Walking in Donald Ross's footsteps at Mimosa Hill

If you’ve ever played a round at Mimosa Hills Golf Club, you’ve walked in the footsteps of a legend. The rolling greens, clever bunkers, and breathtaking Blue Ridge views didn’t appear by accident.

They were shaped by Donald Ross, one of the most celebrated golf course architects in history — a Scotsman whose work defined the “Golden Age” of golf design and who, remarkably, found his way to Morganton nearly a century ago.

The late 1920s were an ambitious time in Morganton. The town was growing, the automobile age was in full swing, and the Foothills offered a scenic canvas for new ideas.

Local leaders envisioned a golf course that could stand beside the great clubs of the Carolinas — and reached out to the best in the business.

Ross, by then a household name, was based in Pinehurst and already credited with designing or remodeling more than 400 courses nationwide — over 50 of them in North Carolina.

When he was invited to the Morganton area in 1928, local accounts say he personally explored several tracts of land before choosing the one we know today as Mimosa Hills.

That matters, because Ross was famous for routing courses on foot. He believed the land had to be felt, not forced, often walking properties alone with only a sketchpad and a stick.

Those who watched him said he could later redraw a site almost perfectly from memory. He was drawn to Morganton’s natural topography and mountain backdrop terrain he once described as “golf ground made by God.”

It’s easy to imagine Ross strolling the future fairways of Mimosa Hills, pausing on ridges and tracing slopes, much like a scene from “The Legend of Bagger Vance” or “The Greatest Game Ever Played” — moments when golf felt simpler, quieter, and somehow more enchanted.

The original plans and correspondence for Mimosa Hills still exist today in the Tufts Archives in Pinehurst, offering a rare, tangible connection between Ross’s drafting table and Morganton.

Ross’s design philosophy was simple: Let the land lead the way. He avoided forcing the landscape, preferring holes that looked as though they had always belonged there.

Although he shaped America’s golf landscape like few others, Ross rarely stayed to see a course completed. Once he discovered the routing — what he called the soul of the property — he usually moved on, trusting the craftsmen behind him to finish the work.

At Mimosa Hills, his touch is unmistakable. The short uphill par-4s, strategic cross bunkers, and greens that invite a low, running shot, all speak in Ross’s language.

He built courses that rewarded thought and precision, not brute strength. Standing on any tee box at Mimosa, you can almost sense the type of architect who would have paused to study the angle of sunlight, the fall of a hill, and the natural flow of the land.

Born in Dornoch, Scotland in 1872, Ross apprenticed under Old Tom Morris at St. Andrews before bringing his craft to America in 1899.

From Pinehurst No. 2 to Seminole and beyond, his work shaped American golf. Yet here in Morganton, nearly a century later, we still experience one of his most intact routings — preserved over decades and carefully restored in the early 2000s by architect Kris Spence.

Mimosa Hills has continued to prove its relevance. The club has hosted USGA qualifying events for championships such as the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open, along with numerous state and regional tournaments.

From 2008 through 2010, it hosted the U.S. Hickory Open, where golfers used hickory-shafted clubs — a reminder of what the game once looked and felt like and why Ross’s designs pair so naturally with golf’s earliest traditions.

Two local high school teams call Mimosa home, meaning new generations are learning the game on the same Ross fairways that shaped so many before them.

Mimosa has also been the proving ground for some notable players. Billy Joe Patton, born and raised in Morganton, honed his game here before his legendary run at the 1954 Masters, where he finished one stroke shy of a playoff with Ben Hogan and Sam Snead.

His bold decision to go for the green in two on Augusta’s 13th hole, and finding Rae’s Creek instead, became one of the most talked-about moments in amateur golf history.

Another name woven into Mimosa’s story is Joe Cheves, the longtime head professional who served the club for three decades. Known affectionately as “Pro,” Cheves taught generations of golfers, won numerous senior titles, and famously shot 8-under par on his 81st birthday — right here at Mimosa Hills.

In keeping with that legacy, Mimosa Hills later hosted the Joe Cheves Junior Invitational, a prestigious tournament founded in 2003 by his son, Carter, and played each summer for many years, drawing elite junior golfers from across the Southeast.

That tradition of strong leadership continues today under head professional Jimmy Piercy and follows the tenure of respected former pro Dan Dobson.

Mimosa’s influence reaches even farther. Dana Rader, who grew up playing here, became one of America’s most respected golf instructors — founder of the Dana Rader Golf School and repeatedly ranked among Golf Digest’s top teachers.

She coached players of all levels, including professionals, and left a lasting mark on the sport. Rader passed away in 2022, but Morganton proudly claims her as one of its own.

And for many of us, Mimosa has become something more personal. For some, it’s a rediscovered passion; for others, it’s the start of something new.

I only recently picked up golf myself, not realizing how much I would enjoy it. I’m not particularly good, but there’s something special about spending a day out there with friends, meeting others who share the same hobby, and learning the game one round at a time.

My wife joins me for couples’ golf occasionally, so the game has become something we can share together. I only wish I had started years ago.

To have a Donald Ross course right here in Burke County is no small thing. Only a handful of communities outside Pinehurst can claim that honor.

When members and guests walk those fairways, they’re not just enjoying a round of golf — they’re participating in a living piece of history.

Mimosa Hills stands as a reminder of what Morganton has always done well: combine small-town character with big-league vision. Nearly a century later, Ross’s design still feels fresh, relevant, and uniquely ours.

So next time you find yourself standing over a tricky chip or lining up a putt beneath those Foothill ridges, take a moment to look around. The same view that captured Donald Ross’s imagination in the ’20s still unfolds before you.

If you’re not already a member, consider becoming part of the tradition that’s been progressing here for nearly a century.

And if you listen closely, you might just hear the faint echo of hickory shafts, the rustle of drafting pages, and a Scottish accent saying, “Aye, this will do nicely.”