On the Blue Ridge
On the Blue Ridge features conversations with people shaping the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hosted by Asheville-based journalist Jon Page, the show explores the ideas, creativity, and vision driving Western North Carolina forward.
Through long-form interviews and on-location storytelling, each episode captures the evolving story of these mountains. The conversations focus on people doing meaningful and inspiring work across the region, from conservation and outdoor recreation to the arts, agriculture, food and beverage, entrepreneurship, and beyond.
On the Blue Ridge
Steve Shand and Jeff Tyrrell on Preparing The Cliffs at Walnut Cove for the PGA Tour
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Steve Shand is the Golf Course Superintendent at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, where he’s spent more than a decade caring for its Jack Nicklaus Signature course. Jeff Tyrrell is Director of Operations at The Cliffs, helping oversee operations across the organization’s seven communities.
This September, their work will take on a much bigger stage when The Cliffs at Walnut Cove hosts the Biltmore Championship Asheville, the first PGA Tour event in Asheville in 80 years.
The tournament takes place Sept. 17-20, with Biltmore Estate and Explore Asheville serving as co-title sponsors. Explore Asheville projects the event will generate $15 million to $30 million in direct spending at local businesses, along with more than $100,000 for area nonprofits.
The Cliffs is a collection of seven private mountain and lake communities across the Carolinas, and The Cliffs at Walnut Cove sits in a valley just south of Asheville, bordered by Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
In this episode, Steve and Jeff take us behind the scenes of what it takes to transform Walnut Cove into a PGA Tour venue, from building grandstands and television compounds to preparing the course itself. We talk about the challenges of maintaining a championship golf course in the mountains (including the occasional bear that takes off with a flagstick), and what it means to showcase Western North Carolina to a national audience nearly two years after Hurricane Helene.
Biltmore Championship Asheville
biltmorechampionship.com
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The Cliffs
The Cliffs at Walnut Cove
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Theme Music
The song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.
Learn more about On the Blue Ridge and sign up for updates at ontheblueridgepod.com.
It is a true responsibility not only to represent our club and our members, uh, but to you know represent uh Western North Carolina, Asheville in a proud way.
SPEAKER_00And I really, really hope that folks from across the country and across the world see this and decide to come visit us here in Asheville, right? To see what we've got and how great it is. And for us to be a part of that's gonna be great.
SPEAKER_02Today, on the Blue Ridge, our guests are Steve Shand and Jeff Terrell, two of the people preparing the Cliffs at Walnut Cove to host the Biltmore Championship Asheville, the first PGA tour event here in 80 years. I'm your host, John Page. Let's begin. The Biltmore Championship Asheville is coming to the cliffs at Walnut Cove this September 17th through 20th. Biltmore Estate and Explore Asheville are serving as co-title sponsors, and the tournament is expected to bring a significant economic boost to the region. Explore Asheville projects fifteen to thirty million dollars in direct spending at local businesses, along with more than $100,000 in proceeds for area nonprofits. The Cliffs is a collection of seven private mountain and lake communities across the Carolinas, and the Cliffs at Walnut Cove sits in a valley just south of Asheville, bordered by Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Jeff Terrell is Director of Operations at the Cliffs, where he helps oversee operations across the organization. He joined the Cliffs in 2017 and has worked in private club management for nearly two decades. Steve Shand, meanwhile, is the golf course superintendent at Walnut Cove. He spent more than a decade caring for its Jack Nicholas signature course. In this episode, Steve and Jeff take us behind the scenes of what it takes to transform Walnut Cove into a PGA tour venue, from building grandstands and television compounds to preparing the course itself. We talk about the challenges of maintaining a championship golf course in the mountains, including the occasional bear that takes off with a flagstick and what it means to showcase Western North Carolina to a national audience nearly two years after Hurricane Helene. To start our conversation, I asked why non-golfers should be excited about the fact that Asheville is hosting a PGA tour event. Here's Jeff.
