Mountain Aire Golf Club (West Jefferson, NC on 08/28/16)

My friend had time for a round on Sunday, but it needed to be close to Boone and early in the morning. We threw this tee time together last minute and Mountain Aire looked like the only public course close to Boone with tee times that worked for us. Boone Golf Club was also on my radar but they didn’t have any morning tee times. If I ever am back in the area I’d like to check that one out!

We had an early time and were sent off the back nine as a twosome. We never waited on any groups, weren’t pressed, and finished in a leisurely 3.5 hours. By the time we finished though, the parking lot had really filled in! The course is about 30 minutes north of Boone so I didn’t expect it to be as busy as it was when we left. I guess there aren’t many public courses in the area though.

The reason you will want to check out Mountain Aire is due to its A+ location, fair design, and good conditioning! It isn’t a course that would “wow” me if it was located say, somewhere in California’s Central Valley. No doubt, the course benefits from its scenic surroundings! The course is in a remote area with just a few homes and condos located around the perimeter holes. The scenery is as good as it gets on the East Coast!

The design isn’t bad by any means, and I actually think it has a lot of charm! The best way I can classify its style is by saying that it is a blend between a mountain course and a parkland course. Much of the layout has a parkland look to it but it plays more like a mountain course with some extreme elevation changes. Many of the holes are separated by pine trees and it almost felt like I was golfing in the Pacific Northwest! The nice thing is that the design lets you miss out on the goofy holes that mountain courses generally have. The 2nd and 3rd are the only holes that I’d say are “mountain holes”.

We played the Blue tees which are 70.8/130/6415 and from there I thought Mountain Aire was a fair challenge! I think what makes the rating lower are some short holes and not much lost ball trouble. There are four short par 4’s and two very reachable par 5’s, playing only 441 and 442 yards (the 1st and 17th)! Those par 5’s play uphill, but I still managed an eagle putt on one and an eagle chip on the other. What is interesting is that there are two par 4’s (the 3rd and 18th) that are longer than the short par 5’s that I just mentioned! However, these par 4’s play significantly downhill.

The two things that make the course tough are the constant elevation change and the green complexes! There are some big drops down to the fairways from the tees and then you’ll have to add or subtract yardage on many approaches. As the round went along I was getting tired of battling the uneven lies! Throw in the thinner air and good luck getting your distances dialed in! The greens are mixed sizes, including some tiny ones, and have a bunch of slope. You definitely can spend some strokes chipping and putting on the greens!

Collectively, the conditions at Mountain Aire were playable and what I’d call “good”. The greens were wonderful, rolling smooth and very fast! I blasted my share of putts past and had to be defensive on just about every one. The other areas of the course were a step below the greens, but still worth the $50 weekend morning green fee. The fairways were inconsistent heights and a mix of grasses. I struggled to cleanly contact the ball and therefore tried to flight my shots lower. The tees didn’t have much grass, but that rarely bothers me because I tend to sweep the ball.

If you are in Boone visiting and have your clubs then I’d recommend Mountain Aire! The course won’t beat you up which will allow you to enjoy the scenery, no matter how you play. It is probably worth playing too so that you can experience the 3rd hole! It is a bit goofy because it has an extreme drop down to the fairway. I would suggest favoring the right side and you might even want to layup off the tee to find the widest part of the fairway.

#1 (441 yard par 5):

1-1 1-2

#2 (333 yard par 4):

2-1 2-2

#3 (468 yard par 4):

3-1 3-2

#4 (166 yard par 3):

4-1

#5 (525 yard par 5):

5-1 5-2

#6 (404 yard par 4):

6-1

#7 (175 yard par 3):

7-1

#8 (281 yard par 4):

8-1 8-2

#9 (353 yard par 4):

9-1 9-2

#10 (399 yard par 4):

10-1 10-3

#11 (487 yard par 5):

11-1

#12 (431 yard par 4):

12-1

#13 (292 yard par 4):

13-1

#14 (206 yard par 3):

14-1 14-2

#15 (387 yard par 4):

15-1

#16 (173 yard par 3):

16-1

#17 (442 yard par 5):

17-1

#18 (452 yard par 4):

18-1 18-2

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