Off the Beaten Path Golf Courses-East TN

[Stoli]

I am curious about the following courses that I have never played before that are less well known in the Knoxville area. I would be interested in reviews or comments from any that may have played any of these courses. I am not terribly picky but I like to be able to play a lot of golf for a little money and will trade some manicured courses for reasonably priced less crowded courses that will let me walk with my push cart.

1. Southwest Point-Kingston/Roane County
2. Riverview-Loudon County (you can see part of the course when you cross the river from I-75)
3. Smoky Mountain CC-Cocke County/Newport
4. Emory-Harriman/Roane County
5. The Golf Club-Maryville/Blount County
6. Rockwood-Roane County
7. Lost Creek-New Market/Jeff Co
8. Baneberry-Jeff Co
9. Morristown Golf and CC
10. White Pine-Jeff CO.
11. Clinch View-Bean Station

I am not a very good golfer so I am not interested in paying a fortune to play but I like some variety. Nine hole courses are OK. Par 3s are OK but I would not want to drive any significant distance to play them. Executive Meadows in Lenoir City is a par 3 that I like.

The Good-Laurel Valley, Lambert Acres, Executive Meadows (Lenoir City) and Lakeside in Kingston (9 hole) are courses I like.

The OK-Dead Horse in Knoxville is OK but over priced.

The Ugly-Bays Mountain in South Knoxville was in horrible condition the only time that I played there. Concord Park in Farragut is a par 3 that sucks. Whoever runs that course lets people use it as a driving range rather that letting people play golf.

[Lick_My_Vols]

Riverview: Save your time and money. Last played it 2 or 3 years ago and very quickly remembered why I hadn't played there in 8 years. Price was reasonable -- Think it was somewhere around 30 bucks with a cart.

The Golf Club: It is off the beaten path (Apx 2-3 miles off of Highway 411 in Greenback and in the middle of nowhere) and I've never seen it crowded. Probably play there once a year. It is cheap - Apx. 25-28 bucks with a cart. The course has never been in bad shape but it certainly isn't groomed like Augusta either. The layout is about par for a cheap public course but there are a few interesting holes.

The new Rarity Pointe in Loudon County (just across the dam in Lenoir City) has specials if you play during the week after a certain time (think it is after 2 pm). I played there a few weeks ago for about 30 dollars. I heard that they are doing this to get people on the course as the Rarity Pointe development just hasn't taken off yet due to the struggling construction business. Now would be a good time to play it as there aren't houses lining each fairway yet. I would recommend leaving the push cart at the house and ride this course as walking this sucker would be a beast. The greens are tough!!

Agree with you on Lambert Acres. I probably play there twice a month during the summer months. The only complaint I have about Lambert is they do not offer tee times (they have 3 different 9's). I can't figure out why they start everyone on one "side" and hate pulling up to the first tee and have 10 groups waiting in front of you. There has got to be a better way to get people off of the first tee faster...

[Stoli]

Thanks, Lambert Acres almost always looks crowded on a weekend and it seems like you have to play it in the afternoon on a weekday to avoid the backups. It seems to be a pretty good course for my skill level.

I think I will check out the The Golf Club as it is not too far of a drive. I had never heard of it until I saw it on a map of area golf courses. I didn't realize that Rarity was open to the public. I was driving around yesterday afternoon and drove by the Tennessee Open development that is one exit past the Riverview course. They had it open trying to sell lots/houses and you can see the golf course. That thing has bunkers all over the place but looks really nice. They want a $30,000 initiation fee plus several thousand a year for a membership. Reading through the lines it sounds like that development is not taking off all that well. I was driving my old 1990 Corolla and I think they probably thought I was casing the neighborhood for a home burglary:rotfl:

[Lick_My_Vols]

I think I will check out the The Golf Club as it is not too far of a drive. I had never heard of it until I saw it on a map of area golf courses. I didn't realize that Rarity was open to the public.

