Olde Beau Golf and Country Club

The Par 3 course at Olde Beau Golf and Country Club sits in Roaring Gap, a small mountain community in the Blue Ridge range of northwestern North Carolina. Bruce Satterfield designed this short course as a complement to the club's regulation layout, providing members with a walkable option that emphasizes iron play and green reading in the mountain terrain. The elevation changes and natural contours typical of this region shape the character of the holes. Roaring Gap developed as a summer retreat in the early twentieth century, and the area's golf facilities reflect this seasonal resort tradition. The Par 3 course serves both as a practice ground for members working on their short game and as a social venue where families and groups can play a quicker round. The mountain setting means the course experiences cooler temperatures than the Piedmont courses to the east, and the growing season and playing conditions follow the rhythms of the high country. Satterfield, who has worked on various courses in the Carolinas, designed the layout to fit naturally into the wooded mountain landscape. The routing takes advantage of the available terrain without requiring extensive earthmoving. For members of Olde Beau, the Par 3 course offers variety within the club's golf program and a way to enjoy the mountain environment in a more relaxed format than the full eighteen-hole course demands.