Nestled in Western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, between the resort towns of Blowing Rock, Boone, and Banner Elk, Hound Ears Club is a family-oriented mountain community established in 1964. A scenic 860 acres, the Hound Ears community is known for its casual elegance and authentic charm.
A member-owned Club, Hound Ears showcases the High Country’s natural beauty and offers a variety of amenities, including an 18-hole golf course, fly fishing, hiking, racquet sports, swimming, dining, and Fitness Center, as well as a full calendar of social events.
As a Club, we embrace the values of being unpretentious, honest, respectful, and giving.
In the 1960s, tourists began to discover the delights of the High Country’s cool summers coupled with accessible ski resorts in the winter. The Robbins brothers - Grover, Harry, and Spencer - were no strangers to this trend. They believed that a Bavarian-style resort that included both a golf course and a ski slope would find a successful niche in the area’s growing tourism industry.
Hound Ears Club’s journey from vacant farmland to world-class Club started back in 1962 on the site of the lumber town of Shulls Mill. In decades past, Shulls Mill was the largest town in Watauga County and a railroad hub for the ET & WNC line, also known as Tweetsie.
After buying 750 acres from Claude Shore, the Robbins brothers opened Hound Ears Golf and Ski Club in January 1964. It was Mr. Shore who inspired the name of the Club. As the Robbins brothers were negotiating with the farmer, he pointed at some of the rock formations and said, "You surely can see the Hound Ears rocks today." The name stuck.
The Robbins brothers turned to renowned architect Claus Moberg to design the Bavarian-style Clubhouse, lodge, and several chalets and homes within Hound Ears. George Cobb, one of the 20th century's most prolific golf course designers and the architect of the Par-3 Course at Augusta National Golf Club, built our present-day golf course.
Our community and amenities have grown and changed through the years, but Hound Ears Club still embraces the casual elegance, authentic charm, and natural beauty the Robbins brothers envisioned more than 50 years ago.
Our purpose is to provide a positive experience for members, their families, guests, and employees through quality amenities and services that enrich their lives. We want to provide a place where they can relax, have fun, escape, feel safe, and be engaged in the Hound Ears Community.
828-963-4321 [email protected]