Highlands Falls Country Club is a private, gated golf community high on the Highlands Plateau, about two miles from the shops and restaurants of downtown Highlands. The community covers nearly 550 acres at an elevation of about 3,800 feet, with long mountain views and the headwaters of the Cullasaja River running through the property.
The club's roots go back to 1958, when its founders purchased the original land. It opened in 1963 as Sky Lake Golf Course, a nine-hole public course, and was renamed Highlands Falls Country Club in 1972. Today members enjoy golf, croquet, tennis, pickleball, bridge, fishing, swimming, fitness, and dining, plus a few surprises, like a yacht club for racing radio-controlled boats.
The course's signature hole is the par-3 15th, played from a rock ledge at the base of a 100-foot waterfall formed by the headwaters of the Cullasaja River. Golf Digest's senior architecture editor, Ron Whitten, has ranked it among the most memorable par 3s in golf. The 18-hole layout covers about 6,300 yards with more than 250 feet of elevation change, and ponds or streams come into play on 13 of the 18 holes.
Originally designed by Joe Lee, the course was reimagined by architect Bill Bergin of Bergin Golf Designs. Working within the original corridors, Bergin drew on golden age design principles: he shifted greens, reduced sand around them to favor the ground game, and added miles of drainage so the fairways play firm, a rare condition on a mountain course. The result offers risk-and-reward options that reward strategy at every skill level.
Executive Chef Shawn Olah leads a kitchen focused on refined mountain cuisine with health-focused options. Members dine in the Main Dining Room, the casual Overlook Grille, or outdoors in the club's pavilions, and the clubhouse's decks, large windows, and indoor-outdoor bar take full advantage of the views.
Highlands Falls is home to the second-largest croquet club in the country and the largest regulation croquet lawn on the Highlands Plateau, with a covered pavilion for players and spectators. The club offers weekly play, twilight matches, tournaments, and instruction, including exhibitions by international professionals.
The Tennis Center has three outdoor Har-Tru courts open daily for round robins, open play, and clinics, with a tennis professional on staff. Pickleball players have eight courts with organized play, weekly clinics, and private lessons.
The fitness center has mountain views from every window and door, along with fitness classes, modern equipment, two certified trainers, and licensed massage therapists. Specialized wellness services include acupuncture.
The heated pool offers lap swimming, aquafit classes, and food and drink service from the clubhouse bar. Six ponds in the community are stocked with bass and trout for year-round fishing. Bridge is a club tradition, with twice-weekly duplicate games, interclub competition, and an annual member-guest tournament.
Club amenities are available to members. Membership is subject to club approval.
The community includes about 350 mountain homesites set within its gated entrance, many with long-range mountain views.
Interested in Highlands Falls Country Club? Call our Highlands office at 828-239-8814 →
There's plenty to do around Highlands Falls Country Club, including shopping, dining, nightlife, parks, and more. Data provided by Walk Score and Yelp.
Explore popular things to do in the area, including Edelweiss Highlands Pastry Boutique , Dollar General, and Outpost Inn.
| Name | Category | Distance | Reviews |
Ratings by
Yelp
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dining | 1.17 miles | 21 reviews | 4.9/5 stars | |
| Dining | 1.17 miles | 2 reviews | 2.5/5 stars | |
| Dining | 1.26 miles | 5 reviews | 4.4/5 stars | |
| Dining | 1.31 miles | 0 reviews | 0/5 stars | |
| Dining · $ | 1.32 miles | 7 reviews | 4.9/5 stars | |
| Dining | 1.34 miles | 0 reviews | 0/5 stars | |
| Dining | 1.34 miles | 1 review | 3/5 stars | |
| Dining | 1.39 miles | 1 review | 5/5 stars | |
| Dining | 1.39 miles | 45 reviews | 3.9/5 stars | |
| Dining | 1.41 miles | 8 reviews | 5/5 stars | |
| Shopping | 0.6 miles | 0 reviews | 0/5 stars | |
| Shopping | 1.38 miles | 0 reviews | 0/5 stars | |
| Active | 0.79 miles | 2 reviews | 5/5 stars | |
| Active | 0.85 miles | 2 reviews | 5/5 stars | |
| Active | 1.08 miles | 0 reviews | 0/5 stars | |
| Active | 1.39 miles | 0 reviews | 0/5 stars | |
| Active | 1.4 miles | 0 reviews | 0/5 stars | |
| Nightlife | 1.4 miles | 13 reviews | 3.8/5 stars | |
| Beauty | 0.4 miles | 0 reviews | 0/5 stars | |
| Beauty | 0.79 miles | 0 reviews | 0/5 stars | |
| Beauty | 1.04 miles | 0 reviews | 0/5 stars | |
| Beauty | 1.04 miles | 0 reviews | 0/5 stars | |
| Beauty | 1.29 miles | 0 reviews | 0/5 stars | |
| Beauty | 1.34 miles | 18 reviews | 4.3/5 stars | |
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217 people live in Highlands Falls Country Club, where the median age is 71 and the average individual income is $103,214. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Total Population
Median Age
Population Density Population Density This is the number of people per square mile in a neighborhood.
Average individual Income
The homes below are just the start. Some of the best properties in our mountain communities change hands quietly, before they ever hit the market. Our local team knows these neighborhoods street by street, from club membership rules and HOA details to which homes have the views, the privacy, or the room to build. Tell us what you are looking for, and we will help you find it.
Interested in this community? Call our office at 828-239-8814 →
Mountain Life Properties is a local team based in Highlands at 134 Maple Street, serving buyers and sellers across the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau. Whether you're buying, selling, or just starting to explore, fill out your information below and one of our team members will get back to you.
