The best golf courses in Tennessee, USA

The Honors Course, designed by the legendary Pete Dye and established in 1983 for the advancement of amateur golf, winds through woodlands just outside Chattanooga. Renowned for its pure zoysia fairways, lightning-fast greens, and secluded, natural environment, it is a perennial top-30 U.S. layout and a regular host of major amateur championships.

TPC Southwind is a premier private golf club in southeast Memphis, Tennessee, designed by Ron Prichard with PGA TOUR players Hubert Green and Fuzzy Zoeller as consultants. The par-70, 7,244-yard course features tour-level conditioning and hosts the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Set within a gated community, it boasts full amenities including a large clubhouse, tennis, pool, and fitness center.

The Golf Club of Tennessee, nestled in Kingston Springs just outside of Nashville, is a private 18-hole course designed by Tom Fazio in 1988. Known for its natural, rolling terrain and strategic design, it offers a tranquil, exclusive golf experience complemented by excellent facilities and practice amenities. This course consistently ranks among Tennessee’s best.

Holston Hills Country Club, located beside the Holston River in Knoxville, Tennessee, is celebrated as one of Donald Ross's most untouched and authentic designs. Opened in 1927, the course offers a challenging yet fair test, highlighted by classic routing, subtle greens, understated bunkering, and natural parkland beauty.

Sweetens Cove Golf Club, designed by Rob Collins and Tad King, is a bold 9-hole public course in Tennessee’s Sequatchie Valley. Known for its audacious design, dramatic greens, and strategic bunkering, the course delivers an engaging, fun, and inventive golf experience that has gained national acclaim as one of the finest 9-hole layouts in the USA.

Troubadour Golf and Field Club is a private, Tom Fazio-designed course set in the rolling hills outside Nashville. Opened in 2019, this 18-hole layout offers exclusive access to members, integrating natural Tennessee scenery with broad fairways, strategic bunkering, and resort-level amenities for an immersive luxury golf experience.

Hermitage Golf Course - President's Reserve in Nashville, designed by Denis Griffiths and opened in 2000, features 18 championship holes blending wetlands and wooded areas along the Cumberland River. The par-72 layout is praised for its scenery and challenging design. The facility boasts excellent amenities, practice areas, and is often regarded as Tennessee's top public course.

Island Pointe Golf Club, designed by Arthur Hills and established in 1991, is renowned for its dramatic setting along the French Broad River with holes on islands in the water. Zoysia fairways and smooth Bermuda greens provide a consistently first-class experience on a highly scenic and challenging public course, considered one of the best in East Tennessee.

Willow Creek Golf Club in Knoxville, Tennessee, is a Bill Oliphant design opened in 1988. Recognized for its excellent conditions, upscale layout, and Bentgrass greens, it features subtle elevation changes and challenging holes for all skill levels. The course is well regarded for its distinct routing, fast greens, and full practice facilities.

Gatlinburg Golf Course, designed by William B. Langford and renovated by Bob Cupp & Associates, is an 18-hole public course known for its dramatic elevation changes and outstanding Smoky Mountain scenery. With Bentgrass greens and Bermuda fairways, it offers a challenging mountain golf experience just outside Gatlinburg. This course blends strategic design with memorable vistas.

Established in 1896 on the banks of the Tennessee River, Chattanooga Golf & Country Club features a Donald Ross layout remodeled by Bill Bergin in 2005. The course boasts a classic parkland feel, challenging elevation changes, and renowned conditions, making it one of the premier private clubs in Tennessee.

Black Creek Club, established in 1996 and designed by Brian Silva, is an 18-hole private course inspired by the Golden Age designs of Seth Raynor and Charles Blair Macdonald. It offers a classic parkland experience with over 7,200 yards, notable for its deep bunkering, squared green complexes, and strategic routing amid Tennessee’s natural beauty.

Stonehenge Golf Club at Fairfield Glade, designed by Joe Lee, is widely recognized as one of Tennessee’s top public courses. The course plays through the wooded Cumberland Plateau, featuring meticulously maintained bentgrass greens and fairways, distinctive stone outcroppings, and several water features, offering a visually dramatic and enjoyable challenge for golfers of any skill level.

Chickasaw Country Club is a classic, private southern club established in 1922 in Memphis, Tennessee. The 18-hole course, designed by William Langford and restored in 2018 by Bill Bergin, features TiffEagle Bermuda greens and a strategic parkland routing known for playability and challenge, blending historical character with contemporary updates to serve all levels of golfers.

Egwani Farms Golf Course, designed by D.J. DeVictor, is a par-72, 18-hole public course set along the Little River in Rockford near Knoxville. Established in 1991 on former farmland, it features championship bermuda greens, billy-style bunkers, and five different tees, providing a blend of strategy and challenge for all levels of play.

Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is an 18-hole public course on Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau. Known for its scenic elevation changes, brooks, and mature pines, this par 72 layout offers golfers a diverse playing experience and is recognized among the state’s top ten public courses.

The Bear Trace at Tims Ford is a scenic public layout designed by Jack Nicklaus, set on a peninsula within Tims Ford Lake. Opened in 1999, it offers diverse challenges across 18 holes, notable for both natural beauty and strategic features. Renowned for its engaging shot values, the course attracts golfers seeking an enjoyable and memorable round in Southeast Tennessee.

Fall Creek Falls State Park Golf Course, designed by Joe Lee in 1972, is a scenic 18-hole championship course set in the Cumberland Plateau. The course provides a challenging round with rolling hills, dense woodlands, and 71 bunkers, combining natural beauty with strategic golf. It is Audubon Certified and respected for its parkland design.