In 2020, GOLF Magazine chose our Orchard Course as one of the best 25 par-3 courses in the world. An innovative 9-hole, par-3 course constructed in 2014, the Orchard Course offers a fun and informal playing experience on holes ranging from 50 to 130 yards. Designed by our own course architect and Member Bobby Weed, it includes the same rustic authenticity and turf of the main course. Without formal tees, players can exercise creativity through traversing unconventional cross-coun-try routes. Players typically choose just a few clubs to carry with them in the smaller golf bags we provide and hang on horseshoes at the first hole. The Orchard Course gives members alight-hearted, yet challenging golf experience with intense short-game practice in less than an hour’s time.
There are 9 holes ranging from 50 up to 130 yards in the normal routing of the course. In addition, the layout lends itself to “cross-country” play, with you picking any green you see and playing to it. There are unlimited options on different shots you can play and it has already proved to be an enjoyable way to get some short-game practice. Please call the Golf Shop at (276) 669-1042 if you have any questions or would like more information on The Orchard Course.
A Word from The Course Designer: Bobby Weed, ASGCA
Commissioned by founder Jim McGlothlin, The innovative 9-hole Orchard Course was fashioned one feature at a time, just like the original layout. The objective for this project was to add an informal, on-property golf amenity that complemented the full scale course. When the Club’s practice area was relocated several years ago to a more spacious, all-encompassing site, the original 7-acre range was left without a specific use. The sharp, condensed topography of the original range lent itself to creating a series of exciting, shorter shots. The Orchard Course skips over the undulating ground with the same light touch that has served the main course well. The rustic authenticity of The Olde Farm is carried through onto The Orchard Course. Locust posts & fencerows accentuate the same turf sward of bentgrass, turf-type tall fescue and fine fescue. Groves of cherry, apple and plum trees nestle between the holes, while thickets of blueberries and blackberries define the perimeter. The result is a unique, rollicking short course set amongst the sights and smells of Appalachian farmland. A new, expanded putting green has also been fashioned for member and guest use, and the entire complex is within close proximity to the clubhouse and cottages.
The Orchard Course encourages a carefree imagination when playing. It accommodates clockwise, counter-clockwise and cross-country routes. This flexibility conjures up the possibility of all types of shots, resulting in casual, engaging play on an ever-changing basis. Yardages vary between 55 and 125 yards and could even play longer, depending on the route chosen. There is a double green, a ball-splitter green, uphill shots, downhill shots and semi-blind shots. The 9 greens are small, averaging only 2,000 square feet. A scattering of bunkers add interest and strategy, while the close cut surrounds offer short game intrigue.
There are no formal tees on The Orchard Course. Players walk off each green and tee off wherever they desire or agree to…. a protocol reminiscent of the game’s origins, when golfers began the next hole within two club lengths of where the last putt was holed out. Perhaps a sidehill, uphill or downhill shot will be selected; even a bunker shot could be chosen! Because there are no limits to one’s creativity and imagination, the possibilities on The Orchard Course will be endless! So, throw a few clubs in a burlap-gunnysack and enjoy a pleasant late afternoon jaunt on The Orchard Course at The Olde Farm.