The Golf Club of Tennessee
Tom Fazio was given 317 acres of forest, rocky ridge and river valley west of Nashville and built one of his most secluded courses on it. Opened in 1991, the Golf Club of Tennessee is a private par 71 of about 7,184 yards where every hole feels like its own clearing in the woods, the headline of Middle Tennessee's private golf.
Photograph: The Golf Club of Tennessee, via Google
The verdict
The Golf Club of Tennessee is Tom Fazio working with space and seclusion, two things this site gave him in abundance. In the early 1990s Fazio, with his longtime associate Tom Marzolf, was handed 317 acres of wooded hills, rocky ridges and a river valley near Kingston Springs, west of Nashville, and he routed a golf only layout that spreads across nearly twice the acreage of a conventional eighteen. The result is a course where holes do not run side by side but sit in their own corridors of forest, giving each one a sense of privacy and grandeur that few inland courses can match.
For the traveling golfer this is the standout private club of Middle Tennessee, the course serious players in the region most want to see. The Fazio design is generous in its framing and dramatic in its movement, using the natural elevation and the tree lined corridors to create scale and beauty, and the green complexes ask for precise approach play in the architect's polished style. Access is the catch, as this is a private members club, but folded into a wider Tennessee golf trip it ranks among the finest courses in the state.
The Golf Club of Tennessee at a glance
- Opened
- 1991
- Designer
- Tom Fazio, with Tom Marzolf
- Type
- Forest and river valley
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- About 7,184 yds
- Access
- Private members club
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from course databases and club sources. The Golf Club of Tennessee was designed by Tom Fazio with Tom Marzolf and opened in 1991, a par 71 of about 7,184 yards over 317 acres. It is a private members club with no public green fee; access is as the guest of a member, and any cost is arranged privately. Policies change, so always confirm directly before planning a visit.
The holes worth the trip
The defining quality of the Golf Club of Tennessee is the seclusion of each hole, and Fazio used the rolling, wooded terrain to set tees and greens in their own clearings, so a round feels like a tour through a private forest. The corridors are broad and framed by hardwood, an invitation to swing freely, but the elevation change complicates club selection and the approach must contend with greens defended by Fazio's elegant bunkering and subtle contour. There is real scale to the property, and the routing makes the most of the ridges and the river valley.
The par 3s are a highlight, played across natural hollows and to greens cut into the hillsides where the backdrop of trees frames the shot and the elevation must be read carefully. The longer holes reward the player who can shape the ball into the right portion of the fairway to open up the angle in, and the greens, in the polished Fazio manner, ask for precise distance control to leave a makeable putt. The course flows beautifully from one secluded hole to the next, with the kind of pacing that marks the architect's best work.
From the back tees at about 7,184 yards the course is a full test for the strong player, while the multiple tees keep it fair for members of every standard. The defense is the elevation, the framing trees, the bunkering and the green complexes rather than narrow corridors or heavy rough, in keeping with Fazio's generous but exacting philosophy. Play it and the combination of seclusion, scale and refinement explains why it sits at the top of Middle Tennessee golf.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A private members club; there is no public green fee or visitor tee sheet, and play is as the accompanied guest of a member |
| Green fee | None published for visitors; any guest cost is arranged privately between member and host, so we quote no figure |
| Booking | Arranged by your member host; caddies and carts are available on a course best enjoyed at a relaxed pace |
| On the day | A smart, traditional golf dress code applies on course and in the clubhouse; choose a set of tees that suits your game over the elevation |
| Best months | April to October, when the Middle Tennessee turf is firmest and the forest is at its most striking |
| Getting there | In Kingston Springs about half an hour west of Nashville, an easy reach from Nashville airport and central to a Tennessee trip |
Access rules verified June 2026 from club and course sources; private club policies change without notice, so always confirm directly before planning a visit. We can shape a wider Tennessee golf trip around courses you can book. Ask about bookable Tennessee tee times.
Where to stay nearby
The Golf Club of Tennessee sits in Kingston Springs just west of Nashville, so the natural base is the city itself, one of the great destinations in the American south for music, dining and nightlife as well as golf. Nashville gives the easiest air access and an endless choice of hotels, and it puts the club within an easy half hour drive.
Most visiting golfers fold the club into a Tennessee golf trip, given its private access. Pair a Nashville base with the Pete Dye amateur shrine of The Honors Course down near Chattanooga and the cult nine of Sweetens Cove Golf Club in the Sequatchie Valley for a week that takes in the very best of the state.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Nashville.
Build a Tennessee golf trip
The Golf Club of Tennessee is private, but the golf around it is not. We build trips through Nashville, Chattanooga and the wider state, secure the bookable tee times and handle the hotels, caddies and order of play. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
The Golf Club of Tennessee questions
Can the public play The Golf Club of Tennessee?
No. The Golf Club of Tennessee is a private members club near Nashville, with no public green fee or visitor tee sheet. The usual route to a round is to play as the guest of a member, accompanied by your host. The club publishes no visitor rate, so access and any associated cost are arranged privately. Always confirm the current member guest policy directly with the club before planning a visit.
Who designed The Golf Club of Tennessee?
The course was designed by Tom Fazio with his longtime associate Tom Marzolf and opened in 1991. Fazio routed a golf-only layout over 317 acres of forest, rocky ridges and a river valley, giving each hole a sense of seclusion.
What is the par and yardage of The Golf Club of Tennessee?
The Golf Club of Tennessee plays as a par 71 of about 7,184 yards from the back tees, with broad, framed corridors, dramatic elevation change and Fazio's trademark bunkering and green complexes. Multiple tees keep it playable for a wide range of standards.
Where is The Golf Club of Tennessee?
The Golf Club of Tennessee is in Kingston Springs, just west of Nashville, set in the wooded hills along the Harpeth River about half an hour from the city and its airport.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par, yardage and access verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.