THE Lake Lure Golf and Beach Resort's Apple Valley course is in the heart of North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains.

ONE OF the strangest manifestations of climate change can be felt in our Canadian winters. The older we get, the more unbearable the cold gets. Many years ago, when I was a young wag, winters were wonderful fun. Skating and tobogganing without a care about shovelling the walkway or negotiating the drive home in a blizzard.

These days, caught between Ottawa's rocky freeze and Florida's overcrowded and heavily commercialized Xanadu, a person looking to escape winter has options.

Until recently, North Carolina was regarded as the patch of green forests you drove through to get to Florida. Not anymore.

With its daring golf courses, pristine pine forests, quaint country charm, rich sense of history and great temperate weather, this pie-shaped state makes for an invigorating holiday destination for the vacationer looking for sun-drenched down time.

North Carolina peaks in its western mountains and spreads out into gorgeous beaches along the Atlantic coastline.

ESCAPE WINTER'S CHILL

Like the porridge in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, North Carolina's climate is neither too hot nor too cold. Average winter daytime temps hover around 10 C and 4.5 C at night, and five to 10 degrees warmer in March.

The climate's just right for escaping winter's chill without risking the heat stroke that so many sun-deprived Canadians fall victim to.

Most vacationers head for the surf. I was there for the turf. A week of old-time golf, that is, in the old resort town of Asheville carved out of the Smoky Mountains.

Stepping off the commuter plane that whisks us from Charlotte to the western mountains surrounding the colonial city, I understand why some soaps claim to be as fresh as the mountain air. The pine-flavoured air energizes the weary traveller.

With its spectacular golf courses, live theatre, art galleries and restaurants with impeccable culinary pedigrees, Asheville is a little bit of merry olde England south of the border.

Our first day, we teed up at the Apple Valley course at Lake Lure Golf and Beach Resort, a spectacular 36-hole retreat a short drive from Chimney Rock Park.

With an elevation of 3,000 feet, be sure to wear sturdy golf -- or mountain-climbing -- shoes, as Apple Valley is a roller-coaster of a course that twists and turns all 18 holes. Lies here are rarely flat.

Golf Digest called Apple Valley's sister course, Bald Mountain, "one of the most beautiful mountain courses around."

BUILT FOR the Vanderbilts, the Biltmore estate is the largest private home in the U.S.

Speaking of drives, if you have to go anywhere in the dizzying Blue Ridge Mountains, for goodness sake, let a native take the wheel. The treacherously skinny, serpentine roadways are only for the most cautious driver.

LUSH MOUNTAIN COURSE

Just down the highway, Mount Mitchell Golf Resort is located on the highest peak in the American east. At 6,700 feet, this lush mountain course is as thrilling to view as it is to play.

And for those struggling off the tee, the thin mountain air will help your drives.

Confident that your game has never been better, you'll want to try your hand at the prestigious Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa course, a magnificent retreat representing America's gilded era.

Opened in 1899 and redesigned in 1924 by master golf course architect Donald Ross, the 6,700-yard layout is a shotmaker's delight, emphasizing accuracy. Making the course all the more enjoyable are the spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. In 2004, Golf Digest gave Grove Park Inn four out of five stars and named it one of the 10 best courses in the U.S. that are 100 years old or more.

The course also boasts a $25-million underground spa conveniently located between the first tee and the 500-room hotel. You literally never have to leave the property.

But you'll want to.

European-flavoured Asheville has a large number of funky pubs and lip-smacking restaurants, including the French-inspired Grape Escape and the authentic Celtic Barley's pub.

It's a short ride from the DoubleTree Biltmore Hotel to the Vanderbilt Biltmore Estate in the heart of the city. The largest private home in the U.S. -- covering four acres, or 175,000 sq. ft. -- it boasts 250 rooms, including 34 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms and 65 fireplaces.