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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Beech's Summer of 79 - Cool Weather or the Golf is on Us

(BEECH MOUNTAIN, N.C.) - Many places offer summer golf getaways in the South. Only one, however, promises you'll play in temperatures no higher than the 70s.

As a matter of fact, Beech Mountain not only promises comfy temperatures, it basically assures them with its "Summer of 79°" stay-and-play package.

This unique program is tied to the daily high as recorded at the official National Weather Service reporting station on Beech Mountain. If the temperature exceeds 79 degrees any day that a stay-and-play golfer tees it up at Beech Mountain Club, the club refunds all golf fees.

"The thing I really like about this promotion is the 'cool' factor - being able to guarantee you can golf in the heart of summer in temperatures below 80 degrees," says Brian Barnes, general manager of Beech Mountain Club. "In the South, summer temperatures and humidity can be rough. We want people to know they can escape those conditions and golf in comfort."

Golfers who book the Summer of 79° package are assured a win-win situation. They get to play a very good course with a high probability of cool summer temperatures. And if they happen to tee it up on a rare occasion when the mercury does reach 80, club officials will automatically mail a refund check of $60 within 10 days.

Beech Mountain's weather service station was installed in 1992 by businessman Fred Pfohl of Fred's General Mercantile. Since that time, the official high has exceeded 79 degrees on 11 days - the highest being 83° on June 30, 2012. That day created refunds for Summer of 79'ers.

"These mountains have their own climate and the things that happen here are always a little unique to the rest of the world," Pfohl says.

While pleasant temperatures are promised, there's another reason golfers should consider Beech. The course at Beech Mountain Club is picturesque, perched on a number of north-facing ridges. Superb views into Tennessee and Virginia are common from multiple vantage points.

The design of the course is also superb. Noted architect Willard Byrd took advantage of high mountain terrain to craft a playable - yet challenging - 18-hole layout. The par-3s are especially dramatic, with three of them routed downhill over ponds.

Although Beech Mountain Club is private, access to the course is available via local stay-and-play packages. Several lodging operations on the mountain have club memberships, thus providing golf access for their guests.

This summer marks the second straight year lodging owners have teamed with the club on the Summer of 79° initiative. The result is a season-long promise of pleasant temperatures for long-suffering Southern golfers who sweat it out each summer.

"The great thing about the Summer of 79 promotion is there aren't many places that can offer a deal like this," says local lodging proprietor Calder Smoot. "We always brag about how cool it is here in summer. This gives us a chance to put our money where our mouth is."

The Summer of 79° stay-and-play packages are available through Oct. 20. Double occupancy prices start at $79 per person, per night, in a standard room with two-night minimum. Upgrades to condos, chalets or vacation homes are available as well.

"Up here on this mountain with the cool, crisp air and lower humidity, it's just so much more pleasant to get out and play during summer," Barnes says. "Folks who do come here and experience the course typically want to come back, and we want to see them back."

For full details, call (800) 468-5506 or visit: www.BeechMtn.com/summerof79.

Contact: AmericanGolferBlog@gmail.com

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