Tryon Country Club
Also known as: Tryon Golf and Tennis Club
Why it's listed
Set in a valley northwest of Tryon, North Carolina, the Tryon Country Club is a members-only nine-hole golf course on about ninety acres, with a swimming pool, tennis court and clubhouse. The course opened in 1917 after Emma Payne Erskine proposed the club, and Scottish-born golf professional Robert A. Leonard built it. Its layout lets golfers play the same fairways and greens twice, giving an eighteen-hole round in half the land. The 1922 clubhouse is a one-story log building in the Rustic Revival style, using natural materials suited to its mountain setting. The club became a social and recreational centre for full-time and part-time residents and hotel guests during the period from 1917 to 1962. Its significance is regarded as local, resting on its role in leisure life and on the clubhouse's architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the club is locally significant as a recreational country club serving the leisure needs of Tryon's seasonal and resident population. The golf course is attributed to Donald Ross, though the nomination notes no primary documentation confirms this. The Rustic Revival clubhouse is cited as distinctive architecture suited to its mountain resort setting.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 12001262, listed February 5, 2013. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 393 Country Club Rd., Tryon |
|---|---|
| County | Polk County |
| Listed | February 5, 2013 |
| Reference number | 12001262 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1917-1962 |
| Architect / builder | Robert A. Leonard (golf course builder); golf course design attributed to Donald Ross |
| Architectural style | Rustic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The club remains in operation; the nomination does not treat post-1962 years as significant. |
| Acreage | 90 |
| Coordinates | 35.21704, -82.25699 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 12001262.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20714081
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.