Two things Stoli:

I was on the phone earlier this morning talking with one of my golfing buddies discussing our next golf adventure when I mentioned this thread. He couldn't believe I would send someone I don't know to a "goat ranch" i.e. The Golf Club. :rotfl: It isn't that bad and as I said the course isn't manicured like Augusta. Or even Lambert Acres for that matter. But in my opinion, for a cheap public course, it is fair and never crowded. The clubhouse is a dump though....

Secondly, the original Rarity Bay course in Vonore (half of the course sits in Monroe County, the other half in Loudon County) is also open to the public and is a great course. They also run afternoon tee time specials around 35 bucks in the News Sentinel from time to time. However, it has houses all over it so if you are a hacker, you will probably be more worried about killing a retiree from Michigan through her window with a Titleist moreso than making birdie!!! Also, I've heard that the new Kahite course (Tellico Village's sister neighborhood in Vonore) is also open to the public on certain days - I've heard they want people there on the weekend as all the residents there play during the week. I've played there 2-3 times and it is a good new course and would recommend it as well. The neighborhood around the course is still fairly empty so if you hate playing a course with housing all over it, now might be the time. The course features a 800 yard (from back tees) Par 6..

[Stoli]

The goat ranch will probably be fine.

[Stoli]

Quick review of Southwest Point

Southwest Point is an 18 hole course in Kingston. I walked nine holes (only $10 if walking) last night.

Pros-Long open fairways for the most part. Cheap to play. Not crowded at all. Easy course to walk as it is level for the most part. The course is challenging due to the length of the holes alone and there is water to deal with on some holes. The lady that worked the clubhouse was very nice.

Cons-Course needs work and it is probably what you would call a goat ranch. Bare spots on fairways, weeds, etc. The surface seemed very hard and shots run a long way. The cart paths are gravel or just worn out in places. The course is not marked well. I don't think they even had a ranger working or if they did, I did not see him.

I will definitely play this course again and hope to play the entire 18 next time to see what the back nine looks like. If nothing else, this is a good course to practice with your drivers and woods. I can access the course easily on my way home from work and it is hard to beat the price. This could be a nice course with some maintenance, grass seed, fertilizer, and weed killer (or goats)

[RynoVol]

The little nine-hole courses are the best. I've got one close to the house that is easy to walk, but not much in the way of amenities or good grass. Kind of like playing a manicured pasture.
The holes are kind of short for the most part with only a few par fours over 300 yards, but the greens are small enough to make it challenging. The best part is that it's not heavily played, so if I need to take a mulligan or three or just need to practice a certain shot, it's cool.

[LegendofNation]

Quick review of Southwest Point

Southwest Point is an 18 hole course in Kingston. I walked nine holes (only $10 if walking) last night.

Pros-Long open fairways for the most part. Cheap to play. Not crowded at all. Easy course to walk as it is level for the most part. The course is challenging due to the length of the holes alone and there is water to deal with on some holes. The lady that worked the clubhouse was very nice.

Cons-Course needs work and it is probably what you would call a goat ranch. Bare spots on fairways, weeds, etc. The surface seemed very hard and shots run a long way. The cart paths are gravel or just worn out in places. The course is not marked well. I don't think they even had a ranger working or if they did, I did not see him.

I will definitely play this course again and hope to play the entire 18 next time to see what the back nine looks like. If nothing else, this is a good course to practice with your drivers and woods. I can access the course easily on my way home from work and it is hard to beat the price. This could be a nice course with some maintenance, grass seed, fertilizer, and weed killer (or goats)

You actually liked Southwest Point? It's the course I grew up on basically, and I think its crap. It is crap! The greens are the only thing that is decent. The fairways are patchy and with some holes dirt being your only option.

There aint no Rangers there, ever. Never have been and never will be. The course was sold 2 years ago to a bunch of women and its actually improved, but they will never put the money in it that it needs. It is long and the fairways are open and its a good practice course. Every green is elevated which is what makes it more difficult than normal goat farms.

In late spring the fairways improve somewhat, but there will always be places where nothing grows.

And dont waste your time playing Emory in Harriman. It needs to be condemned.