SPEAKER_01I think the exciting uh uh element of this event coming to Asheville and to Western North Carolina is it's it's really centered around uh showing that Asheville is open for business. Um post-Hurricane Helene uh is is as we all know, uh, you know, everyone in the area was uh impacted in a negative way. Uh hospitality and tourism, um restaurants uh have really taken a hit. Uh they're on the rebound. But uh bringing this golf tournament uh it goes well beyond golf. It's it's a way to reintroduce uh Asheville in a very positive way uh to viewers uh around the world. And and we all know that Asheville is uh uh uh a beautiful place to live, to play, uh but for folks coming here, uh showing them you know what Southern hospitality uh in Asheville means, the the myriad of uh breweries, outdoor adventures, uh the surrounding area, uh you know, come come see us. And this is a way to put that spotlight uh on our region.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Powell Yeah. And there's the you know, the numbers that came out recently that you know spending in the area is still down. So like we still do need these pickups, right? Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And and with you know, Explore Asheville's involvement and and built more um the the the economic impact uh forecast uh for you know hotels, restaurants, uh the different businesses in the area, you know, this is gonna be a very beneficial thing for our region, you know, both in the uh the acute sense, the week of the championship, uh, but I think for years, uh years to come, uh it just it helps put that spotlight uh on Asheville and and what you can do here.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Powell You you mentioned, Jeff, the you know, the years ahead, but I I would love to go back. The tournament was announced publicly last November, I think. But how long before that had conversations been happening, you know, behind the scenes? Like what what where where does all this go back to?
SPEAKER_01Aaron Powell Yeah, you know, it it really goes back to Vic Isley uh with Explore Asheville and her connection with the PGA tour through uh former uh position she was in and uh her looking for ways to to really uh shine a light on Asheville and and to quote her, you know, that Asheville is open for business. So we were approached uh early last year um to gauge our interest in the event uh and and being the host facility for the championship. Uh there's a a lot of layers that go into hosting something of this level. So uh initial site visits started in late April, early May uh with the PJ Tour. So uh initially they have to determine, you know, is the golf course uh suitable and capable for hosting championship golf? And I think, you know, not to speak for the tour, but you know, Steve obviously was uh in on those. I I think they they realized very quickly uh that our golf course from a quality standard uh and and from a a test of golf was very suitable to hold the championship. The next layer becomes infrastructure. And, you know, there's uh and I'm sure we'll get into this later uh in our discussion today, uh, but uh uh there are a lot of moving parts, uh a lot of physical space uh needed to host a championship of this level. And so that was kind of that second layer is how do we uh how do we execute the championship beyond golf? And so those uh those started to tie up uh later, later in the summer, early fall, and then then we were able to uh uh to get a deal uh put together uh with uh the Biltmore Championship. Asheville uh is here.
SPEAKER_02What what was your, and this is for both of you, like what what was your reaction when you, you know, you finally knew that it was going to happen here?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, very excited and proud, uh proud to showcase my team and and the course.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I I think for us and you know, with our ownership group, uh Henderson Park and South Street Partners, you know, it's a way to be a great community partner as well. So uh we're excited to showcase uh Western North Carolina, Asheville, uh, but to do our part to help rebuild uh you know what what is such a special place and and you know, we are part of the the greater community uh outside of our gates at the cliffs at Walnut Cove and we're so uh proud and honored to be able to participate in in putting Asheville back on the map. You know, another great thing to hit on with uh Builtmore Championship Asheville is is the the charitable component. You know, PJ Tour uh is given billions of dollars to charity over the years through their championships. And so, you know, beyond just the the economic impact to local businesses, uh the philanthropic efforts of the tour through the championship, you know, one local organization that was really hit hard during Hurricane Helene is the Mana Food Bank, and they're gonna be a direct recipient. Uh, and the Cliffs is proud to partner uh as part of that effort with Mana.
SPEAKER_02And you you talk about Asheville as a special place, but what what makes this course here such a special place?
SPEAKER_00Uh it's the architecture, the where it is with the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Blue Ridge Parkway is right behind us. Um it's just an amazing setting.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's it's a Jack Nicholas signature golf course. Um we celebrated our 25th anniversary last year and uh twentieth anniversary, pardon me, 20th anniversary uh last year. And you know, Jack uh did a personalized video to our members and you know, he just comments about what a beautiful piece of property is, what a special piece of property, and you know, the golf courses is uh really it it fits with the surroundings, as Steve said, of the the Blue Ridge Parkway, the mountains. You you feel like it's been here for a hundred years and that it was supposed to be here.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I will say I I drive that section of the parkway probably once a week just to go hike or run or you know, just drive because it's uh five minutes from my house and it's there. Uh and so I, you know, I see this course all the time. This is my first time driving in here, and driving in here and then seeing that backdrop is really stunning.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it it is. It's uh, you know, we're we're blessed to get to to work in a in a place this beautiful and uh yeah, you kind of have to pinch yourself every day you come to work.
