ARDEN, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The trophy for the upcoming Biltmore Championship Asheville golf tournament was unveiled today as preparations continue for the PGA TOUR event. Thousands of people are expected to come to the area for the tournament.
The inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville tournament will be held Sept. 17-20, 2026, at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, a private golf community in Arden, N.C.
Trophy revealed
The championship trophy was brought to life by Avermore founder Aubrey Cecil Baliles, the great-great-granddaughter of George and Edith Vanderbilt, and Marthaler Jewelers in partnership with Biltmore and Explore Asheville.
The trophy is mounted on a black walnut base, crafted by the Biltmore Carpenter team from a tree felled on the Biltmore property during Tropical Storm Helene. The trophy itself is wrought from five pounds of silver, with gold accents in the stem and nameplate.
Other details on the prize include an engraved ridgeline depicting the mountainscape between Mount Pisgah and Mount Mitchell, dogwood blossoms and miniature versions of the lions at the Biltmore Estate.
Asheville partnerships
There is a long list of Asheville businesses that will be partnering with Biltmore Championship Asheville for the tournament.
“With Explore Asheville and Biltmore, we really wanted to work with the PGA TOUR to make this an Asheville-area event,” said Vic Isley, president and CEO of Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. “The commitment they have shown to local product, from Poppy Popcorn to Lusty Monk mustard and Hickory Nut Gap hotdogs, to the Asheville Beer Hall and Wicked Weed at the turn, those elements are really meaningful and important for showcasing the creative community that we have here.”
Other partners include Asheville Tea Company, Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ, Biltmore Wine, Devil’s Foot Distillery, Dorrell Trout Farm, Dynamite Coffee, The Hop Ice Cream and Joyce Farms.
Breweries will play a big part at the tournament, too. The event will house the Asheville Beer Hall, a showcase of regional businesses like Burial Beer, Green Man Brewery and Highland Brewing, and the Wicked Weed Tavern at the Turn, an on-course venue supplied by Wicked Weed Brewing.
Carolina talent comes to Biltmore Championship Asheville
Two golfers in the September tournament have roots in North Carolina and South Carolina.
“We’re excited to welcome J.T. Poston, a Western Carolina University graduate, and Jacob Bridgeman, a South Carolina native and Clemson alum, to the inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville,” said Nate Goldsnider, tournament event director. “Both players earned victories on the PGA TOUR this season and have already secured their status at the highest level of the game, making their decision to compete here especially meaningful. Their commitment speaks not only to the strength of our championship, but also to their support for Western North Carolina and this community.”
What Biltmore Championship Asheville brings to the region
Between players and audiences, there is a massive anticipated turnout for the PGA TOUR event.
144 professional golfers will be competing in the tournament, “plus, their caddies, so times two, plus their families, or strength trainers or nutritionists that work with them. So, there’s the business of those people coming in,” Isley said.
Fans, meanwhile, are expected in the thousands. Ticket perks help, Isley said.
For instance, one adult ticket will admit two kids, ages 15 and under, for free.
As far as expected revenue goes, “we anticipate, looking at other PGA TOUR events, that it could mean upwards of $10 million in direct spending for area businesses,” Isley said. Explore Asheville will conduct a study of the actual financial impact after the event.
The impact of the golf tournament could also grow bigger as time goes on. 2026 marks the first of four years of PGA TOUR partnership.
“We have the opportunity to learn and build and grow with the event,” Isley said.
For more information about Biltmore Championship Asheville, including tickets, partnering businesses and related events, visit www.biltmorechampionship.com.