[Stoli]

Leggie

I liked the pros listed and I pretty much had the place to myself and I think it is a good place to practice. It is fine to play nine holes after work for $10 compared to paying $40-$60 to play Dead Horse or some other courses around. Believe it or not, I think Bay's Mountain is in sorrier shape. You know I had not though about it but you are right, every single green was elevated.

Have you played the Rockwood course? I had intended to play it but the course was closed for a "swat." It sounds like it is some local tradition where the same outfit plays every Tuesday night.

[LegendofNation]

Leggie

I liked the pros listed and I pretty much had the place to myself and I think it is a good place to practice. It is fine to play nine holes after work for $10 compared to paying $40-$60 to play Dead Horse or some other courses around. Believe it or not, I think Bay's Mountain is in sorrier shape. You know I had not though about it but you are right, every single green was elevated.

Have you played the Rockwood course? I had intended to play it but the course was closed for a "swat." It sounds like it is some local tradition where the same outfit plays every Tuesday night.

Rockwood is decent but its a 9 hole course and I dont like those. Its VERY hilly. When I say hilly I mean rolling hills. Regardless of where you are in the fairway you have some kind of uphill or downhill lie. Fairways are usually fair, and the greens are above average.

[BANG]

I am curious about the following courses that I have never played before that are less well known in the Knoxville area. I would be interested in reviews or comments from any that may have played any of these courses.

1. Southwest Point-Kingston/Roane County
2. Riverview-Loudon County (you can see part of the course when you cross the river from I-75)
3. Smoky Mountain CC-Cocke County/Newport
4. Emory-Harriman/Roane County
5. The Golf Club-Maryville/Blount County
6. Rockwood-Roane County
7. Lost Creek-New Market/Jeff Co
8. Baneberry-Jeff Co
9. Morristown Golf and CC
10. White Pine-Jeff CO.
11. Clinch View-Bean Station




Of your list I've played 1,3,7,8,9,10,11

SW Point I played one time about 10 years ago and don't remember much.

Smoky Mtn. GC I've played 3 times I think, there's better places to play.

Lost Creek I played about 12 years ago, again better places to play.

Baneberry used to be one of my fave courses but in the last 5 to 8 years it's went downhill. Still ok, nothing stellar but I haven't played it in about 3 years, meant to last year and never got around to it.

Morristown GC - haven't played it in along time, its nothing great.

White Pine GC is very close to Baneberry, it's ok although I haven't played it in a long time either. When I first started playing I kinda liked the 9 hole courses too, now I can't stand playing the same 9 holes twice.

Clinchview is ok when the bermuda comes out good.


If your coming all the way to Morristown and looking for "budget type" courses I like Andrew Johnson GC in Greeneville.

[Stoli]

Bang

Thanks for the reviews. I asked about the courses up around Jefferson, Hamblen, Grainger, and Cocke County because I grew up in that area and visit up that way from time to time. I never played golf as a kid and although I knew of courses up there, I did not know of them in terms of playing golf.

I had not thought of Greene County and the Andrew Johnson course might be right up my alley. As bad as my game is the manicured pastures are probably where I need to be. Ripping divots at Augusta is not where I need to be.

I have no clue but I have heard that there is a really nice course in Mountaine City, Tennessee. Anyone have a review?

[Stoli]

Here is a quick, partial, review of Emory (Harriman).

Legend said this course should be condemned and the way I play golf, that may be true. :rotfl:Emory is a 9 hole course that seems to be under improvement.

Actually, Emory is in better shape than I expected. The whole course is tricky. The greens are tricky, fairways are tight, and the slopes are almost always up or down hill. Most or all of the greens are elevated. The folks that work there seemed nice (I hate playing a course where the employees are asses).

I only played 7 holes as the guy I was playing with had things to do and I needed to get back to work. I need to play this course again to give a better review. Off hand, I would rate it as a tight, tough course with a good bit of hilly terrain.

Based on what the guy told me that I was playing with, the course was sold a couple of years ago and they were working hard on the course. I saw straw all over the course and he explained that a new water system was going in. I could see this course being really pretty but still very hard a couple of years from now.