SPEAKER_02Are are there any spots on the course that like you know have like just incredible views from like a golf standpoint that are that are special to you guys?
SPEAKER_00I don't I don't think it's any better than tournament two. It's it's awesome. It's a long, challenging part three, but the backdrop is the parkway. And when the leaves are changing, it doesn't get any better than that.
SPEAKER_02How how much is mountain golf different from golf in in other parts of the country and and how does this landscape shape like both the the way the the course plays and the way that it's maintained?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so you know, mountain golf provides uh uh some very unique aspects. And you know, we have uh water features throughout the golf course that that feel very natural uh as part of the surroundings. Um the you know, one of the biggest uh challenges is uh your ball goes a little further. So, you know, calculating in uh altitude, um, but then also how your putts will break can get influenced um uh by the, you know, by where mountains are and and uh uh can push the ball you know away from them. So green reading, uh calculating your effective yardage uh becomes a challenge. And then just the routing of the golf course, you know, uh Jack Nicholas did an amazing job here uh you know, making you maneuver your way uh around the golf course pretty methodically. Um so it's gonna be a great test of golf for the players.
SPEAKER_02So if I was used to playing like at the beach mainly and then I came here, I'm gonna see like my ball drive a little bit farther, is what you're saying.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, depending on time of year, you could be looking at six to eight percent further.
SPEAKER_00Oh wow. Okay. Yeah, for sure. Because we're the course sits about twenty-two to twenty five hundred feet in elevation. So you're gonna gain quite a bit. That's definitely noticeable, which is good. And I need all the help I can get.
SPEAKER_02Um I think when most uh most people hear like PGA tour, they think about the golfers. Um, they they probably don't think about the people who are getting the course ready, who are uh, you know, readying the tournament. What what do you all wish that that people knew about like and and understood about what it takes to get a venue like this ready for a PGA event? Yeah, you want to talk about the golf course?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's a great question. Um You know, our goal is always to have tournament conditions, right? That's our our hope and dream for the members every day. So with tour preparation coming in, there's there's just some nuances that we're trying to accomplish from the depth of the rough. That's probably gonna be one that's gonna challenge them the most. Um typically, you know, we'll run that rough at about two inches, two and a half inches, where you can see your golf ball. Well, we've been prepping the rough for the last few months to be ready to come up in height to challenge the players. I think by the time the tour tees off, I mean, it's gonna be close to five, six inches. So think about that, right? If you're you're just got a new subway six-inch sub and you drop it straight down, you could lose that sub in the grass in the rough. Um a tour player could Steve drives it so straight, he's never uh but there's to your point, there's so much behind the scenes and there's so much moving moving parts right now. Um you might not have seen behind us the scaffoldings going in. There um, you know, the vendors are coming in, uh, food and beverage. Uh there's just so many layers of people that are on property and and um navigating that is has been has been great. They're working hard and everyone's um going in the same direction, which is awesome.
SPEAKER_02I was a couple minutes late because I got stuck behind coming in in here, uh a big truck carrying like some gigantic piece of equipment that I could only assume had something to do with that.
SPEAKER_01I'm sure it did. And you know, that the the when when we think about this championship and what it takes to come to life, thousands of people, right? Uh uh great support of of local small business uh is gonna be featured uh here in the championship. Over a thousand volunteers uh are are gonna be on property during championship week. So those are people that are uh committed to make this thing come to life. And so, you know, when we look at it holistically, beyond just playing golf, um uh, you know, from the hospitality builds outs that Steve mentioned and the number of contractors involved in that uh to the food and beverage offerings, to the national media presence, to being uh on golf channel uh internationally, um there's a there's a lot of uh a lot of moving parts and a lot of people. Uh and one of the things that's been great with uh our relationship with the PGA Tour for Biltmore Championship Asheville is they really do like to keep it local uh at every opportunity they can uh when it comes to subcontractors and getting folks in here uh to um help bring this thing out of the ground to life. So it's been great to be a part of that.
