Town of Black Mountain moves ahead with golf course plan after debate

Mayor and town council differ on reopening strategy

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 16, 2025

The Town of Black Mountain plans to reopen the back 9 of the Black Mountain Golf Course in the coming weeks, while the front 9 will likely remain closed through the end of the year, following a May 15 special call meeting of the town council. Photo by Fred McCormick

The Town of Black Mountain will reopen the back 9 of its municipal golf course in the coming weeks, while the front 9 is likely to remain closed until 2026, following a May 15 special call meeting.

The decision came after a lengthy debate between Mayor Michael Sobol and members of the town council and staff.

The 18-hole Black Mountain Golf Course has been closed since suffering approximately $2 million in damage from Tropical Storm Helene. At least a dozen residents urged elected officials to support the course during the public comment segment of the town council’s May 12 regular monthly meeting.

Town Manager Josh Harrold presented “important points of clarification” to open the Thursday morning discussion.

“Closing the golf course has never been discussed or considered, and I want to make sure that’s clear,” he said. “The operation and course suffered $2 million in damages, and those are damage inventory estimates from folks at FEMA.”

A total of $138,00 has been allocated to maintain the course and prioritize its reopening since the storm, according to Harrold, more than any other recovery effort, excluding critical infrastructure. The administrator’s review included an update regarding the maintenance equipment destroyed by floodwaters from Tomahawk Branch.

“Most of the equipment we had was leased equipment,” Harrold said. “It was included in our inland marine insurance policy. We were told by our insurance carrier that inland marine claims are paid out after flood claims are paid out.”

The town initially believed its flood insurance claims would total $5 million, negating the claims under the inland marine policy, according to the administrator, but a second adjuster accounted for $3.4 million in flood claims.

“At that point, we learned they would pay for the lease and honor the inland marine claims,” Harrold said, adding the town would receive an additional amount of approximately $80,000 as reimbursement for the payments made since the storm.

The maintenance structure, which was constructed in a non-encroachment area near the creek without a preceding no-rise study, was “significantly damaged” during Helene.

“We followed our FEMA required methodology that we did for every single structure in this town,” he said. “I tell you that because FEMA Region 4 staff have been here multiple times looking at our permits, and looking at what we permit and where we’re permitting things.”

The town has applied for additional funding through the Disaster Recovery Act of 2024, which was established last December to assist municipalities as they await reimbursement from the federal government.

“The second round of that is now open, and the state treasurer’s office emailed us Monday, and, of course, we submitted immediately for the second round,” Harrold said. “They’ve got about $50 million left, and I am hopeful we will get a few million dollars to use for things like the golf course, if that’s what you all would like to do.”

The town manager proposed a strategy to open the back 9 holes of the course by June, as the town actively seeks used golf mowers and equipment. The plan includes a temporary driving range on the front 9 to generate additional revenue in the coming fiscal year.

“The good news, there is now an equipment lease available for us,” he said. “It’s not every single piece we need, but it’s quite a few pieces.”

FEMA will cover the costs of a temporary structure in which to store the equipment, Harrold added. FEMA small project funding, once received, will include reimbursement of the $138,000 spent on course repairs to date, according to assistant town manger Jessica Trotman. She anticipates the funding to include money to be used for bridge and cart path repairs on the front 9.

Restoring the overgrown 96-year-old front half of the course will be a “lengthy process,” according to BMGC Superintendent Jerry Brigman.

“I’m not going to say it will be ready this year,” he said. “It will probably be more around spring time of next year. We’ve lost our growing season and we are fixing to come into higher temperatures, so we’re mowing about 3 inches, our fairways are going to be mowed to five-eighths of an inch, we can’t try to take that down too quick.”

Sobol asked Brigman and BMGC Manager Brent Miller if it was possible to reopen all 18 holes by July.

“We’re coming into higher temperatures and we stand a greater risk of doing more damage than good,” Miller said. “Staff, or lack thereof, has forever been a problem.”

Sobol supported raising rates to better staff the course and accelerate the timeline for mowing the greens and fairways.

“Grass does not stop growing, June 1,” he said.

Black Mountain Golf Course Manager Brent Miller, left, and Superintendent Jerry Brigman discuss plans to reopen the course in a special call town council meeting, March 15. Photo by Fred McCormick

Maintaining the golf course presents unique challenges, Miller replied.

“You mow your yard at 3 inches, so you can go weeks without water,” he said. “We can go two days with no water, hypothetically, and lose a $75,000 green.”

Sobol believed the greens could be restored by July 1.

“I’ve talked with several other superintendents and past superintendents, and they’re all like, ‘you need to shoot for safely,’” Brigman said. “That’s people who have far better knowledge than I have. To be safe, and not lose or damage greens, I would suggest spring.”

The mayor called on the town council to consider expediting the process of reopening.

“I would love to see the golf course open, I absolutely would, and I think I speak for almost everybody here,” Councilmember Doug Hay said. “I’m glad we are moving forward with the back 9, immediately, and I hope we move forward with the front 9 rapidly, as well.”

The council member emphasized the wide range of other town projects.

“There are a lot of very important, very expensive needs, like the (Lakeview Senior Center) that will cost upwards of $500,000, probably…” Hay continued. “The problem is, we do not have funds right now to fix everything. We have to be strategic in the way we’re spending our funds.”

Sobol advocated for the golf course as a potential revenue source.

“This revenue stream was $129,000 last year, that’s what it made,” Harrold said. “Before that, it was about $10,000 the previous year, and before that, I think it was in the red.”

That revenue, Sobol pointed out, was in addition to paying for leased equipment and staff.

“The golf course is there to generate money, and it can generate money,” Sobol said. “Especially when you look at the fact that Broadmoor is down and won’t ever be open. Look at (Asheville Municipal Golf Course), they’re down to half, if they even get half the revenue they did last year. We made $129,000 last year competing with those two entities, and now they’re not there.”

That competitive advantage would offer an opportunity raise rates, according to Miller

“It should go up significantly if there’s no competition, and that’s how we would make money,” he said. “We’re already turning 180 or 200 rounds per day on the weekends, and that’s as many rounds you can put in that place, realistically. The demand has been there.”

Sobol contended that delaying the opening of the front 9 was a “missed opportunity.”

“From what I’ve heard, we’re comfortable opening the back 9, but given the time of year and conditions, we might be doing more harm than good if we try to open the front 9,” Councilmember Ryan Stone said.

Vice Mayor Archie Pertiller, Jr., an avid golfer, remains anxious to reopen the course.

“However, I’m not naive, and I also know that sometimes if you rush things to get them done, you end up doing more damage than what has already been done…” he said. “I, too, would like to see all 18 holes open, but is it feasible?”

The mayor said he was “stunned” at the assessment that the grass would take six months to get down to its normal level.

“Cool season grass, from late March through April and May, is our primetime. The place is beautiful this time of year, and this is when the golf course is as healthy as its going to be until fall,” Miller said. “Then comes June, and the heat starts kicking in. Then, in July, on a good year, we’re struggling to keep things alive. This year, it’s going to be a nightmare, as it is.”

Prior to approving the town manager’s submitted plan, Stone expressed the board’s desire to be wise in the preservation of the course.

“We all understand what an asset it is to the community, and how important it is. We want to preserve that,” he said. “There is no one here who wants to take that from anybody, we want to enhance it. But, we want to do it safely. We want to make sure this course survives not only this year, but for years into the future.”