When Pete Dye first visited the site where Nemacolin founder Joe Hardy envisioned a golf course, he was skeptical.
“The property was an unbelievable rock pile,” Dye said. But because it was Hardy’s dream, Dye moved 21,000 tons of rock to build the layout. The project proved one of his most challenging — and many consider it among his finest works.
“You still see a lot of rock when you’re playing it,” Dye added, “but we probably buried 10 times as much rock as you can see. We blasted for six months before we even started on the doggone thing, then filled in the ravines with what we had removed.”
Before his death in 2020, Dye collaborated with designer Tim Liddy on updates that included removing many sand bunkers. Those changes softened the tournament setup (site of the PGA 84 Lumber Classic from 2003–2006) into a more player-friendly layout. Mystic Rock still measures 7,526 yards with a rating/slope of 77.0/149, but landing areas are generally generous and the greens less punitive.
“The course is special for many reasons,” said Christopher Anderson, director of Golf and Ground Operations. “There are so many environmental features — rock outcroppings, rock walls, streams, ponds, waterfalls and native areas — and the layout itself provides great shot variety and angles off the tee and into the greens.”
Tim Liddy later joined Pete and Alice Dye to design a second 18 at the resort. Opened in 2017, Shepherd’s Rock is both formidable (7,290 yards, rating/slope: 74.7/138) and captivating, with mountain views, tall grasses, lakes, wood-lined bunkers and grazing sheep. While both courses are worth playing, Mystic Rock remains a favorite for many visitors.
Nemacolin complements its memorable golf with four distinct hotels, numerous cottages and villas, more than a dozen restaurants and bars, and an impressive range of activities across every season.
Hole 2 © Donnelle Oxley
HOLE 2
473 yards, par 4
A statue of Gene Sarazen stands near the tee, one of several pieces of outdoor art scattered around the course. If your drive carries the ravine and bunker on this dogleg right, you’ll be rewarded with a relatively open angle into the right-angled green. Drives that finish left leave a tougher approach guarded by a bunker complex. “The farther back your tees are, the tougher the landing area,” Anderson noted. “The fairway narrows at the front and is guarded by bunkers on both sides.”
HOLE 5
598 yards, par 5
The course’s longest par 5 plays mostly downhill and is flanked by water on the left and bunkers on the right. There are two greens: one on the right and another on the left beside a water hazard fed by a 30-foot waterfall. On a rock island in that hazard stands a statue of John Daly, a friend of the Hardy family. Anderson calls this the most memorable hole because it offers perhaps the best vantage point on the property from the tees. The two green locations change the feel and shot selection for the approach. Aggressive players can attempt to reach in two and putt for eagle, while more conservative strategies present safer birdie opportunities.
HOLE 12
185 yards, par 3
Hole 12 also features two greens. One requires an unforgiving carry over water, with the front and right edges dropping steeply into the hazard while the left and rear slope into a grassy depression. The alternate green is a smaller target but avoids the water carry, offering a less risky option depending on conditions and tee placement.
Hole 5 © Courtesy Nemacolin
HOLE 16
525 yards, par 5
Hole 16 begins a dramatic trio of finishing holes. Water comes into play on eight holes across the course, and it’s especially prominent here. The fairway narrows as it approaches a peninsula green that juts into the lake. Big hitters may be tempted to go for the green in two, but Anderson recommends a layup to leave a short wedge into the green for a realistic birdie chance.
HOLE 18
468 yards, par 4
The challenging finishing hole doglegs right to a tabletop green overlooked by the resort’s Falling Rock hotel and the old tournament scoreboard. Long, deep bunkers line the landing area on the left, and staying left is important for the clearest angle to the green. Massive bunkers also sprawl along the right side of the fairway to the green and partially protect its front. The green is difficult to hold; shots often kick into bunkers or grassy areas left and behind, making a strategic approach essential to score well.