Obama’s mountain vacation starts today

President Barack Obama and his family will head out today for a weekend vacation in the mountains of North Carolina, swinging some golf clubs in a state which narrowly swung the Democrats’ way in 2008 and helped elect the president.

The last time the president stopped in the Blue Ridge Mountain resort of Asheville, N.C., in October of 2008, he was preparing for the final debate and closing month of his campaign. The last time, he lamented about passing up the golf course there.

“What a spectacular place,” Obama said during that campaign stop in Asheville. “The only thing I don’t like about it is that I had to drive by the golf course, and it looks really nice. And my staff won’t let me play. I’m going to have to come back.”

This time, the historic Grove Park Inn will provide some down-time -- and presumably tee times, although no public schedule has been released -- for the first family. The golf course at the inn has been rated by Golf Digest as one of the top 10 courses 100 years old or older, and the best in North Carolina.

The inn says the 6,720-yard, par 70 course ibeneath the crest of Sunset Mountain is a “shot-maker’s course,’’ where accuracy plays a stronger hand than power. .