This interesting Bruce Devlin design was built in 1980 on the edges of the Nantahala National Forest in the North Carolina mountains. The course itself occupies a pretty mountain valley, but the beautiful peaks rise all around, and it’s not unusual to see wild turkey and deer scampering about. The fairways are extra-tight here, with all the mature woodlands about. And Devlin added some severe slope to the greens, put lots of water into play and added plenty of sand. Length is not as important at Mill Creek as direction and control of the ball. Even though there are some healthy holes, most of the longest ones play downhill, which helps keep them manageable. The par-three 4th hole is a strong 200 yarder with water fronting and to the right of the green. And while the last four holes are more open, they are also among the longest, which makes closing with a good score a challenge. Not far from Franklin is the pretty little village of Highlands, a popular tourist spot in the western mountains.