SPEAKER_02What what are some of like the biggest uh challenges and hurdles and things to to to make it happen physically? Like I've been I've been looking at Instagram and seeing the like the grandstands going in. Is it that or is it something else?
SPEAKER_01Aaron Powell Yeah, I think you know, one of the uh putting on uh and you're obviously you know a media guy, but putting on uh a nationally or internationally televised broadcast is is is a bigger lift than than I would have uh anticipated when it just comes to the the infrastructure requirements, the number of people, uh and I'll I I don't want to quote it because I'll get the the number wrong, but the the miles of fiber that'll be drug around the the property uh you know to be able to support that. Um uh that's that's probably been the thing that I've found the most interesting and and unexpected is just what it takes to bring a broadcast of that level uh to life.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, agreed. There's a lot. And they're they're very protected of that cable. So that's been one of the uh discussions very early on is not cutting the fiber optic cable. Okay. Yeah, because it's an it's literally like Jeff said, it goes all around the property. So it's a physical cable that ties back to the broadcast uh facility.
SPEAKER_02J just to make sure that everything gets on TV, basically.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, exactly. So you're gonna have camera towers uh across the property, you're gonna have roving cameras, uh so you know it's yeah, it it's a it's it's pretty impressive to see.
SPEAKER_00You know, what's also really interesting is as we're doing this right now and we're still fully open to members, and it's great. The crews have been working with the members, and the members have been so supportive uh with what's going on, and um it's just kind of interesting to watch those forklifts and stuff running around and and golf still is still happening. So we're still trying to to make sure we bridge that gap and and make sure our members are are still having a good experience when they're here on the course.
SPEAKER_02When does the the course kind of shut down before the tournament itself? Like is there are there a few days where like members aren't gonna be able to play or what is it?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there are. So the uh the championship proper uh starts Thursday, September 17th and runs through that Sunday. Uh the Saturday before the championship is when uh you know, I I guess you could say the tour uh uh is in charge, right? And so uh at that point we close to our members uh and it becomes a tour venue uh with uh a pro am. So there'll be practice rounds uh for the PJ tour players Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. And then Wednesday will be a pro-am uh that has uh received great support uh both from Cliff's members and from uh the public at large uh to participate in that. And so that's where three amateurs will get to play with a touring professional and uh a great event that day with the championship starting that Thursday.
SPEAKER_02Okay, awesome. K kind of getting back to the course, like to to get it ready for PGA tour play. Like when did that start?
SPEAKER_00I I would say that started the day that we agreed to have the event.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, and and really Steve Steve hit on this earlier. You know, our goal is to to produce championship quality every single day for for our members and their guests. Uh as Steve said, there's some some dynamics that change when you're hosting a championship of this caliber to provide a challenge, uh a higher level of challenge to the best players on the planet.
SPEAKER_00Oh, for sure. Yeah. So what to your point, once we decided we're gonna make this decision to host the event, that's we really the planning started immediately. Um, looking at how are we gonna prep? I want to get the turf to where I want it to present as best as we can when we get ready to go. So really planning and starting to uh get equipment in line, right? We've got to bring in a handful of additional equipment, and we're fortunate enough we're gonna have 40 volunteers just in my department alone.
SPEAKER_02Oh, wow.
SPEAKER_00So my department's gonna grow to over 60 for that week, which is awesome. Got great people and just the support was immediate. Uh phone calls from friends in the area that just were excited to be a part of it, the inaugural event. And um, I was able to fill out my vision of what I wanted to have. It took no time at all. So we've got great support from the other courses that we have down the hill. So six other properties um in top of other professionals in the area and some friends from even outside the area.
SPEAKER_02Okay. What are are there things that you're measuring on a daily basis? Like, is it the things like, you know, literally measuring the inches of the rough? Are there other things that you're paying attention to as you make sure that things are going to be ready to go?
