Tennessee Trip

Tennessee is a state I have enjoyed many excellent trips to in the past.  The trip I took in May of 2024 was motivated by trying to get to the significant courses around the Nashville area that I had yet to play, including a Donald Ross course.  I also enjoyed some golf in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee, and made a side trip to Kentucky to check out a brand new course, and a highly rated state park golf course.  

Belle Meade Country Club

My trip to Tennessee began in the Smokey Mountains.  I was driving there from home, so a stop to enjoy some mountain golf was absolutely necessary.  The first stop was Smokey Mountain Golf Course in Newport, Tennessee.  The course is everything we love about mountain courses, lots of elevation changes, dramatic tee shots through shoots of trees, and greens perched on top of a hill.  

Smokey Mountain Golf Course, Par four 10th hole

I headed a few miles down the road to Dandridge, Tennessee for my next two rounds on day one.  First up was Dandridge Golf & Country Club.  The course has designed by Dan Maples, most known for his work in North Carolina.  He designed the original 18 holes and another nine was added a few years later.  

Dandridge Golf & Country Club, Par four 9th hole, Red Nine

I headed a mere few miles down the road for my last round on day one.  Patriot Hills Golf Club opened in 1997 and is more of a championship course at 6700 yards then it's sister course I had just played at Dandridge.  

Patriot Hills Golf Club, Par five 18th hole

Day two of the trip was centered in the area around Crossville, Tennessee.  A dew sweeping round at The Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain kicked off the day.  Part of the Bear Trace collection of courses in the Tennessee State Park system, Cumberland Mountain is probably the toughest of the collection.

Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain, Par four 7th hole

Day two continued at Lake Tansi Golf Course.  Part of a resort and planned community, I was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful mix of flat holes along with some holes with dramatic elevation changes.

Lake Tansi Golf Course, Par three 15th hole

The final course I played on day two was Cumberland Cove Golf Course just north of Crossville.  Designed by local architect Gary Baird in 1996, the course is laid out over some pleasantly rolling hills.  Generally flat greens and few bunkers make this an ideal course for people that are new to the game.

Cumberland Cove Golf Course, Par four 9th hole

I spent day three of the trip just over the border in Kentucky.  The day began at Dale Hollow State Park golf course in Burkesville, Kentucky.  The course was designed by Brian Ault from the popular Mid-Atlantic design firm of Ault/Clark & Associates.  

Dale Hollow State Park Golf Course, Par four 9th hole

I continued the Hollow theme for my next round on day three.  Fox Hollow Golf Club, in Glasgow, Kentucky is a shotmakers course at only 5300 yards, but is a ton of fun to play with the hills and lakes that extenuate the design.

Fox Hollow Golf Club, Par three 7th & 9th holes

I headed to the Park City area to continue my day in Kentucky.  Diamond Caverns Golf Course is part of an RV Resort and is a sporty little course on a very undulating piece of property near Mammoth Cave National Park.

Diamond Caverns Golf Course, Par four 8th hole

The last course I played on day three would prove to be the highlight of the trip.  Park Mammoth Golf Club was recently completely renovated by architect Brian Ross and the result is spectacular.  Ross took down trees, re-routed holes, and made a links style course that is destined to be one of the best in Kentucky.

Park Mammoth Golf Club, Par four 4th hole in foreground, Par three 5th hole in background

I headed to the Nashville area for the next few days of my trip.  Day four began very early in the morning at one of the many fine city owned courses, Ted Rhodes Golf Course.  The course, originally called Cumberland Golf Course, opened in the 1950's and is located on the banks of the Cumberland River.

Ted Rhodes Golf Course, Par four 4th hole

I headed a little south of town for my next round.  Towhee Club was originally designed by Arnold Palmer and opened in 2005.  The owners have undertaken some recent upgrades to the bunkers and greens.

Towhee Club, Par five 17th hole

I returned to Nashville for round three on this very long day of golf.  Harpeth Hills is another fine city owned facility that features more elevation change than some of the others closer to the city center.

