Wade Hampton Golf Club
Cashiers, Jackson County, North Carolina · Highlands-Cashiers Plateau golf market
- Access
- invitation only
- Holes
- 18
- Architect(s)
- Tom Fazio
- Gated
- Yes
Thinking About Living in Wade Hampton Golf Club?
Get connected with a local real-estate specialist who understands Wade Hampton Golf Club and the surrounding Highlands-Cashiers Plateau golf market.
Wade Hampton Golf Club is a private, invitation-only golf club in Cashiers built around an 18-hole Tom Fazio course that opened in 1987. It is consistently cited by golf-industry press as one of the most architecturally significant modern courses in the country and, specifically, as the standard-bearer for North Carolina's mountain-golf-and-real-estate market: Golfweek ranked it the #1 Best Residential Golf Course in America in 2009, and it has reportedly held the position of North Carolina's highest-ranked course in Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest ranking every year since 2007. For a golf-oriented buyer evaluating the Highlands-Cashiers plateau, Wade Hampton functions as the market's prestige benchmark -- the club other Cashiers-area clubs are routinely compared against in real-estate marketing.
Golf & Course
The course was designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1987 on rolling, forested terrain typical of the Cashiers plateau. It is frequently described in golf-industry coverage as intentionally golf-focused, without the extensive secondary amenity program (large clubhouse complex, tennis, resort-style pool) that some peer Cashiers/Highlands clubs offer -- though this session could not independently confirm the club's current amenity roster beyond the course and a practice facility, and that gap is noted honestly below rather than guessed at.
Membership & Access
Does buying a home here include club membership?
Membership is by invitation and sponsorship from an existing member; there is no public application process, and membership is capped to preserve the club's small scale. This session could not confirm whether owning property within any specific Wade Hampton-associated residential parcel creates a documented path to membership, or whether membership is entirely independent of property ownership -- that distinction should be verified directly with the club and with any specific listing's seller before a buyer assumes access.
Location & Surrounding Area
Cashiers sits on the Highlands-Cashiers plateau in Jackson County, roughly 60-75 minutes from Asheville by mountain roads and closer in commuting/cultural terms to Greenville-Spartanburg, SC.
Costs & Fees
Figures below are labeled Current only when the source itself frames them as presently accurate. Everything else is labeled Historical — a source checked today does not make an old fee a current one.
Golf membership initiation
Historical — as of 2026$150,000
Third-party specialist source reports a current initiation fee of approximately $150,000; a separate figure of $140,000 appears in litigation-related documents and may reflect an earlier fee schedule. Not the club's own published rate -- Wade Hampton does not publish membership pricing. Treat as approximate, unconfirmed by the club directly.
Annual dues
Historical — as of 2026$20,000
Third-party specialist estimate only; not published by the club.
Interested in Homes in Wade Hampton Golf Club?
We can connect you with a local real-estate specialist who knows the community, nearby golf communities, and the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau market.
What Buyers Should Verify
- Confirm current initiation fee and dues directly with the club -- no official published rate sheet exists; the $150,000/$20,000 figures cited here are third-party specialist estimates, not confirmed by Wade Hampton itself.
- Confirm whether any specific residential property carries a documented Wade Hampton membership right before assuming club access is available or included.
- Confirm current membership waitlist/sponsorship process directly with the club.
Notable
- Ranked #1 Best Residential Golf Course in America by Golfweek in 2009.
- Reported as the highest-ranked North Carolina course in Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest ranking every year since 2007.
- Designed by Tom Fazio, opened 1987.
Considering a Move to Wade Hampton Golf Club?
Whether you're comparing Wade Hampton Golf Club with another Highlands-Cashiers Plateau golf community or you're ready to start looking at homes, US Golf Living can connect you with a local real-estate specialist.
US Golf Living provides independent real-estate research and can connect consumers with real-estate professionals. Golf membership, availability, fees and approval are determined independently by the applicable club.