Chattanooga, Tennessee's Sweeten's Cove - NYT and Fried Egg

[nevets88]

A labor of love, shoestring budget, burgeoning architect and builder turn nothing into something special.

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This spring, Golfweek listed Sweetens Cove at No. 59 in its top 100 modern golf courses, a ranking of American courses built since 1960. It is one of only two nine-hole courses included on the list, and it is ranked third among daily-fee public courses. Sweetens Cove is ahead of numerous sites that have hosted PGA Tour events and major championships, including Hazeltine and Valhalla. Quail Hollow Club, the site of the 2017 P.G.A. Championship, which concluded on Sunday, was just behind Sweetens Cove at No. 60.

Opened in 2014, Sweetens Cove is Collins’s answer to golf’s postrecession challenges of declining participation and stagnant course construction.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/sports/golf/sweetens-cove-golf-club-rob-collins.html?smid=tw-share

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Unfortunately, I walked off the 9th green with a wedding to attend, disappointed that I couldn’t keep playing all day. As I reflected on my two-hour drive back to Knoxville, I thought of how Sweetens Cove was in rare air as one of my favorite golf courses because of its beautiful backdrop and world-class architecture. Each shot on the golf course presents unique challenges and multiple shot options to overcome them. Just the type of course I dream about playing from sun up to sun down. I would urge everyone to find a way to check this gem out as I didn’t regret one minute of the 4 hours I drove to see it.

http://www.friedegg.co/golf-courses/sweetens-cove-golf-club-review

[DeadMan]

I was just coming to post this in here. Sounds like a great course to play. The Times article is pretty good, too. The explosion of tough golf courses stuffed into neighborhoods really did golf a disservice. You play a course that won't kill a bad player but is still interesting for a good player (i.e., a lot of links courses), and you enjoy the game a lot more.

[iacas]

Funny, a lesson guy just mentioned this to me tonight.

[nevets88]

Well designed, reasonable green fee, pace of play decent. Who would have thunk? If you build it, they will come.

[bwdial]

A buddy of mine lives up in Huntsville, Alabama.  He has played Sweetens several times and he keeps asking me to come up.  These photos are from last week.

[Hardspoon]

I'm resurrecting a 2+ year old thread...but it's still relevant!

I'll be making the trip down to Sweeten's in about two weeks.  I have no idea what to expect, but I'm pretty excited - if nothing else, the idea of "free-form" golf and 45 holes in a single day on a near-empty course is going to be something very different.  I plan on posting my thoughts/reaction here.

Sweetens Cove Golf Club

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Sweetens Cove Golf Club is an award-winning public golf course near Chattanooga and Nashville. Consistently ranked one of the best Tennessee golf courses and a top 100 Golf Course in the World.

 

[iacas]

I don't know that it will be "nearly empty." 40 to 60 players on a nine-hole course can feel fairly full.

[Hardspoon]

23 hours ago, iacas said:

I don't know that it will be "nearly empty." 40 to 60 players on a nine-hole course can feel fairly full.

On our day, there are 40 total. I guess you’re right, it won’t have that “empty course” feeling…but last time this group went they played 45 holes and didn’t wait on a single shot. Which sounds nice after the rounds I’ve had the past couple weekends!

I do wish they opened earlier than 8am. 

[Wade Patton]

I just found out about this course a day ago. I'm about an hour away, but don't see any available passes for the rest of this season. LET ME KNOW if anyone needs a 4th down there sometime. I'll take a day off work no doubt.