Fees were $11 with a cart for 9 holes which I thought was reasonable. I will probably play this course again as it is cheap, conveniently located, and definitely challenging for me.

[BANG]

Bang


I had not thought of Greene County and the Andrew Johnson course might be right up my alley. As bad as my game is the manicured pastures are probably where I need to be. Ripping divots at Augusta is not where I need to be.

I have no clue but I have heard that there is a really nice course in Mountaine City, Tennessee. Anyone have a review?

The AJ course is a good little course, I haven't played it this year but did a couple of times last year. It's a good bang-for-the-buck course when the bermuda grass comes out good. Also in Greene County is Baileyton GC, it's a decent course and they used to have $15 fridays(18 holes) although I think it's a little higher now.

Graysburg GC used to be a 4 1/2 star course(as per golf digest) but The Crossings GC opened up nearby in 94 and Graysburg has went downhill ever since IMO.

The course in Mountain city is now called Red Tail Mountain, I've never been to it but have heard good and not so good about it. One thing it's pricey, weekend fees are $70. When I'm over that way I usually play Mountain Glen GC, in Newland,NC.

[Stoli]

I played (walked) the Riverview course in Loudon this morning. You can see part of this course when cross the river on I-75 as you enter Loudon coming from Chattanooga. Overall, I liked the course.

Pros-It is easy to get to from where I live, greens seemed in good shape (a little slower than I am used to), most fairways seemed in decent shape with a few weeds and a lot of clover, it was mowed. They do not have a problem if you want to walk. The fees were only $11 to walk 18. If I remember correctly it would be $22 or $25 to ride. I played with three guys that I met in the parking lot and they were fun to play with. The front nine was easy to walk but the back nine was tough (hills and long walks greens to the next tee box on some holes). The folks that worked there were polite and nice.

Cons-Tee boxes could use some work and there are houses and yards that you can easily hit into with a pull or slice. Luckily, I stayed out of those.

The course is not long but there are a few long holes. All of the Par 3s were short except for one. Some fairways are tight and others are pretty open. However there are some wicked slopes on the back nine that will leave you in grass with no good way to stand. The course has some tricky holes but I think it is a good course for my skill level.

For those of you that are better golfers, I suspect that you might not care for this course. As someone mentioned in one of the other threads, if you are just learning to play, you probably need to be on courses like this rather than holding up scratch golfers on a nice course. I expect to definitely play this course again.

I shot 106 which is a decent day for me having never played the course. I left to many strokes on the greens with short putts as I did not adjust well to the slower greens. Also, I had one meltdown hole where my tee shot went into the woods and then I pulled an iron shot across the fairway into the woods on the other side.

[GhostofJohnnyMajors]

Stoli -

One of the best deals in Knox County is the Super Twilight (after 4:00) rate out at Three Ridges Golf Course in the northeast portion of the county. You can ride 18 holes during the week after 4:00pm for $22. It is certainly off the beaten path, but it certainly isn't a goat ranch either. It is a nice course and IMO is the best golf value in East TN, the course hosted the Knoxville Open many times before it switched over to Fox Den every year. Since it sounds like you play after work alot this might be something to look into, only $16 to walk 18 which you might prefer anyway. Definitely going to be alot nicer than the Bays Mountains and Southwest Points of the area, but there will be many varying skill levels as well. Three Ridges sees everything from scratch golfers to Joe Weekend Hacker so don't be intimidated.

[RynoVol]

Stoli -

One of the best deals in Knox County is the Super Twilight (after 4:00) rate out at Three Ridges Golf Course in the northeast portion of the county. You can ride 18 holes during the week after 4:00pm for $22. It is certainly off the beaten path, but it certainly isn't a goat ranch either. It is a nice course and IMO is the best golf value in East TN, the course hosted the Knoxville Open many times before it switched over to Fox Den every year. Since it sounds like you play after work alot this might be something to look into, only $16 to walk 18 which you might prefer anyway. Definitely going to be alot nicer than the Bays Mountains and Southwest Points of the area, but there will be many varying skill levels as well. Three Ridges sees everything from scratch golfers to Joe Weekend Hacker so don't be intimidated.

