Golf in Tennessee
A state of quiet golf greatness, from the Pete Dye masterpiece near Chattanooga to the cult nine at Sweetens Cove, the Jack Nicklaus state park courses and the rolling parkland around Nashville. Set against the Smoky Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee offers some of the best value golf in the South. The courses that matter, the season, the costs and how to plan a trip.
Photograph: The Honors Course via Google.
Why golf in Tennessee
Tennessee flies under the radar, and that is part of its charm. The state holds a pair of genuinely great courses in the Pete Dye designed Honors Course near Chattanooga and the Tom Fazio designed Golf Club of Tennessee outside Nashville, both private and both regulars in national rankings. But the golf that draws travelling players is more accessible than that. Sweetens Cove, the King-Collins nine in the Sequatchie Valley, has become a cult pilgrimage, while the nine courses of the Tennessee Golf Trail, run by the state parks and including three Jack Nicklaus Bear Trace layouts, deliver championship design at remarkable value.
The appeal is the setting and the price. Tennessee golf runs from the Great Smoky Mountains in the east to the bluffs of the Mississippi at Memphis, with the music and food of Nashville and the river city of Chattanooga as bases, and it is consistently cheaper than the marquee resort states. Add a long, comfortable spring and autumn season and an easy run of regional airports, and Tennessee becomes a rewarding, relaxed golf trip for the player who wants quality without the premium price tag.
The regions
Nashville and Middle Tennessee
Music City and the rolling country around it, home to the Tom Fazio Golf Club of Tennessee and Larry Nelson's Gaylord Springs, with the dining, music and hotels of Nashville on the doorstep.
Chattanooga and the southeast
The river city in the southeast, base for the private Honors Course and the cult nine at Sweetens Cove, with the Jack Nicklaus Bear Trace at Harrison Bay a short drive north.
Knoxville and the Smokies
East Tennessee and the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, where Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg offer scenic public mountain golf alongside the national park.
Memphis and West Tennessee
The Mississippi river city, home to the PGA Tour's FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind, plus a spread of public daily fee golf across the flatter west of the state.
The Cumberland Plateau
The high tableland of central Tennessee, with state park golf, the Tennessee Golf Trail courses and the quiet, scenic countryside around Crossville, a value golfer's heartland.
The Tennessee Golf Trail
Nine state park courses managed by Tennessee State Parks, including three Jack Nicklaus Bear Trace layouts, the simplest, best value way to string together a multi round trip.
The courses that matter
The Honors Course
The number one course in the state and a national top 100 regular, a Pete Dye design built for championship golf and the host of US Amateurs and Walker Cups. A private club open by invitation, but the benchmark all Tennessee golf is measured against.
Sweetens Cove Golf Club
The most talked about nine holes in American golf, a wild, bold King-Collins design in the Sequatchie Valley that became a cult pilgrimage. Public and unpretentious, with green fees that swing with the day, it is the must play of Tennessee's accessible golf.
Bear Trace at Harrison Bay
A Jack Nicklaus layout on a peninsula in Chickamauga Lake, par 72 and over 7,100 yards, the pick of the Tennessee Golf Trail state park courses. Scenic, well conditioned and welcoming to visitors, it is championship Nicklaus design at public course value.
The Golf Club of Tennessee
A Tom Fazio masterpiece routed through hundreds of acres of Middle Tennessee hills, opened in 1991 to instant national acclaim and a rival to the Honors Course for the title of best in the state. A private members club, but a benchmark of Fazio design.
Gaylord Springs Golf Links
A Scottish links style design by US Open and PGA champion Larry Nelson, framed by limestone bluffs and protected wetlands beside the Cumberland River. Fully public and a short drive from downtown Nashville, it is the city's best accessible round.
Smoky Mountains golf
The scenic public golf of East Tennessee, from the valley courses around Sevierville and Pigeon Forge to the mountain layout at Gatlinburg, all within reach of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The pick for a golf and scenery trip.
Designers and years verified June 2026. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| April to June | Warm, comfortable days, lush green countryside | Prime golf, the best all round window |
| September to November | Mild and dry, spectacular fall foliage | Excellent golf and the most scenic season |
| June to August | Hot and humid, occasional storms | Playable with early tee times, lower demand |
| December to March | Mild in the lowlands, cold snaps, mountains mostly closed | Quiet and cheap on the valley courses |
Spring and autumn are the prime windows, with comfortable temperatures and, in fall, some of the best foliage in the South. Summer is hot and humid but quiet and good value, while the mountain courses largely close for winter. Always confirm conditions before you travel.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetens Cove | Around $15 to $135 | Public nine, rate varies sharply by day and demand |
| Tennessee Golf Trail (state parks) | Around $45 to $70 | Includes the Jack Nicklaus Bear Trace courses |
| Gaylord Springs, Nashville | Around $60 to $110 | Public, season dependent, twilight lower |
| A trip, all in | Around $1,500 to $3,500 per person | Lodging, several rounds, car, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown in US dollars to set expectations only. The private clubs do not publish visitor rates. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
Tennessee is well served by regional airports. Nashville is the largest hub, with direct flights from across North America and a central location for Middle Tennessee golf. Chattanooga and Knoxville are the gateways to the southeast and the Smoky Mountains, and Memphis serves the west of the state. The golf is spread out, so a hire car is essential, but the interstates make the drives between Nashville, Chattanooga and the mountains straightforward, and the distances are modest by American standards.
Where to stay
Nashville is the natural base for Middle Tennessee, pairing the Gaylord Springs and Golf Club of Tennessee courses with the city's music, dining and nightlife. Chattanooga is the base for the southeast, within reach of Sweetens Cove and Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, while Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg put you on the doorstep of the Great Smoky Mountains for a golf and scenery trip. One planner can match the base to your courses, your group and your dates, and fold in a Smoky Mountains or Nashville leg.
Plan your Tennessee golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Tennessee golf questions
What is the best golf course in Tennessee?
The Honors Course, a Pete Dye design opened in 1983 at Ooltewah near Chattanooga, is widely rated the number one course in Tennessee and a regular in national top 100 rankings, though it is a private club open by invitation. The Tom Fazio designed Golf Club of Tennessee near Nashville is its main rival at the top. For courses you can play, the cult King-Collins nine at Sweetens Cove and the Jack Nicklaus Bear Trace courses on the Tennessee Golf Trail are the standouts.
When is the best time to play golf in Tennessee?
Spring, from April to early June, and autumn, from September to November, are the prime windows, with warm, comfortable days and the foliage spectacular in fall. Summer, June to August, is hot and humid, while winter is mild in the lowlands with occasional cold snaps and the mountain courses largely closed. Always confirm conditions before you travel.
Can you play the famous Tennessee courses as a visitor?
Some, not all. The Honors Course and the Golf Club of Tennessee are private clubs with very limited outside access. But much of Tennessee's best golf is public: Sweetens Cove near Chattanooga, the nine Tennessee Golf Trail courses run by the state parks, including the Jack Nicklaus Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, and Larry Nelson's Gaylord Springs in Nashville all welcome visitors. Always confirm access and tee times directly before booking.
How much does golf cost in Tennessee in 2026?
Tennessee is good value. Indicative 2026 green fees at the public courses run roughly $15 to $135 at Sweetens Cove depending on the day, around $45 to $70 at the Tennessee Golf Trail state park courses, and roughly $60 to $110 at Gaylord Springs. The private clubs do not publish visitor rates. A golf trip with lodging, several rounds and a car typically lands between $1,500 and $3,500 per head excluding flights. Always confirm directly before booking.
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