Green Fees in Tennessee: What It Costs to Play in 2026
Tennessee is one of the better value golf states in the South, with a cult nine hole course in Sweetens Cove that golfers cross the country to play, a deep bench of affordable public golf around Nashville and the mountains, and one of America's great private clubs in the Honors Course. Here is what golf actually costs in Tennessee in 2026, the courses by name, and where the value lies.
Photograph: Sweetens Cove Golf Club, Luke Canan, via Google
The short answer
Plan on modest money for most of Tennessee, with one or two splurges if you want them. The state's headline public course is Sweetens Cove, the acclaimed nine hole King and Collins design in South Pittsburg near Chattanooga, which uses seasonal daily rates that indicatively run from around 15 to 135 US dollars depending on the time of year and how many loops you play. Around Nashville, the premium public courses such as Hermitage and Gaylord Springs average roughly 80 to 150 dollars, and the great majority of the state's public and municipal courses play for well under 100.
The exception at the top of the market is access rather than price. The Honors Course in Ooltewah near Chattanooga, a celebrated Pete Dye design, is an exclusive private club that does not publish a visitor fee and is played through a member, not booked. So a Tennessee golf trip is built around the public stars: a pilgrimage to Sweetens Cove, the best of the Nashville courses, and the scenic mountain and state park golf of the east. The figures here are indicative for the 2026 season, they move with the day and the tee time, so treat them as a guide and always confirm directly before booking.
Tennessee green fees by course, 2026
| Course | Where | Indicative 2026 green fee |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetens Cove | South Pittsburg, near Chattanooga | Around 15 to 135 dollars seasonal daily rate; nine hole King and Collins design, public |
| Hermitage, Presidents Reserve | Old Hickory, near Nashville | Around 80 to 150 dollars; premium public, two 18 hole courses |
| Gaylord Springs Golf Links | Nashville | Dynamic public pricing; Larry Nelson links style design by the Cumberland River |
| The Honors Course | Ooltewah, near Chattanooga | Private; no published visitor fee, Pete Dye design, accessed through a member |
| State park and mountain courses | Statewide, east Tennessee | Commonly well under 100 dollars; good value scenic public golf |
| Typical public course | Statewide | Frequently well under 100 dollars; many municipal options far less |
Green fees verified in June 2026 from course listings; they vary by season, day and tee time and change without notice, so always confirm current rates directly with the course or your trip planner before booking. The Honors Course is private and not bookable by visitors. Check tee time availability.
How green fees work in Tennessee
Two things shape the price: the season and the kind of course. The prime golf months are spring and autumn, roughly April to June and September to October, when conditions across the state are at their best and rates are highest. The hot, humid heart of summer brings lower off season fees and early tee times, and the cool winter is the cheapest of all, with the odd frost delay. Twilight and replay rates trim the cost further at most public courses, and Sweetens Cove, as a nine hole course, lets you tailor the price to how much golf you want in a day.
The bigger distinction is public versus private. The vast majority of Tennessee's good golf is public and bookable, from Sweetens Cove to the Nashville courses to the scenic state park layouts of the east, which keeps the cost of a trip low. The one course that breaks the pattern is the Honors Course near Chattanooga, a private members club where access comes through a member rather than a green fee. Build a Tennessee trip around the public stars and the budget stays friendly. One concierge booking can line up the Sweetens Cove tee times, the best of Nashville and a mountain leg into one clean itinerary.
Where to spend, and where to save
If you spend up on one experience, make it Sweetens Cove, a course whose reputation far outstrips its modest green fee and one of the most original nine hole layouts in the world. Beyond that, Tennessee rewards restraint. Nashville pairs a couple of solid premium public rounds with a lively city base, and the state park and mountain courses of the east fill out any itinerary for very little. Build a trip around the Sweetens Cove pilgrimage and a run of well chosen value courses, and the standard stays high while the average cost per round stays low. That is how to play Tennessee properly, and it is what we do for every trip we plan.
Plan a Tennessee golf trip
We hold the limited tee times at Sweetens Cove, pair them with the best of the Nashville courses and a scenic mountain leg, and base you well. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Tennessee green fee questions
How much are green fees in Tennessee in 2026?
Tennessee is a good value golf state. The headline public course, the nine hole Sweetens Cove near Chattanooga, carries indicative 2026 daily rates that vary seasonally, usually falling between 15 and 135 US dollars depending on the day and how many loops you play. Premium Nashville area public courses such as Hermitage and Gaylord Springs average roughly 80 to 150 dollars, and the great majority of the state's public courses play for well under 100. The famous private Honors Course near Chattanooga does not publish a visitor fee. Always confirm current fees directly before booking.
How much does it cost to play Sweetens Cove?
Sweetens Cove, the celebrated nine hole King and Collins design in South Pittsburg, uses seasonal daily rates that indicatively range from around 15 to 135 US dollars in 2026, with the price depending on the time of year and whether you play a single loop or stay out for more. It is a public, walking focused course and one of the most acclaimed nine hole layouts in America, so tee times are limited and worth booking ahead. Always confirm current rates directly before booking.
Can you play the Honors Course in Tennessee?
Not as a paying visitor in the normal sense. The Honors Course in Ooltewah near Chattanooga is an exclusive private club, a Pete Dye design renowned for its conditioning and its championship pedigree, and access runs through a member rather than a published green fee. It is not a course you can simply book. For Pete Dye golf you can play, look to courses elsewhere; in Tennessee the public stars are Sweetens Cove and the better Nashville area courses. Always confirm access directly.
When are green fees cheapest in Tennessee?
Outside the spring and autumn peaks. Tennessee golf is at its best, and its busiest and dearest, from April to June and again in September and October, when the conditions are ideal across the state. The hot, humid heart of summer brings lower rates and early tee times, and the cool winter months are the cheapest, with some frost delays and the occasional closure. Twilight and replay rates trim the cost at most courses. Always confirm current seasonal rates directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.