Mirimichi Golf Course
Tennessee, of course, is known for Nashville, aka “Music City,” as well as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Graceland, Hot Chicken, and Memphis Barbecue. A little more under the radar, perhaps, is the Volunteer State golf scene. But it shouldn’t be. It’s as distinctive as the state’s southern comfort food and music, and arguably up to that standard as well.
The courses are varied, with some laid out in the mountains, others in river valleys, and by some of the best designers in the business. There is also great value in some of these courses, particularly along the Tennessee Golf Trail. So, for golfers looking for some unique experiences in culture and sport, Tennessee is a great choice for a golf vacation, especially in the summer and fall.
Sweet Golf at Sweetens Cove
Perhaps the best-known and most talked-about course as of late is Sweetens Cove, which is located around 30 miles west of Chattanooga in the heart of the Sequatchie Valley, and has more than a cult following. These days, you need to book your reservation well in advance (generally a year out). And yes, it’s just a nine-hole course, but you can play it all day and never get bored.
It’s also being expanded with plans already underway to add a par-3 course (expected to open in 2026 and designed by original architects Rob Collins and Tad King) along with some other amenities that include a restaurant and small-batch distillery of its own brand, putting green, fishing dock, shooting range, and cabins.
Sweetens Cove, which opened in 2015, is unique on several levels. First of all, it’s a course with links-style characteristics, wildly undulating greens, elaborate bunkering, and intense tightly-mowed fairways.
There are multiple tee configurations and two pins per green, so you can play it anyway you want. But even more unique is the way it’s played. Each day, around 45-60 players get day passes, sort of like a ski lift ticket. Guests are encouraged to bring their own snacks and food (perhaps that changes when the restaurant opens), and it’s tradition that you take a shot of Sweetens Cove whiskey before the opening tee shot. There’s also no dress code. It’s simply a golfer’s playground. It’s also not too expensive to play… yet.
If you can’t get to Sweetens Cove, though, don’t fret. About a half hour away is another great nine-hole option, The Course at Sewanee. Gil Hanse redid it back in 2013, adding new bunkers and tees. The course has some great views, too.
Sweetens Cove
Tennessee Golf Trail
If you haven’t reserved your spot at Sweeten’s Cove –or even if you have – hitting the Tennessee Golf Trail, which is part of the state park system, is a great place to start your golf vacation. Not too far from Sweetens Cove are the three courses of Bear Trace (the Trail has nine courses). As the name would suggest, they are all Jack Nicklaus Signature designs and very reasonably priced, especially if you do twilight or if you are a senior.
The Bear Trace Courses, all of which surround Chattanooga, are: Harrison Bay, where water can be found on 12 holes; Cumberland Mountain, with its elevated tees and scenery has been named as one of the top two public courses in Tennessee by one major golf publication; and Tims Ford, which is laid out on a peninsula surrounded by Tims Ford Lake. All three courses are championship length with multiple sets of tees to accommodate all levels of players.
The other six courses on the Trail can be found throughout the state. So, no matter where your travels take you in Tennessee, there’s a Trail course not too far away.
As for the rest of the lineup, Fall Creek Falls, a traditional Joe Lee design, is right in the middle of the state, located in the Fall Creek Falls State Park along the top of the rugged Cumberland Plateau southeast of Nashville. The Pickwick Landing State Park Golf Course is located close to the border of Mississippi and Alabama, close to Pickwick Dam. And Henry Horton, the first golf course built in the Trail (early 1960s), is still a great test, playing more than 7,000 yards from the tips. It’s located in Henry Horton State Park, about an hour or so south of Nashville in Chapel Hill. The other courses include Paris Landing in the northwest part of the state on the western shore of Kentucky Lake; Warrior’s Path, a George Cobb design on the shores of Fort Patrick Henry Lake at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the far northeast corner of the state; and Montgomery Bell (also Cobb) located just west of Nashville.
The Bear Trace
Golf capital of Tennessee
The aforementioned Bear Trace Course at Cumberland Mountain State Park is located in the Crossville area, where there are nine other golf courses. In fact, over the past year, more than half a million rounds have been played in Cumberland County, so it’s understandable that it lays claim to the title of golf capital of Tennessee.
The Club Wyndham Resort at Fairfield Glade offers access to five of the courses: Stonehenge Golf Course, a Joe Lee design (recently renovated) which was named among the top four courses you can play in Tennessee by Golfweek; Druid Hills Golf Club, located atop one of the highest points in the state, Heatherhurst Golf Club, which has two Gary Baird-designed courses – The Brae, also a top pick in the state by Golfweek, and The Crag; and Dorchester Golf Club.
The other courses in the area include Deer Creek, Lake Tansi Golf Resort, Mountain Ridge, and River Run.
Druid Hills Golf Club
More capital golf
If your travels take you to the capital of Tennessee, Nashville, to enjoy the music scene and other entertainment options, a good choice for golf would be Gaylord Springs Golf Links near Gaylord Opryland Resort. It’s also just 10 minutes from the airport. Located along the banks of the Cumberland River, the Larry Nelson-designed 6,842-yard, par-72 course is a gorgeous links-style layout that offers 18 holes bordered by limestone bluffs and wetlands.
The best in the Nashville area is probably Hermitage Golf Course, which offers two outstanding layouts. President’s Reserve, which can be stretched to nearly 7,200 yards, is a Denis Griffiths design that runs through 300 acres of natural wetlands along the banks of the Cumberland River. General’s Retreat, designed by Gary Roger Baird, is a former LPGA Tour site. Super enjoyable, it’s not as long (6,800 yards from the tips) as President’s Reserve, but it has been voted the best course in Nashville in the past. One of the best aspects of Hermitage is that you can book stay-and-play packages there, so it’s a great spot to base your Nashville vacation.
Gaylord Springs Golf Links
More Tennessee public golf
For a couple of other laid-back resort options, you could head to the Smoky Mountains, where you will find Baneberry Golf and Resort, as well as Bent Creek Golf Village.
Located near Gatlinburg, Baneberry offers a 6,700-yard Bob Thompson design. The resort has a variety of cabins available, including some that offer eight bedrooms or more. Bent Creek Golf Village, a Hilton Vacations resort, offers an underrated Gary Player-designed layout (1972) that remains a favorite of players who return there year after year.
A couple of other good public options in Tennessee include Island Pointe Golf Club in East Tennessee and The Legacy in Springfield in the northern part of the state. Island Pointe is an affordable Arthur Hills design that plays along the banks of the French Broad River just east of Knoxville. The Legacy is a Ray Floyd design that plays along rolling hills and wetlands. Just under 6,800 yards, the course is a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.
Finally, if you’re in the western edge of the state visiting Graceland, the Memphis area offers several good public options.
Mirimichi Golf Course, formerly owned by Justin Timberlake, is located just north of Memphis. This Bill Bergin/Bob Mitchell design can play nearly 7,500 yards from the back tees.
And the Links of Galloway is only 6,000 yards, but it’s one of the best municipal courses in the state (along with Harpeth Hills in Nashville), and it’s not an easy tee time to get. The course goes back to 1926, but a 2002 renovation by Kevin Tucker has made this a jewel. Best of all, it’s just $27 to play during the week, $18 for seniors and juniors.
Mirimichi Golf Course