Harpeth Hills Golf Course, Par four 1st hole

The final course I played on day five will soon be the site of an LIV Tour event.  The Grove in College Grove is located Southeast of town and was designed by Greg Norman in 2012.  The club has experience hosting tournaments, having hosted a Korn Ferry Tour event in the past.  To give you an idea of how in demand golf in Nashville is, my tee time was 4:30 and there were people teeing off behind me for two hours!

The Grove, Par five 2nd hole

Day six was focused on things other than golf, but I did manage to get out and play a couple times.  First was an improtu round at The Little Course at Conner Lane.  This par three course is the home of the Tennessee Golf Association and is surrounded by Vanderbilt Legends Club.  The course was designed by Bob Cupp and is a wonderful place for juniors, beginners, and families to have a fun round.

Little Course at Conner Lane, Par three 3rd and 5th holes

I drove to the Brentwood area South of Nashville for my next round.  Richland Country Club was originally designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 1988.  Bill Bergin completed a massive renovation recently that removed trees and expanded greens and fairways.  The very hilly course works it's way up and down the property with some very dramatic tee shots and wonderful par threes.

Richland Country Club, Par four 9th hole

The seventh day of the trip took place mostly north of Nashville.  It began about twenty miles away in the town of Springfield.  The Legacy Golf Club was designed by legendary PGA Tour player Raymond Floyd.  This was my first Raymond Floyd design.  I was impressed by his use of angles to reward bold tee shots.

The Legacy Golf Club, Par five 14th hole

A few miles south of Springfield, Joelton was my next destination on day seven.  Nashville National Golf Links is a little short at 6100 yards, but is full of twists and turns, and uses the topography to create some interesting holes.

Nashville National Golf Links, Par three 16th hole

I headed south of Nashville for my last round on day seven.  This course was a rare replay for me.  I played Troubadour Golf & Field Club in 2020 and wanted to play it again to exorcise some demons.  

Troubadour Golf & Field Club, Par four 1st hole

Troubadour is a top notch Tom Fazio course that is managed by Discovery Land, known for their over the top comfort stations.  The first time I played it I had a less than positive experience.  It wasn't the fault of the course or staff.  I had a really obnoxious playing partner that ruined the day for me.  I played my worst round of the last five years and really wanted another crack at the course.  This time I played with a very nice assistant pro and improved on my horrible 84 from 2020 with a very solid 68.  Improved by 16 shots!

Troubadour Golf & Field Club, Par three 16th hole

I was staying in Franklin for the Nashville portion of my trip, so it was mandatory I check out Franklin Bridge Golf Club very close to my hotel.  This links style course opened in the late 1980's and was designed by local architect Gary Roger Baird.  

Franklin Bridge Golf Club, Par four 18th hole

The massive Nashville Golf & Athletic Club was the next destination on day 8.  The course is very long at 7600 yards and was designed by Bruce Devlin and Robert Von Hagge in 1971.  These architects are known for designing difficult courses and this one is no exception.  Heavy rain overnight added another challenging element.

Nashville Golf & Athletic Club, Par three 6th hole

A few miles northwest of Golf & Athletic was a nine hole course called Cheekwood that was next up on this day.  This short par 33 was a delightful walk despite the many puddles from the overnight rain.

Cheekwood Golf Club, Par four 9th hole

The final course I played in Tennessee was the main reason I had traveled to Nashville.  Belle Meade Country Club was designed by Donald Ross and has been reworked by many architects over the years.  There are still some pretty good Ross elements left in the design and I had a wonderful walk around my 267th Ross course.

Belle Meade Country Club, Par four 13th hole

I started the drive back to South Carolina after my round at Belle Meade.  I got up very early the following day to make sure I would have time to get to northern South Carolina by 7 am to begin my final day of golf at Village Greens Golf Course in Grambling, South Carolina.  My experience at Village Greens was unique for one reason.  After playing the first four holes, I hit my tee shot on the reachable par five 5th hole and discovered there was no pin on the green.  This happens to me now and then.  The guy changing the cups will pull the pin and leave it off to the side of the green so the guy mowing doesn't have to stop to pull the pin.  I was shocked to find there was no pin off to the side of the green.  No pin anywhere.  I played the first four holes with pins, but no pin anywhere on five or on the par three 6th hole.  On both holes I drove up, figured out where it was on the green and hit my approaches, but in all my rounds I have never played a course where the maintenance staff took two random pins away. 

