built in 1975, storied Mount Mitchell Golf Club is a virtually flat par 72 nestled in the curves of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Only two miles from the base of Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak on the east coast, each shot offers a unique view of the mountains. Fred W. Hawtree’s only United States course is player friendly and offers no blind shots in this challenging but fun round that will leave you ready to play again and again.
Plan your stay at this golf oasis to see the best of what Hawtree has to offer. Come play a round in a setting like none other. Listen to the river run past the clubhouse and relax with us, we know you’ll enjoy the feeling of time standing still in this valley.
Twilight rates are All You Can Play. Last cart is due back in at 7pm and you’re welcome to continue playing as long as you like after returning your cart.
If you need to cancel a tee time made online, please log into your account and cancel your tee time through your online portal. Tee times made online and cancelled by phone will not be automatically refunded.
OFF SEASON GOLF RATES WILL BEGIN NOVEMBER 1
Our exclusive military rates are now available. Verified active duty and retired service men and women are eligible for 15% off our rack rates through MilitaryTeeTimes.com or present your ID at check in to apply your discount.
From our course to you, thank you for your service.
