Burlingame

Set across 1,450 acres in Sapphire Valley at roughly 3,500 feet in Western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Burlingame Country Club is a member-owned private community where mountain living comes without pretension. The elevation shapes everything: summers run 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the lowlands, fall brings the region’s famous color, and the four-season climate draws both full-time residents and seasonal owners who split their time between the mountains and elsewhere. Bordered by the Nantahala National Forest and the Horsepasture River, the community sits just minutes from Cashiers and about 30 minutes from Highlands.

Founded in 1980 and transitioned to member ownership in 2009, Burlingame is governed by its residents through the Burlingame Property Owners Association. That structure has kept the original vision intact for more than four decades, with significant acreage preserved as natural open space, wildlife corridors, and protected forest. More than 600 member families call it home, a mix of young families, retirees, and professionals who consistently describe the community with one word: welcoming.

At the center is an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Tom Jackson, routed through mountain terrain, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, and old-growth forest so that no two holes feel alike. Beyond golf, members enjoy tennis on Har-Tru courts, four pickleball courts, a regulation croquet lawn, a fitness and spa complex, a swimming pool complex, fly fishing on the Horsepasture River, a dog park, and miles of private hiking trails connecting to nearby waterfalls. Six dining venues anchor the social calendar, from casual grill fare and terrace dining with mountain views to wine dinners and seasonal, locally sourced menus.

Real estate ranges to fit every stage of mountain life: custom estate homes on 1 to 5+ acre lots, low-maintenance mountain cottages, Fairway Villas positioned along signature holes with panoramic ridgeline views, and premium homesites for those who want to build with approved builders. Architectural standards protect the character of the community while intimate, naturally buffered neighborhoods keep homes private. For buyers seeking golf, wellness, natural beauty, and genuine community in one of Western North Carolina’s most established private mountain enclaves, Burlingame offers a rare combination that holds its value and its warmth year after year.