Speaking of Joe Weekend Hacker, he's rolling into town to play a round with his little brother, the Better Weekend Hacker at Three Ridges tomorrow. If you're there after 1 p.m., listen for the loudest swearer. That'd be me.

[Stoli]

GhostofJohnny

Thanks for the heads up on 3 ridges. I live on the wrong end of town to play after work but it sounds ideal to play when taking an afternoon off. I played Laurel Valley this weekend and broke 100 on this course for the first time (shot 98). Friday morning just seemed to be a perfect golf day weather wise. I was getting ready to tee off of the fifth hole and saw a bear charging across the 18 th fairway. He jumped a creek and continued running across the fifth fairway and on into the woods. My wife and I played with a Father and son visiting from South Carolina and they were great folks to play with. Golf is a lot more fun when you get off the tee in play.

[GhostofJohnnyMajors]

Are you in West Knox? You could go down towards the airport and play Pine Lakes pretty cheap. We used to play that course in college all the time, I know at that time it was in decent shape and pretty cheap (the main college factor). I remember it being a pretty easy course to walk, not a very long course either.

EDIT: Yeah, just saw that you posted about Pine Lakes in a different thread. Do you ever play Knoxville Municipal off Schaad? You can walk 9 for $10 and the course honestly isn't that bad. People assume that it sucks balls because of the Municipal title, but I would take it any day over Whittle Springs, Bays Mountain, Southwest. Hell I would take it over Dead Horse which is a shitty course where they have raised the green fees to make it seem nice. The greens are in pretty decent condition, the fairway and 1st cut of rough are well maintained, easy to walk. It isn't going to be Bethpage or Augusta, but it is decent for the money. From the whites every par 3 on the course plays about 100 yards, but it also has difficult holes (#9 is about 545 yards to an elevated green over water). 4 beers for $11 isn't a bad deal either.

[Stoli]

Yes, I live just off of Campbell Station Road. I have only played it once but I really liked Pine Lakes. It seemed to be in great shape and it is pretty easy to walk. The Municipal course and three ridges both sound interesting. I agree with you about Dead Horse, it has to be the most over priced course around and I just don't get it.

[BANG]

I haven't played Three Ridges in a few years but $22 is a good deal for that course.

[Stoli]

I drove up to Jefferson County today to visit some family and booked a tee time online for Lost Creek on the Golfnow.com site. By booking online through the service the cost was only $17 per person with a cart to ride 18 holes. Needless to say, the cost was most reasonable.

I wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised. The greens were in good condition and thick, it would not have bothered me if the fairways were mowed a little closer but they were OK. I saw very little trash on the course and even the port a potties were clean. I give these guys an A for trying to take care of what they have. The course was well marked, the staff was polite and friendly. I got the impression that quite a bit of work had been done to fix up the course during the last couple of years. Ordinarily, I prefer to walk a course but with all of the up and downs on this one I am not sure that I would want to walk it. I could walk it but I would probably get tired somewhere on the back 9.

I shot 97 which is a good day for me especially since I had never played the course. The hole I had the most trouble with was a downhill par 3 that was only 100-110 yards. I mishit a line drive shot off the tee with my pitching wedge and it hit the green and bounced off it and down a steep bank in high grass. I ended up taking 7 strokes on what should have been the easiest hole on the course. Most of the holes are pretty open but most every hole has some slope to deal with up, down, or sideways. The greens seemed on the smaller side on most holes and several were elevated and I think that was one of the more challenging aspects of the course. There is a pond to deal with on one hole and few small bunkers scattered here and there (luckily I did not hit into any of them). Some of the par 4 holes are 300 or less and it was easy to play a pitching wedge or 9 iron after the tee shot on many of the holes. I didn't need to play the 3 or 5 iron much today. Overall, this was one of the easier courses that I have played and it is a good one for my skill level (or lack thereof). You do not have to be a home run hitter with the driver to play well on this course. For those of you that are better golfers, this course is probably too easy for you.

