Sapphire Valley at Country Club of Sapphire Valley

The Country Club of Sapphire Valley sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, near the Georgia and South Carolina borders. George Cobb designed the original layout in the 1960s, with later modifications by Bill Bergin. The course occupies a mountain valley setting at approximately 3,500 feet elevation, where the terrain and climate differ markedly from the Carolina piedmont and coastal regions.

The routing works through rolling, forested terrain typical of southern Appalachian golf courses. Elevation changes are moderate rather than severe, and the layout incorporates natural features of the mountain landscape including streams and mature hardwoods. The design reflects Cobb's regional work during an era when mountain courses in this area emphasized playability for resort and second-home communities rather than championship length or difficulty.

Sapphire Valley developed as a mountain resort community, and the golf course serves as its recreational centerpiece. The club operates in a setting where seasonal residents and visitors make up a significant portion of play, particularly during summer months when the higher elevation offers cooler temperatures. The course provides a mountain golf experience characteristic of the Cashiers-Highlands plateau region, an area known for its concentration of private clubs and resort properties that emerged during the mid-twentieth century development of western North Carolina's high country.