Village Greens Golf Course, Par three 9th hole

Less than a mile from Village Greens was my next destination on this last day.  Mountain View par three course is a delightful little course that uses the elevation as it's main challenge.

Mountain View Par Three, 9th hole

A five-mile drive north to the town of Campobello had me at my next destination, The Links O' Tryon.  The course was designed by Tom Jackson, who designed many courses in the Carolinas.  I have played over 30 of his designs at this point.  He is particularly skilled at taking a course with wild rolling terrain and giving you holes that are both challenging and fun.  

Links O' Tryon, Par three 12th hole

The last course of my trip was Woodfin Ridge Golf Club in Woodfin, South Carolina.  The ridge name is appropriate, as the course moves up and down through some dramatic elevation changes.  Both nines finish strong at an almost double green.

Woodfin Ridge Golf Club, Par five 9th hole

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Florida Trip 2024

Depending on how you feel about my annual Florida trip profiles, you may or may not be happy to learn that this will likely be my last Florida trip write up for a very long time.  The reason being that we are moving to Florida in October, and I will likely not be doing lengthy trips within my home state.  This trip served as a scouting trip for potential places to live, as well as the usual task of playing lots of golf.  

The Backyard Course at McArthur. My favorite course played on the trip

One thing I found kind of funny is that looking at apartments without your wife is basically a complete waste of time.  I looked at five apartment complexes and twice as many available apartments.  My reaction to every one was "looks nice, I could live here."  I called my wife and told her that she would just have to come down with me in the summer because she has more definitive opinions about our place of residence than I do!

The Park West Palm.  The biggest surprise of the trip

The trip began with a visit to a couple of courses on the drive down to South Florida.  Oceans Golf Club in Daytona Beach Shores was my first destination.  This par three course has thirteen holes, and basically wraps around some large condo buildings.  The holes were fun, and it was a good, low stress way to begin my trip.

Oceans Golf Club, Par three 3rd hole

My next destination on day one was Melbourne and Duran Golf Club.  I started off with the nine hole par three course at Duran named Chipper's Walk, after the designer of both courses, Chip Powell.

Duran Golf Club(Chipper's Walk), Par three 6th hole

I next tackled the championship course at Duran.  The links style course was a stern test from the back tees, and the mirror image finishing holes of each nine on a large lake were very interesting.

Duran Golf Club(Championship), Par five 9th hole

Day two of the trip was the big day.  I played two brand new courses by very famous designers.  The day began at the newly opened Panther National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, designed by Jack Nicklaus and Justin Thomas.  You can see the influence of a current tour player in the design, as it is very different from the standard Nicklaus product.  They took great care to route the par 3's and 5's at the 4 points of the compass.  Something I really appreciated, as the par 5's were particularly strong, and I got to play them in a variety of wind directions.

Panther National Golf Club, Par three 13th hole

The second course on day two was the highlight of the trip, and a real treat for me because it was designed my favorite modern designers, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.  I headed to Hobe Sound to experience the amazing Backyard course at McArthur Golf Club.  

McArthur Golf Club(Backyard), Par three 14th hole

The original course at McArthur, now called The Front yard, was designed by Tom Fazio, and opened twenty years ago.  The owners hired C&C to give them something different from the first course and were very patient, allowing the course to sit for almost an entire year fully grown in so that members and guests could experience great playing conditions from day one.  The results are spectacular, and the course at opening is already one of the best in Florida.

McArthur Golf Club(Backyard) Par three 16th hole

Day three of the trip took place in the Naples area.  About a three hour drive from my future home of Jupiter/Stuart.  First on the agenda was an executive course called Lakewood Country Club of Naples.  Executive courses are very important in Florida, as evidenced by the three people I was paired with.  None of them could reach a 120 yard par three in one shot, but because of the nature of the course, they were still able to hit a nice variety of shots and not be beaten up trying to play a regulation course with longer distances and carries.