The course is somewhat unique in the way that it is laid out. The first nine holes form a circle around 10-18. Overall, I liked this course and will probably play it again when I am up that way visiting family. The course was nicer than the cost would indicate.

[Stoli]

I played Patriot Hills this afternoon. Overall, I give this course high marks. It was not too crowded for a Saturday. The course is scenic, well maintained, and well marked. The staff was friendly. The price was reasonable, about $23 per person with a Golfnow.com tee time. As the course name indicates, virtually every hole has a hill to deal with in some form and most holes are blind. The course has 6 par 5, 6 par 4, and 6 par 3 holes with several dogleg angles to deal with. A cart was included with the booking. The course could be walked but it would be a good workout. The greens were in good condition and a little fast but have seen faster. The course seems to have a lot of risk/reward shots with the angles and slopes. I found them hard to read so far as breaks.

About the only negative that I can think of is that there are a lot of houses around the course. You could over hit a par 3 and kill a retiree from Michigan.

The course has several sand traps around the greens and I ended up in a couple of them. They have actually maintained the traps and you can get a ball out with a wedge using the textbook method. One thing that made the course a little tougher for me was the thick grass around the edges of most of the greens. If I am anywhere near a green the first question I ask myself is whether I can putt. If you do not get on the green with your approach shot the putter is not an option on most holes due to the thickness of the grass. There are a couple of ponds to deal with and I managed to sink a ball in one of them.

I seemed to get some long bounces and rolls on several tee shots. I suspect the slopes and mostly clay soil under the grass contributed to that.
The course also has a driving range, practice green, and pitching green that you usually do not find at the goat ranches that I often frequent. This course was nicer than most of the ones that I have played and I would definitely recommend it to any of you that might be in the area. If things work out, I will be up that way on Wednesday or Thursday and I would like to play this course again.

[BANG]

I played the sister course(Dandridge) Sat. morning too. Wanted to play 27 holes but they had a tourney going on.

I've got to straighten my driver out, it's killing me!

[Stoli]

Bang

What was your take on the Dandridge course and how does it compare to Patriot Hills? I have never played Dandridge. I think I heard someone say that both courses are managed or owned by the same folks. I have family up that way so I expect to play some of the courses around Jeff County, Morristown, etc. from time to time.

One other note on Patriot Hills it was breezy yesterday afternoon but I would bet the windchill would be brutal on that course on a windy winter day. Just not much around there to break the wind.

[el Jeffe]

If anyone is near Crossville, Deer Creek is a nice course and they have a special right now, $20.00 for 18 with cart.

[BANG]

Bang

What was your take on the Dandridge course and how does it compare to Patriot Hills? I have never played Dandridge. I think I heard someone say that both courses are managed or owned by the same folks. I have family up that way so I expect to play some of the courses around Jeff County, Morristown, etc. from time to time.

One other note on Patriot Hills it was breezy yesterday afternoon but I would bet the windchill would be brutal on that course on a windy winter day. Just not much around there to break the wind.

If you like Patriot Hills you need to play Dandridge GC. It's an older golf course, not as long as PH and not as many houses come into play(or shouldn't). I think they're still owned by the same person. The wind got up at DGC too Sat. We teed off at 9:15 or just a little after and was done by 12:30 and actually had to wait some.

To put into comparison I played Graysburg Hills last Sunday to the tune of $40 for 18 and feel like I got ass-raped. I used to love GH but the fairways now are so thin it's pathetic, which is the exact opposite of what it used to be. DGC is in immaculate condition compare to GH.

[BANG]

If anyone is near Crossville, Deer Creek is a nice course and they have a special right now, $20.00 for 18 with cart.

I've played that course, well worth $20 to play.

[Stoli]

Thanks, I really liked Patriot Hills. I have heard from several that Dandridge, Millstone, and Clinch View are the preferred courses up that way.