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4.9
45 Reviews (45)
5 Stars
32
4 Stars
10
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
1
Conditions
4.8
Value
4.8
Layout
4.9
Friendliness
4.8
Pace
4.9
Amenities
4.2
98.7%
Recommend this course
43 out of 45 reviews
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About

Holes 9
Type Semi-Private
Style Links
Par 36
Length 3301 yards
Slope 123
Rating 36.5

Having opened in 2014, Sweetens Cove Golf Club is nestled in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. In a town with a population of roughly 3,000 people, this nine-hole course wasn’t built like most golf courses. Featured in a New York Times Article, architect and owner-operator Rob Collins hired a crew and spent roughly $1 million to build the course from scratch, without help from any golf course design firms. Players can walk the course for $25, or for $35 can take out a cart to play. If you’ve got a lot of time on your hands, you can play the course all day with a cart for only $100. Prepare to bring some breakfast for the breakfast ball, because there’s no clubhouse to get food, only a shed where you check-in. What makes this course fun is players get a little taste of everything. From drivable par 4s, to lengthy and hilly greens, expect everything but the kitchen sink. Since its opening, several household names have joined Collins’ to be an investor including Peyton Manning and Andy Roddick.

Course Details

Year Built 1951
Fairways 419 Bermuda Grass
Greens Mini Verde Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Rob Collins (2011) Tad King (2011)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Clubs Yes
Pull-carts Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range No
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes

Accolades

Reviews

4.9
45 Reviews (45)

What Golfers Are Saying

Course Challenges Include:
Undulating Greens 9
Bunkers 7
This course/club is great for:
9-Hole Rounds 9
Locals 8
Seniors 7
This Course's Location is:
Worth the Drive 6

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Tennessee Advisor
Top 50 Contributor
First Time Playing
Good weather
Walked

Outstanding course, beautifully maintained

I am new to the area and had heard about Sweetens Cove from several friends. I looked up the course online and the pictures were impressive. But I have been fooled to many times by great pictures and a less than great course. Regardless, I had to give this 9-hole layout a try. I was not disappointed.

From the first tee you can sense that this is an outstanding course. While the 9-hole layout is compact (a mere 6602 yards for 18 played) it is a challenge and perfect for the mid-to-high handicapper. You don't need a 300 yard drive to score well. In fact, some holes (like #7, a 328y hole from the tips) needs placement rather than distance. If you drive 220y to 250y on most any hole, you will have a mid- to short-iron in.

The greens are a large part of the challenge on this course. Most are very large and undulating, almost hilly. Placing the shot on the correct portion of the green is essential or three puts will be the norm. One green, on #4, a par 3, has at least three distinct levels and is so large that it could be easily be a two club difference from front to back.

The lack of any clubhouse makes a casual foursome outing a bit difficult but there are plenty of food places and a Waffle House on the highway exit 5 minutes away so breakfast before or lunch after is still doable.

Locals should visit this course and travelers should plan a stop. It is worth the time.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 11/28/2018

Review is all true. I started to second guess myself when I drove off the main road and toward the gravel parking lot -- if that's what you would call it. But the course.... out of this world!!!

Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played

It’s been a long time since 2017

The former “little course that could” is now the “little course that does” and that little course is nicely nestled in the mainstream golf world. I’ve played this course a handful of times over the past couple years, and in that short timespan it’s blown up. But the staff is as friendly as ever, a friend and I on a whim showed up without a pass, hoping for a slew of cancellations could lead us to a couple loops. Sure enough we got the thumbs up. The course was undoubtedly in perfect condition and every golfer ther, equipped a story with a smile, is completely all in. It makes for an experience like none other. But what I will say, is the greens kicked us hard. Every time I’ve played here, I’ve found a track with more bark than bite. Scary at times but then you walk away with a 2-putt par smiling and praising Rob Collins’ genius. You get a couple bad breaks but more often than not you receive a fair shake. But on this day? No. The greens were souped up to the point of torture. They’ve always been quick, but pleasantly receivable. We tried everything to hold them and nothing working, the combo of heat baked glass and pin placement made it maddening.
So all that to say - the prices are high, the merch is expensive, the extravagant events are for deeper pockets, but the same spirit exists. We caught it this day on extreme conditions, but it’s worth it.
If you’ve never played it - it’s a must. If you haven’t played it in awhile, take a weekday evening loop and soak it in because deep down you know the opportunities to play are going to get fewer and farther between.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 11
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Tennessee's Best Kept Secret

