The Omni Grove Park Inn

Excellent pro shop and starter experience

The layout was solid as you would expect from a Ross design. The Par 3’s were outstanding golf holes

Unfortunately the greens were not good at all and disappointing. In clear need of a lot of TLC. Thin in spots, but mostly very bumpy and furry. Green conditions were not worthy of the Ross design, Omni Resorts golf brand, nor the almost $200 weekday green fee.

Conditions warrant a $80-$90 weekday green fee.

Very tough Donald Ross mountain course. Fabulous views.

I recently played a late morning round. At $200, I expected a premium experience reflective of the Donald Ross design and the resort’s reputation. Unfortunately, the round fell far short of those expectations.

To start with the positives: the clubhouse is charming and historic, consistent with the feel of an old-school resort. Marcus, the starter, was exceptionally friendly and provided a thorough overview of the course and traffic that day. The grounds crew was courteous, making an effort to pause when I approached something I appreciated and have rarely seen done so consistently.

However, the quality of the golf experience ends there. I’ve played more than 20 Donald Ross courses, and this is by far the most disappointing. The greens were running no more than a 5 or 6 on the stimpmeter, shockingly slow for a Ross layout and frankly a disservice to his design principles. The course had the bones of something special, but the execution felt tired and poorly managed.

Pace of play was the biggest issue. I was hoping for a relatively quick round, especially on a Tuesday. I played the first eight holes in about 90 minutes before catching a twosome who failed to let me play through, even as I waited on every shot from holes 9 to 14. When they finally waved me through, I caught up to another group of four, two walkers and two riders in separate carts, who again didn’t extend the courtesy to let me through. I ultimately skipped hole 16 out of frustration and still waited 20 minutes on the 18th tee behind two more groups. A single ranger on the course could have resolved all of this.

Additional amenities were underwhelming. I tried ordering food from the 8th hole via the cart system, but it never was received, apparently the grill wasn’t checking their tablet. For a $200 experience, these are basic service elements that should be functioning.

If you’re staying at the resort, the convenience of the course is admittedly hard to beat. But that’s about the only compelling reason to play here. For the price, I’ve played municipal and semi-private tracks at a fraction of the cost that were better conditioned, more organized, and far more enjoyable.

Final verdict: This course feels like it’s coasting on its name and location. With a modest investment in course management (a ranger would go a long way), it could be elevated back to the standard you’d expect from a Donald Ross design. Until then, this is a one-and-done for me.

First time playing here. Great mountain Donald Ross design. Lots of elevation changes, challenging greens, fantastic views. Would definitely recommend despite the pricey green fees

First time playing the course and I enjoy the old school Donald Ross design. Definitely a mountain course with many elevation changes and typical tricky Ross greens. Course was in fantastic condition with very good and smooth bent greens at 11+. Despite it being Memorial Day holiday it was not crowded playing in less than 3 1/2 hours. Strongly recommend if you are in the Asheville area.

I love Donald Ross courses, Especially when they are still true to how they were built. We played this course on a wonderful Saturday during some really tough conditions. We were extremely impressed by the staff and how well the course was maintained even during a major drought. We will be back and I highly recommend this course to anyone. It is short but very tight.

I’ve played this course twice and enjoyed the experience each time. Fairways are in great condition and even at a 8.5 stump, the greens were tough! If the green fees were $50-$75, I’d play this course 2-3 times a month. Even with a discount, it was $100, usually $150.

Course and staff were great. It was a little wet, cart path only day, but a beautiful day to play for the first time. I will say the Course was a good challenge with the hills and terrain. Harder than the courses I usually play. I truly enjoyed the play and the day. Will definitely play again next time I'm up in Asheville.

First class service, first class golf course. Fantastic conditions and tranquil setting. Course sits a beautiful Asheville neighborhood - worth the money.

Played 18 today in 5.5 hours. Backed up the entire 18. Every single tee box and green needs maintenance. Tons of unprepared pitch marks on the greens. They’ve also lost a few areas of a few greens.

Paid over $200 for weekend morning. Easily worst course I’ve ever played for a price near that.

Don’t be fooled by the sub-6,000 yardage on the card. Ross laid out this lush Golden Age course on the side of a mountain, making it play longer than imagined.

All of the par 5s play under 500 yards, but if you don’t hit the fairway off the tee you will be scrambling for a score. I thought the short par 4s were standouts, particularly the sixth and 13th (best green on the property).

Seemingly every hole provides views of the Blue Ridge mountains or the historic inn.