On a recent fly fishing / golfing trip into the Smoky Mountain area of Tennessee I soon realized there was more of both than I would be able to do in my visit.  I found an abundance of outstanding golf courses within two hours of Knoxville.  I am talking Middle East Tennessee - a golfer’s dream land!  Moderate winters, great autumns, lush summer greens and fairways, and spring beauty make this truly a “dream place to golf.”  You might be paired a beautiful single lady golfer like Whitney out on the course - I was (fellow golf writer)!

There is the Davy Crockett Golf Trail.  What?  You did not know he was a golfer? I won’t tell if you won’t!  He did grow up in the area and one can visit the land his home was on and see a reproduction residence log cabin, see a copy of his marriage license where he was married in the very county, and hear more Davy Crockett tales than you have time to hear and play any golf. 

The trail is the Baneberry Golf Resort in Baneberry, Clinchview Golf Club in the shadows of the Clinch Mountains just 45 minutes out of Knoxville and located at Bean Station , Millstone Golf Club  of Morristown, and Woodlake Golf Club located in the foothills of the Appalachians in Tazewell.  There is a Davy Crockett Trail pass available with “Four challenging courses, seven comfortable lodgings, all at one low price."

Address and Phone:

825 W. First North St.

Morristown, TN 37814

Phone: 423-586-6382

There is golf at Gatlinburg where beauty awaits you on each fairway and green.     Gatlinburg Golf Course 1 – 800 231-4128.  Bent Creek Golf Village, a Gary Player designed course which is 9 holes of valley and 9 holes of mountain contrast.   I played the Avalon Landmark Golf Club and the Rarity Bay course on Lake Tellico.  This is enough to make one want to fly into nearby Knoxville and rent a car if there were no other activities like Gatlinburg or Dollywood, trout fishing, or the beautiful Smoky Mountains to draw you here.

Rarity Bay:  “Tennessee Golfing at it's finest..."  The par-72, 18-hole scenic golf course at Rarity Bay was designed by D.J. DeVictor and Peter Langham and covers 150 acres of rolling hills with breathtaking views of Lake Tellico. The course offers a challenging game to both recreational and serious golfers. Harmony, scale, balance and rhythm of the land combine to provide for an outstanding experience.

In addition to the bent grass greens and diverse topography, the landscaping and natural beauty of the peninsula with a backdrop of the Great Smoky Mountains adds a touch of pleasure to every round. Also, enjoy an excellent practice range and putting green at the Golf Club.”     The 13,000 square foot Clubhouse houses an elegant dining room, a casual Grille Room, and private meeting rooms for up to 40 people and just a “stop by for a drink and snack” is a refreshing pit stop.

403 Rarity Bay Pkwy.

Vonore, TN 37885

Phone: 423-884-3030

Toll-Free: 888-RARITYBAY

Avalon Landmark has Golf Digest four-star rating!  When I played the first few holes I understood why! Having played some of America’s finest from the East Coast to the West Coast (as well as internationally and Hawaii) I have some feeling for what makes a golf course to remember.   “From its opening in 1997, the course was envisioned as a Tennessee magnet for great golf, drawing from a seven-state region: Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Indiana, Ohio and even Michigan. But visions can sometimes go awry. When Landmark, best known for its Myrtle Beach properties, took over the course in December, the first thing the new owners did was attack some nagging challenges.

Avalon Landmark Golf Club is thick with big kidney-shaped sand traps that guard fairways, greens and stretch annoyingly into places where a poorly hit shot would land.                                                                                              

The course has Midlawn Bermuda grass on fairways, roughs and tees. The greens are Crenshaw bent grass, which gives them a true roll, a fine, soft feel underfoot and great bite on wedges and approach shots.

A fearless "across the water - to the green" drive by Whitney.  This is really a "fun course" with lots of variety to make the challenges exciting and also possible for the average golfers. 

Water and sand greet the golfer at a number of

greens.  However, a well-placed approach shot will put one easily in the reach of a well-deserved par, if not better!

Because Tennessee is a rocky place, the course has dramatic but understated natural rock accents.  For sheer drama, few holes can match No. 17. If a golfer can really get the graphite on this par 4, he stands a good chance of picking off that rarest of all birds: a double eagle. The card lists No. 17 at 360 yards but that’s from the tee to the center of the fairway and across a lake that protects the entire fairway and even wraps around the green far below. It’s total carry over water. The only question is how much of the apple to bite?

Go for the green and you’re looking at more than 300 yards of carry over the water from the white tees to the edge of the green. Sand traps protect it from a roll-on drive. Still, crush the drive and get up and down from here and it’s a birdie. Hole out the chip and you have your double eagle. ”

1299 Oak Chase Blvd.
Lenoir City, TN 37772
Phone: 865-986-4653
Toll-Free: 877-471-4653

Try Middle Eastern Tennessee for your next golfing experience and I believe you will find it as beautiful and as challenging as I did.  Happy Traveling.