SPEAKER_00Sure. Great question. We always keeping an eye on green speed. Um, big thing for us is moisture. We really the goal is always to be as dry as possible. And so that's something that we are we're always highly in tune with that, but even more so now leading up to the event, um, proper moisture is is key to success, especially in the in the heat of the summer right now.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I I'm also wondering just because living around here, you know, bears wander through my backyard, uh, deer wander through. Uh uh how do you how do you manage that? Because you're essentially managing a landscape here, not just a golf course.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, absolutely. We have lots of bear, uh, plenty of deer, hawks, uh, eagle comes by every now and again, which is pretty cool. Um the bears love, love, love to play with the flagsticks. So they uh we are gonna have extra on hand for the tournament because they'll come out of the woods and they'll literally play with it and they'll take it with them or they'll they'll snap it, or you know, they love to be. So um I would be I'd be more surprised if we don't have a bear on camera during tournament.
SPEAKER_02I was gonna say, I mean, it would make good television.
SPEAKER_00I think they I think it'd be fantastic to have a couple come out on the back nine and just kind of roam through.
SPEAKER_01Very authentic. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00On on cue. Come on. This is Asheville. This is Asheville. Right, exactly. Yeah. The deer come by and then and then the bear comes wandering through. No, we are because of the surroundings, we've got with the parkway and we've got national forest that um comes around a few of our holes on our front nine. So there's just the habitat is fantastic right under the parkway there. So there's a lot of bear that come out there and roam around and um they just kind of intermingle with with golf and and with us all day.
SPEAKER_02Are there certain parts of of this job where it's uh just leaving the landscape alone, basically?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we try. So we my team and I we manage about 250 acres. On the course. But we've got about over a hundred of that is native, where really low inputs kind of let it grow up, let it be habitat, you know, keeping it clean and presentable, but an area where we're not in it a lot. And that's been a, you know, been a great area again to see wildlife and and habitat kind of thrive.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And we look at that as a, you know, it really accentuates uh the golf course and and the design features of the golf course where it uh like I said earlier, it feels like it's been here and it's purposeful. The the native areas that Steve mentioned, that really helps that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. What do you think, you know, when when you talk to folks uh in other parts of the country, you talk to folks who, you know, r run golf courses at at a beach. What surprises people about caring for a golf course in the Blue Ridge Mountains?
SPEAKER_00The amount of rain we get. Because, you know, we talk to a lot of folks all over the country, we've especially the last few years, um, this valley that we're in, we get a lot of rain here. Not as much as if you go up to Brevard or you go up to Highlands and Cashers, but you know, this valley that Walnut Cove sits in is a wet piece of land and we get a lot of rain, which is great, but I would say that's one that a lot of my uh friends around the country when we talk, just going, is it raining there again? I said, Yeah, it's it's raining again.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and we, you know, I'd say the other thing, Steve, too, is you know, for for the southeast being uh a true cool season grass golf course, having bent grass fairways, bent grass grains, Kentucky blue rough is you know definitely unique to a lot of your peers.
SPEAKER_00It is. So Asheville and through this this area of the southeast, this band is called the transition zone if you're talking turf. The transition zone means, like uh Jeff was saying, cool season grass thrives where I'm from in Maine or in Pennsylvania, cool climates that direction. And then below us, Bermuda grass, you know, does really well. So we are squarely in this thing called the transition zone, where you can kind of do both, and you're gonna have some years that one type of turf is happy, and one year it's gonna be challenging. So it's very unique in that um to Jeff's point, we are squarely in this area where it's whichever grass you choose is gonna keep you on your toes.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and that's that's where you know Steve and his expertise, his background, you know, really gives us the best opportunity to produce those championship quality uh conditions uh, you know, every single day.
SPEAKER_02Well, let's skip ahead to it's championship week. Um you know, walk me through like what a day, what you anticipate a day is going to look like. Lots of coffee. Lots and lots and lots of coffee.
