Hidden Gems in Golf – Finding a Great Golf Getaway
Avid golfers spend many hours online searching for the perfect golf getaway for a group of friends. You can generally expect to see the same golf destinations appear in your search, such as Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, and St. Destin. With recent changes in the economy and gas prices, many golfers are looking for golf vacations that don’t require a full day of travel and still provide a unique golf experience. For those reasons, Tennessee is becoming a great destination for golfers who want an affordable golf package without the long travel time required from other destinations.
Golfers bound for Tennessee can often travel and play on the same day due to the short drive from Ohio or Michigan. Typically 4-7 hours you can be at your destination playing from high tees overlooking vast mountain ranges with beautiful contoured fairways and greens. There are some hidden gems in Tennessee – golfers flock to amazing golf destinations like Fairfield Glade, Smoky Mountains and Tellico Village.
Fairfield Glade in Crossville, Tennessee has thousands of rounds of packers waiting for fabulous conditions, unique designs, and great weather. The 5 courses at Fairfield are Stonehenge, Heatherhurst Brae, Heatherhurst Crag, Dorchester and Druid Hills. Golf holes in Fairfield vary widely from one to the next, and as the layouts wind through forested areas on the Cumberland Plateau, golfers will experience challenges from elevation changes to strategically placed hazards. There are some great 3’s, like Stonehenge Golf Club’s signature 14th hole, which is a downhill shot that lands on a beautiful stone-stacked green overlooking the water. Dorchester also has a great par 5 that has 3 landing areas that will test your accuracy off the tee and on your approach shot over a small stream in front of the green. Just a taste of what you can expect at the first of 3 unique destinations in Tennessee.
The second hidden gem is a corner 20 minutes south of Knoxville called Tellico Town. Tellico has traditionally been a community with many retirees who have moved south to take advantage of the fantastic golfing weather. Tellico’s 3 golf courses are Kahite, Tanasi and Toqua. Other great courses in the area are Rarity Bay, Rarity Pointe, and Avalon. Unlike the mountain golf you find in Crossville, Tellico is more of a lake golf with fantastic holes that wrap around the lake. These courses are longer than Fairfield and typically offer a very challenging game with undulating greens, undulating fairways, and subtle elevation changes that will make you second-guess your club selection. Toqua has one of the most beautiful par 4 holes along the lake that is not very long, but offers a panoramic view from its green on the lake. Tellico has villas that can accommodate any number of golfers in your party and are located just minutes from the Toqua and Tanasi golf courses. Considering its large selection of courses and the beauty of the lake, golfers will find one of the best packages in the south near Knoxville, Tennessee at Tellico Village.
smoky mountain golf is both unique in beauty and challenge with excellent course conditions and amazing layouts near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Plenty of golf courses to choose from starting as low as $30 a round with luxury villa accommodations located right at Sevierville Golf Club. Sevierville has 36 beautiful holes located in the foothills of the Smokies, while one of the most exclusive courses in the Tennessee River Islands is only 15 minutes away. The Gatlinburg golf course has one of the most unique back nines in the country, including a par 3 12th hole that drops 200 feet from tee to green. Other excellent golf courses in the area include Ruggles Ferry, Patriot Hills, Dandridge, Bent Creek, and Millstone Golf Club. Golfers visiting courses in this area can expect to play some of the most scenic courses in the country.