Fans are debating the PGA Tour’s decision to host its new event, the Biltmore Championship, at the Jack Nicklaus–designed Cliffs at Walnut Cove. The PGA Tour has announced plans to add a third event to the 2026 FedEx Fall season and confirmed that the tournament will take place at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in North Carolina from September 17–20. The course, which opened in 2005, has hosted several Korn Ferry Tour events and is home to the UNC Asheville women’s golf team.
PGA Tour Announces New Event
The Tour announced on Monday that it will stage a new event one week before the 2026 Presidents Cup. The tournament will be part of the Tour’s Fall Series and will run under a four-year deal with co-sponsors Biltmore Estate and Explore Asheville. With this addition, North Carolina joins California, Texas, and Florida as the only states that host three Tour events each year.
The Asheville stop is one of two new events coming in 2026, along with the Good Good Championship in Austin. Both arrive at a time when the Tour is keeping close watch on its size. While the Tour has reduced the number of full-status players to just 100, it will still schedule around 42 or 43 tournaments from January through November.
PGA Tour Chief Competitions Officer Tyler Dennis said in a statement, “After more than eight decades since the Asheville Land of the Sky Open, we’re pleased to return to the Blue Ridge Mountains with the Biltmore Championship in Asheville, a proud name synonymous with the region.”
Fans Undecided If The Cliffs at Walnut Cove Should Host New Event
Many fans have expressed their feelings following the announcement that the Jack Nicklaus–designed Cliffs at Walnut Cove will host the Biltmore Championship. While some fans praise the course as the perfect venue for the new event, others argue that the Tour should host the tournament elsewhere.
“This is a course I’ve read about and hope to play (before we attend a wedding in the area)… supposed to be three or four courses built around an exclusive community of BIG DOUGH homes… it can play really long, 7,200 yds+, or short, ~5,000 yds. Great choice, PGA!” a fan praised the PGA Tour for choosing the course.
“LOVE that golf course. Pros will eat it alive, though!” another fan wrote, endorsing the PGA Tour’s choice of The Cliffs at Walnut Cove.
However, some fans were not so pleased with the hosting the new event at the course. “Jack Nicklaus course? I’m out. He makes the worst golf courses imaginable,” a fan said.
“There will never be a PGA tour stop in the Pacific Northwest will there?” another fan asked.
The PGA Tour’s decision to bring the Biltmore Championship to The Cliffs at Walnut Cove highlights its commitment to exploring new markets while preserving classic course design. The venue’s ability to win over fans remains uncertain, but its debut promises to add another exciting chapter to the Tour’s growing Fall Series.