SPEAKER_00Um so uh for my team, uh I kind of envision getting here at about 3:30, 345 in the morning. I have recruited my wife. Uh she's gonna come and uh thanks, Trish. Um she's gonna do registration for golf maintenance. So uh very excited about that because again, trying to navigate all the volunteers. So the vision is about 4:15, just have volunteers start coming in, have my team start arriving, get them situated. We'll do a team meeting, and then from there, the course each morning we're gonna have double T, which means we're gonna have golf going off both sides. So we'll really have two distinct teams, a front nine and a back dine, and we're uh do job assignments and then get last cup of coffee, have the team disperse and get the course ready to go, and get back in, hopefully about eight in the morning, where uh golf is on the course, and then there'll be some downtime, hopefully, which means weather is great. There's no bears playing with flag sticks, and we'll crew will come back for an evening shift. So about 2:33 o'clock, everyone will come back again, and then the same will happen. We'll break in and start working on the course for that night from detail work, filling divots, uh raking bunkers, and any prep that we want to do, greens, teas, fairways, rough, um, and then heavily moisture management. The evening is where we can fine-tune where we want to be for the uh for the next day coming up.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and then you know, during play, right, we expect thousands of fans uh to be here on property. So uh the rest of the team will be uh, you know, if you're starting golf operations, they'll be uh ensuring players have uh proper warm-up facility uh with the the driving range short game area putting green. Uh and then in the clubhouse uh we'll be providing hospitality to players and their families. So that's going to be breakfast and lunch each day. Um and then out on the course, there'll be uh a ton of hospitality offerings available uh to spectators. Everyone's favorite popcorn, poppy popcorn, is the uh popcorn sponsor of the Biltmore Championship Asheville. They've created a unique uh blend specifically for the championship, and and they're gonna be doing some great things on site as well that week. Uh a golf shop available if they want to get Biltmore Championship Asheville apparel and memorabilia. Uh, and then that'll conclude uh about 30 minutes after the last putt is hold each day.
SPEAKER_02Okay. So 3 30. What what time are you typically getting to work?
SPEAKER_00I think now this time of year? Yeah. A little after five.
SPEAKER_02Okay. So that's you're you're here early no matter what. But uh He's in an early morning profession. I guess uh the how how much for each of you does does the that idea of okay, it's championship week, how much does that excite you that that that's coming?
SPEAKER_01It's it's it's energizing. And you know, I I don't want to speak for Steve, but uh to me that's you know, championship week, that's that's the game, right? Right now uh we're we're setting ourselves up to be successful. Uh that's just gonna be the culmination of everyone's efforts leading up to that week. So so for me it's exciting. I think for our team it's exciting. Uh right now is is the lift, right? Getting prepared, uh ensuring we're setting the team up for success and that we present a great product to to the players, uh, you know, to the athletes on the PJ Tour, uh, to the fans coming and that we represent uh the Cliffs and uh Western North Carolina in a proud way.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. The team just excited and and for all their hard work leaning up to to see their their work on TV is gonna be is gonna be cool. And to watch their faces smile and be proud of what they've done to get us to this to this spot is gonna be awesome.
SPEAKER_02Are there a couple of holes that you think are gonna be uh a big challenge for people that you expect?
SPEAKER_01I you know, I I think our finish is gonna be amazing. Uh so 16, 17, and 18 is uh I don't know what Steve's opinion is, but 16's as hard as any hole on the golf course, uh probably our hardest golf hole. Uh then you you follow that up on 17 with a reachable par five, so there could be some action there. And then uh on eighteen, you know, you you saw when you came in the grandstands uh going up. Uh it's gonna present just a natural amphitheater with enhancement with the the hospitality build out around it. Uh uh and I'm excited to see where that Sunday pen's gonna be, because you're gonna see some birdies and you're gonna see some uh some oopsie daisies coming down the stretch, I think.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, 18 is gonna make for drama, no doubt. It's it's got a false front, which means it just falls off, and it's gonna be if they're off by a little bit, the comeback is gonna be a challenge. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02Uh so so obviously you you brought up a lot of rain here uh earlier, uh the tournaments taking place, you know, just a few days before the the two-year anniversary of Helene. Um I'm how much did the did the storm impact the course?
SPEAKER_00It it did. I would say the course was very fortunate. Uh infrastructure, we had no significant damage. We had trees lost. We lost some really pretty trees around the property. But here in the valley, the water didn't get as high as some other places, like where I'm in East Asheville and Swantanoa, right? It was it was devastating there. We were so fortunate in the valley here to to have lots of cleanup, but the course itself came through very, very, very well.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah. Like Steve said, the golf course came through well. Really, our community inside the gates of Walnut Cove, you know, we had some trees down, but but fared pretty well. Uh but we saw impact, you know, to to uh luxury items, right? Internet, uh cell service, things like that. Uh but outside our gates, you know, we have uh we have almost 900 team members that make up uh the Cliffs Club. And you know, Steve uh Steve was one of our most impacted uh team members. Uh and uh so I think this opportunity to to give back and and celebrate that, you know, we made it through it. Uh we made it through it together, and it it's gonna be okay. Um, you know, those personal stories, uh I think Steve was trapped on a mountain for a couple days, right?