back in 2017 I read a review about this place and made multiple attempts to play here as we go to RTJ trail over the winter to get our fix. Weather never allowed it. Fast forward a few years: as I got deeper into golf, the more and more the golf community started talking about how special this place was and I kept seeing more and more about it. We finally made it here last summer and it is the most fun of golf I have had. We got a day pass and spent sun up to sun down playing golf. Kind of place you can bring a dog, 7 buddies, a cooler of your own food and beer. Every 9 holes we would swign back to the commons area, load back up on drinks and food and go back out for 9 more. We played every tee box and both pin locations. This is pure golf. I really enjoyed the ceremonious whisky shot before the round. They let larger groups off first and I wondered how it would work, I do not think we ever had to wait on a hole for another group. The game would grow if more places took the risk Sweetens did. If it was not 4 hours away and nearly impossible to get a day pass, this could be the only course I ever want to play again.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 17
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked

A course that absolutely nails it for unique golf experience

Purchased an all-day pass and played 40 holes without having to wait for more than 1 or 2 shots. Loved how they manage the amount of people out there to benefit speed of play. Course was in excellent shape despite a little bit of casual water here and there. Greens rolled extremely well, each hole had a distinct challenge and required different shots. Obviously the show stopper here is the greens which are wild and comically difficult in some places, bordering on unfair but that is the hole allure. Once I stopped keeping score and just hit shots I had the most fun. I also found that anytime I was within 15 yards of the green I was putting, sometimes up 8 foot slopes which is an experience I have never had before. Wouldn't want to play here everyday but I will definitely be back every year.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 15
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

Why did I wait so long?

I live 2 hours away and have wanted to go. I called and was told they were booked until November BUT they had an event cancel and had room. I booked a tee time and was the first ones off on a slightly foggy morning. The course is an amazing piece of land in a valley. As you arrive the first thing I noticed is the practice putting green.....elephant buried there. Crazy elevations and undulations. I joined Michael (picture with me) and Troy and we were off. Course is is perfect shape - literally not a weed! Fairways are wide, plenty of natural bunkers, some water and you can find trouble off the tee if not careful. The biggest adjustment is remember to the right flag. There are blue flags and a white/blue flag. Greens are so massive I think they should have 3 flags - go RED/WHITE/BLUE. When you play 36 - 54 holes in a day more options would be fun.
I played the white tees first, then the blue and then the tips twice. I am a 4.4 hdcp and was 6 over for the 36 holes and hit 24/36 GIR. If you can place your approach shots correctly you will avoid some insane putts that are easy to 3 putt. Many false fronts you need to carry and many pins deep in the green you can not go over.

They could easily get a grill and do burgers/hot dogs for lunch. Simply get a local senior/retires golfer and trade them for free golf to do that from 11-2 might work well. I will be back. I had waited because I could never get anyone to go with me - SCREW THAT - just go! There are plenty of people to play with. I really think if they are booked you should still go. Since when you make a tee time they DO NOT collect any payment so the no show factor must be 10-20%. I think they should collect at least $10 - $50 to make the tee time. Just like many restaurants are taking a booking fee when you place the reservation. I

Tips - bring your own cooler and ice. They do provide coolers with water bottles on 1 - 4 and 7 which is nice. Limited beer available and NO food. No where nice to go close by so best to BRING your own lunch and snacks with you! Think ahead.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked

Seeing is Believing

Few places actually live up to the hype that they receive. Sweeten's Cove actually lives up to the hype and more. When you drive up, the initial impression is underwhelming. Gravel parking lot, portable bathrooms and a backyard storage shed to check in. Once you get out of the car, you start to understand the hype. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. The putting green is like a roller coaster, with unbelievable twists and turns. We spent 30 minutes on it before and after playing 27 holes just having fun. You have a great view of the entire course and surrounding mountains from the shed area. It's just stunning.
Now for the golf. WOW is my best summary. The tees are wide open with large landing areas. The approach shots are a challenge and the short game when you miss a green presents extreme situations. It took far too many holes for me to figure out that I needed to leave the lob wedge in the back and use a putter anytime I was on short grass within 20-30 feet of the green. Just a couple of feet short or long of the needed landing area on approaches, chips and pitches would find the ball rolling back to your feet or off the backside of the green. Don't worry about your score. Just enjoy the experience. You will likely have a big number or two around the course. Just take a deep breath, a quick look at the mountains and realize that there is more to golf than posting a low score on a hole.
This was truly a fun day. The late morning 9 was a little slow and stayed backed up till we got past #5. Then the pace picked up to a fun level. The last 2 nines were very fast, as the course seemed to start clearing out after noon.
I plan to return. You should play this course. You'll be glad you did.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 734
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Michigan Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
First Time Playing

Highly ranked Tennessee Course for a reason

Amazing 9 hole course that iso r of the best overall courses in state for a reason. Combine with Seewanee 9 hole up road for 18
Hole day!

