Year-round golf community, club in western N.C. meets evolving, growing market with creative options
HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. – Champion Hills, home of Tom Fazio’s seminal “Mountain Masterpiece,” is smoothly swinging into 2023 with various membership offerings to meet the demographic and geographic shifts of the past three years that have created unprecedented demand for private golf memberships.
The continued popularity of remote work and the resulting freedom to move from densely populated urban areas in cold climates to Sun Belt states has led to a surge in relocations to the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains of Western N.C. That, coupled with the increase in first-time members joining private clubs in the Southeast, has led to record membership sales at Champion Hills.
As a year-round golf community and club, Champion Hills’ members enjoy golf, tennis, hiking and other outdoor activities during all four seasons. Its enviable location in bucolic Henderson County is just 45 minutes south of the craft beer capital and cultural center of Asheville and an hour north of award-winning Greenville, S.C. Downtown Hendersonville, a charming main street town with shops and restaurants, is only a few minutes away.
“Champion Hills’ memberships meet the needs of a wide range of age groups and lifestyles, and our location amid the majestic Blue Ridge mountains, pristine lakes and vibrant towns of this region makes us a top choice for those looking for a mild four-season climate with a comparatively low cost of living,” says General Manager and Chief Operating Officer Alan Deck, CCM, PGA.
“We’re conveniently situated midway between the Northeast and Florida and just a few hours’ drive from the burgeoning Atlanta and Charlotte metro areas.”
Membership Plans
-Champion Hills’ Equity 55 is a full golf membership designed for those age 55 and under searching for a club to call home. The initiation fee is divided into four equal payments over four years, dues and replacement reserve fund contributions are reduced by 50% and the club’s annual food and beverage minimum is prorated for new members.
-The club’s newly enhanced National Membership is for those who don’t own property in Henderson County but want to enjoy all the privileges, social activities and friendly competition that come with belonging to a premier private golf club. The initiation fee and monthly dues include 30 rounds of golf before incurring a guest fee.
-The Annual Explorer is a 12-month trial membership showcasing the complete Champion Hills experience. The Initiation fee can be applied to any membership at the end of the year, and monthly dues / replacement reserve fees are required in year one. It’s ideal for those who want to immerse themselves in club life before selecting their long-term membership plan.
-Champion Hills’ flagship offering is the Full Equity Golf Membership, which, in addition to full access to all club activities and amenities, includes both vertical family and Troon Privé benefits. One of the most valuable benefits a club can offer, vertical family membership enables members’ parents, children and grandchildren to experience all aspects of the club, regardless of age.
Member-owned and managed by Troon, Champion Hills’ Full Equity Golf members enjoy entry to 100+ Troon Privé golf courses, preferred rates at more than 150 Troon Golf resort and daily fee locations, access to amenities at participating private clubs and preferred benefits at participating Cliff Drysdale Tennis clubs and resorts.
The Community
Champion Hills boasts a broad array of residential options – luxury homes, low-maintenance cottages, lock-and-leave villas and a limited number of building lots – suiting a wide variety of buyers. With the U.S. housing supply approaching a two-decade low, and Western N.C. following suit, we encourage prospective member-buyers to continually visit our website for an update on existing inventory.
New residents are often pleasantly surprised by “how much home” they can afford in one of Western North Carolina’s most exclusive mountain communities. Building lots typically range from .5 up to 1.5 acres, with prices from $17,500 to $150,000. Move-in ready luxury residences range from $700,000 to $1.75 million and feature golf course, mountain and wooded views (inventory is subject to availability and prices are subject to market fluctuations).
The Golf Course
Champion Hills is Fazio’s former home course and club. The legendary golf course architect devised a brilliant routing traversing heavily forested hills, deep ravines and cool mountain streams in a scenic Blue Ridge Mountain setting. He and his team of shapers pulled ridges into valleys and filled hollows to create “playing platforms,” providing golfers with level lies amid 350 feet of elevation change.
The course is perennially ranked in Golfweek’s list of the “Top 200 Residential Golf Courses in the U.S.” as well as the esteemed publication’s state-by-state rankings of the best private courses in the country. Champion Hills is one of the few golf courses in the Carolinas to feature five sets of tees rated for women, responding to the growth in this rapidly expanding player demographic.