Lakewood Country Club of Naples, Par four 9th hole

I headed quite literally next door for my next two rounds on day three.  The Glades Golf & Country Club has two courses.  The Palmetto, is shorter with more par threes, while the Pines is closer to regulation length and a par 70.  First I played the mostly par three Palmetto course.

The Glades Golf & Country Club(Palmetto) Par three's 12th hole(foreground) and 11th hole(background)

The Pines course, at 5400 yards and a par 70, was a surprisingly humble test for somebody who thinks they are a good wedge player!

The Glades Golf & Country Club(Pines), Par four 18th hole

The last course I played on day three was the reason I came to Naples.  Hideout Golf Club was designed by Philadelphia based architect Kelly Blake Moran, and opened in 2000.  The course plays more links style on the first twelve holes before it crosses the road into the pine trees and plays more like a course in Pinehurst for the last six holes.

Hideout Golf Club, Par three 10th hole

Day four began with the biggest surprise of the trip, The Park West Palm course, completely renovated by Gil Hanse and re-opening just last year.  While I always enjoy Gil's courses, I wouldn't say I'm a great admirer of his work.  With that being said, I was blown away by The Park.  With a mostly dead flat site, he gave the holes a ton of width and used the little elevation change he had to maximum affect.  The back nine in particular is very strong and I'm happy to report I birdied the last four holes, something I haven't done in a very long time!

The Park West Palm, Par three 11th hole

I had some time to kill, so a quick journey around the walking only Lit 9 at The Park was a must.  Also designed by Gil Hanse, the Lit 9 features a very unique 40 yard putt for it's 9th hole.  I loved it and thought it was a very creative way to get nine holes into a pretty small site.

The Park West Palm(Lit 9), par three 9th hole with a 40 yard putt to finish the round

I drove back to the Palm Beach Gardens area for my next round on day four.  I have played four of the six courses at PGA National Golf Club.  The Estates course, designed in the 90's by Karl Litten, would be my fifth.  The Estates is located a few miles down the road from the main clubhouse at PGA National where the other five courses are located.

PGA National(Estates), Par three 3rd hole

The final course I played on day four was my 266th Donald Ross course.  At the request of the course, I will not post a picture of it or mention it on here.  I will say that I was very surprised by the amount of elevation change.  Ross continues to be the master of routing a course even on a small property to get the most out of the available topography.

I headed North from Stuart for day five of the trip.  First up was Island Pines Golf Course in Fort Pierce.  I was very excited to get the first tee time of the day at Island Pines at 7:03.  Of course, I failed to realize that with the clocks turning five days previous, it was not light out at 7:03!  However, the nice people at Island Pines allowed me to wait a few minutes so that I could see where I was going.

Island Pines Golf Course, Par three 12th hole

The reason for my journey north was next up on day five.  The Windsor Club in Vero Beach was designed by Robert Trent Jones II and features his trademark large and flashy bunkers.

The Windsor Club, Par four 5th hole

The last course I played on day five was also quite a surprise.  The Cape Club of Palm City is on its third name, formerly called Cobblestone Country Club and The Fox Club.  It was designed by Roy Case and opened in 1989.  It is located very close to interstate 95 and is about a three mile drive in from the entrance near the I-95 interchange.  The course is laid out in two loops with the front nine looping around the South part of the property and the back nine mostly on the north side.  Even though this is a housing development course, there was clearly a conscious decision to make sure the houses didn't intrude on the design and the golf course is better for it.

The Cape Club of Palm City, Par five 12th hole

On the last day of the trip I broke up the drive home with a stop in the Amelia Island area.  First up was the Fernandina Beach golf course.  This municipal course is over a hundred years old and credits Tommy Bird Song as the designer.

Fernandina Beach Golf Club, Par four 1st hole

The last round of the trip was a lovely walk around the brand new Little Sandy par three course at Amelia Island Resort.  The Oak Marsh course is currently closed for a major renovation so the staff was nice enough to let me play this wonderful course designed by Beau Welling.  The holes wrap around a large lake and are a ton of fun to play.

Amelia Island Resort(Little Sandy), Par threes 3rd(foreground), and 4th(background)

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