MEMBER SPOTLIGHT by Diane Jackson
A Place to Play Making new memories at North Carolina oldest club – Country Club of Asheville HE SPENT HIS TEENAGE YEARS as a groundskeeper at a local golf club, and that’s where Matt Ostwalt developed not only respect for the game but also reverence for the beauty of a welltended course. “Playing golf gives me a sense of peace,” says Matt, sharing his intimate appreciation of the grass, the lay of the land, the melding of sport with nature. “I always find joy out on the golf course.” Matt and his family find that – and so much more – at the Country Club of Asheville. “We are having an amazing experience as members,” he says. “When friends ask, we sing the praises of the family atmosphere.” Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, the Country Club of Asheville, established in 1894, is the second-oldest private club in the South 12
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and among the oldest clubs in continuous operation in the entire country. It is anchored today by a championship Donald Ross golf course. This historic club also features a recently updated clubhouse, Olympic-size swimming pool, new fitness center, indoor and outdoor tennis facilities, and dedicated recreation rooms for kids and teens.
A FAMILY AFFAIR Matt and his wife, Amy – along with their children Charlotte, 10, and Birch, 7 – joined the Country Club of Asheville in 2017. However, the family’s own history here dates back to a decade earlier when, as a newly engaged couple, they were seeking out wedding and reception venues. “We fell in love with the location,” Amy recalls. You could say Matt horsed around a
bit in his pursuit of the love of his life. He proposed to Amy at The Carolina Cup on April Fools’ Day and they got married on Derby Day which, in 2007, coincided with Cinco de Mayo. “Our wedding reception featured Mint juleps and mojitos!” he says. “Everything was fantastic – the club did an amazing job. We were so happy with how the reception turned out. That was our first introduction [to the Country Club of Asheville] and it made a huge impression.” After settling into Montford, a historic district just north of downtown Asheville, the Ostwalts intended to join the country club once they completed renovations to their 1920s-era home. “We kept having numerous delays – like having babies,” Matt laughs, noting that Charlotte added to the family’s horsey tradition by being born on Derby Day in 2010. “But really,