SPEAKER_00Uh yeah, it was about eight we were up there about eight days. Oh wow.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So so this impact, you know, we felt it. We lived it. Uh we're, you know, uh we're not uh we weren't uh immune uh from what happened, right? And we're blessed that the golf course uh in our community inside the gates fared very, very well. Uh but like I say, we we have uh we have a lot of people that were impacted that make up the Cliffs family and and we're glad to be a part of this uh healing process.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Powell Yeah. I I mean, Steve, then especially for you, like what what does it mean that this tournament is happening right around the two-year anniversary and that you know the eyes of the golf world can be looking at Asheville and seeing, hey, you know, things are things are on the rebound here.
SPEAKER_00Aaron Powell Exactly. That's that's the biggest thing is is the ability to to showcase what Asheville has. Yes, we've still got a long way to go around the area, but Asheville's so resilient and we've we're still pushing ahead. And I really, really hope that folks from across the country and across the world see this and and decide to come visit us here in Asheville, right? To see what we've got and how great it is. And um, for us to be a part of that's gonna be great.
SPEAKER_02Uh I mean, knowing that so many eyes will be on this, how much of a responsibility do you all feel to you know make sure that it's all gonna go off without a hitch?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, uh no question, right? It it is it is a a true responsibility not only to to represent our our club and our members, uh, but to you know represent uh Western North Carolina, Asheville in a proud way, uh represent the the title sponsors in in Biltmore uh and explore Asheville and the PJ Tour. So uh we don't take that lightly. We're we're up for the challenge and we're energized uh by it, but uh but yeah, uh it's it's gonna be great.
SPEAKER_02What's keeping you guys up at night and this like final push towards the tournament?
SPEAKER_00The one thing I can't control, the weather. That's the that's the biggest key. So we'll we'll have plans in place and and be ready to to tackle it head on with whatever Mother Nature wants to throw at us between here and the and the final putt on Sunday.
SPEAKER_02When the gates finally open uh for the public, um what what moments do you think you all will just kind of pause and and take in, or will you be able to do that?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I I think watching those first fans uh come in and uh and see the beauty of the golf course like you mentioned today as you came in. And um i i i I think it's gonna be that that that proud moment for the the thousand plus volunteers, for the the folks that explore Asheville and and Biltmore uh the that helped bring this to life, and for our Cliff's uh team, for our our ownership group, and for our members uh to really open up our front door, right, and say, Welcome. Uh we're glad to have you, and you're gonna have a heck of a good time in one of the most beautiful places on earth.
SPEAKER_00I think it's gonna be real for me coming around the corner, seeing the grandstands full, and just watching the the spectators take it all in for the first time for a lot of them is gonna be pretty cool.
SPEAKER_02When the television cameras pan across uh the course, the Blue Ridge Mountains, what what do you hope people across the country will see? Wow, that's beautiful, and I need to come.
SPEAKER_00Yep, exactly.
SPEAKER_01Exactly.
SPEAKER_02That's all for today. Thanks again to Steve Shand and Jeff Terrell for joining me. The Biltmore Championship Asheville takes place September 17th through 20th at the Cliffs at Walnut Cove. You can learn more about the tournament and buy tickets at Biltmore Championship.com. And if you're thinking about bringing the family, up to two kids ages 15 and under are admitted free with each ticketed adult. You can learn more about the Cliffs at Cliffs Living.com, and you can find OnTheBlue Ridge online at on the blueridgepod.com and on Facebook and Instagram at OnTheBlue Ridge. And if you're enjoying this podcast, please follow or subscribe wherever you listen. Consider leaving a rating and a quick review, or share it with a friend, as it really helps more people find the show. Our theme music is the song Goa, written by Lindsay Pruitt and performed by the John Stickley Trio. Thanks for listening, and we'll catch you next time on the Blue Ridge.