Springdale Country Club has a rich and flavorful history.
Fred Tingle had a vision. Tingle was the executive of the Butterick Corporation in Manhattan, NY, the creator of the first graded sewing pattern. Fred saw himself as a golf course owner, one day retiring to the mountains – somewhere – and running a little nine-hole course he had built, well into his golden years.
The land that Tingle purchased had at one time been the site of Springdale Farm, a girls camp in the early 60’s where the kids spent their summers harvesting vegetables, milking cows, collecting eggs, hiking the trails of the Blue Ridge Mountains and tubing the cool waters of the Pigeon River. Unbeknownst to Fred at the time, Springdale Farm would become the main provider of all of the milk, eggs and vegetables used at his new venture.
In 1968, Springdale Country Club opened as planned – Fred’s nine-hole dream. Golf’s popularity was on the rise and soon after opening, Fred and his wife Eunice realized that nine holes were simply not enough. In 1972, Fred opened up the second nine and the Springdale Country Club as it is known today was born.
Rather than hire a restaurant staff, the Tingle’s employed local moms and grandmas to cook up tasty Southern home-cooked dishes: biscuits and gravy in the morning, fried chicken, mountain trout, chicken pot pie and meatloaf in the evenings. The food was served family style as it is today, allowing guests to eat all that their hearts desired. What had started out as a nine-hole dream had now become a full-fledged golf resort.
From the back tees, Springdale Country Club measures 6,812 yards with a course rating of 72.5 and a slope of 130. It will test the best golfers around. Mere mortal men can choose to play from the White Tees (6,437/70.7/124) while seniors will prefer the gold (5,734/68/117). Ladies will most likely opt for the Red Tees (5,421/72.4/121). Fairways are lush and green and water in the form of ponds and mountain streams can come into play on at least nine holes. Trees more so than bunkers are the hazard of choice along the fairways, however sand is strategically placed around many greens to catch errant approach shots. The greens are large for the most part and putt well with subtle undulations. All in all, Springdale will provide a fun and fitting challenge for golfers of all abilities.
I have it on good authority that the nines are going to be reversed and the course will once again be played as it was originally routed. The (soon to be) front nine starts out with a links golf feel as it meanders through the valley bordering the east fork of the Pigeon River with lovely mountains views of Sugar Top and Rocky Face. The first six holes offer more generous landing areas off the tee and are fairly wide open. It’s a good opportunity to gain the accuracy you will need on the back side. The final three holes on the outward nine are the start of what will be an exciting round of mountain golf.
The (soon to be) back nine takes you on a roller coaster ride through the mountains, with huge elevation changes. In addition to challenging golf holes, you’ll enjoy stunning scenery, including breathtaking views of Cold Mountain.
In addition to very affordable membership opportunities, Springdale offers some of the best Stay and Play golf packages in the North Carolina Mountains. All packages include lodging, a daily breakfast buffet, golf, golf cart, family style dinners, and daily housekeeping service. Many of the vegetables are grown in Springdale’s gardens, so come hungry. All rental units can accommodate at least four people in each unit.
Springdale offers guests a variety of accommodations including golf villas, roundhouses (literally) and cottages. The Golf Watch Villas are the resort’s premium accommodations and overlook the 10 and 11 holes and feature 2 large bedrooms – one on each side of the villa – with the living room and kitchen in the middle. Each bedroom has 2 full size beds
The modus operandi hasn’t changed much since the days of Fred and Eunice Tingle. When you book a stay and play golf package at Springdale Country Club, here’s what a typical day consists of:
- Drive your golf cart up to the clubhouse for breakfast.
- Enjoy your southern buffet breakfast and head to the first tee (or driving range if you’re really committed) with a full belly.
- Play the front nine.
- Pick up snacks and beverages at the turn and get ready to take on the back nine.
- Play the back nine.
- Return to the clubhouse, lie to others in your group about your best shots on The Springdale Spasm.
- Enjoy a family style dinner.
- Drive your cart back to your accommodations, relax and get ready to do it all again the next day.