The greens have to be seen to be believed, I putted many extra balls. Great concept worth two pins: one easy and one difficult!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 18
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
Incentivized Review
5.0
First Time Playing

Succeeded expectations!!

I have been wanting to make the drive from Memphis for over a year now and glad I finally did. By far the most extreme and fun greens I’ve ever played on. Can’t wait to come back in the spring

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Pure golf

Rarely do you go to a course that lives up to the hype , Sweetens. Cove is as good as advertised and for all the right reasons! What a treat to play a course that leaves you wanting to play golf all day long

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 310
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Birmingham Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
Previously Played
Cold weather
Walked

Short-game stresser

Third visit to Sweetens. Brought my son for the first time.

Course was in stellar shape considering the course basically sits in a geographically natural bathtub and had received 11 inches of rain in the past 10 days. Bunkers had a lot of casual water but the fairways, except for a few spots, were exceptionally dry and exceedingly playable.

What I had forgotten about this place, but was quickly reminded, is how much pressure it puts on your short game. It is easy to chip from one side of a green to the other. There is also not really any rough on the course other than the fescue-lined areas that frame the holes, so you really have to be a wizard with a wedge to get chips and pitches close from the closely-mown areas. Less loft is recommended and you will be tested to judge how hard to hit a putter from off the green up a 5-foot slope and get it to come to rest on the proper level. Good luck, because double bogey is lurking everywhere. In fact, it occurred to me on this time around that I think most players will more readily make a birdie or bogey or worse than par on these holes. That sounds kind of crazy, but the rollicking green sites and swales that can funnel a ball just as quickly away from pins as it does toward them offers a feast or famine scorecard.

The bunkers, due to the water, were tough to play from, but this is understandable. Even in ideal conditions, they are no picnic, particularly the greenside bunkers. They are claustrophobic in size in many cases. Sometimes banging your ball off the railroad tie facades of the bunkers is the best, if not only, play to give yourself a better chance of escaping them.

There have been many improvements since my last trip. I don’t remember water stations throughout the course as there is now. A huge, Himalayas-style practice green is about ready to debut in late November, which will provide countless pre- and post-round fun.

Something else that has been added since my last trip is dual pin flags on each green. Obviously, with the nine-hole layout, this provides a different challenge between the loops. We picked a color to play to on the front and the other on the back, but there are many options for fun games for all skill levels.

Keep up the good work gents!

Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 39
Handicap 15-19
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Fair
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Fun layout with wild greens

Sweetens Cove is a very unique nine hole course with large greens with two pins so you get a different look on your second nine. The greens are as challenging as any I have ever played with swales, humps, drop-offs and false fronts. It actually was quite fun trying to figure the greens out and three putting was not a reason to get upset. It is a beautiful setting with an interesting routing with plenty of room to work off the tee which allowed a variety of angles for your approach shots. It is a great match play course that is a must play in the Chattanooga area.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 45
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Golf Advisor
Perfect weather
Used cart

A walk on the wild side

Interesting, engaging, frustrating - a wild combination of vast, multi-option-fairways and putting surfaces that defy gravity and logic. Worth seeing, if o ny to find out out what all the buzz is about. Aspires to be a Tobacco Road but not quite up to the visual intrigue of that legendary course. Certainly not minimalist, given the earth mowing to create everything. Soil is wrong for the intended ground game and the site floods a lot. Still worth seeing/playing/evaluating. One of those courses that polarizes, with opinion split between cultists and skeptics.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Average
Friendliness Fair
Pace Good
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 168
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Golf Channel
First Time Playing

Golf Advisor Getaway at Sweetens Cove

Having heard so much about the course, I was eager to check it out! It was in pretty nice shape considering the lack of rain in the area. Off the tee the course was pretty forgiving and right in front of you. Once you get to the green complexes, look out! It is as if there are buried elephants all throughout. Plenty of undulation and slope on every one of them. Each green has to flags to differentiate the nines. Course management is of the utmost importance here and you need to give yourself the proper club and angle into the greens. This course may not be for everyone, but it is definitely worth playing to find out!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 324
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Texas Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
First Time Playing

A thrill

Just wrapped up a 45-hole day at Sweetens on our Golf Advisor Getaway. We rented the course for the day and had it to ourselves. I walked 18, then we played the “Illuminati routing” and then went back out for 18 more in a cart. Obviously I wouldn’t have spent 10 hours here if I didn’t find the place fascinating. Not everyone in our group loved the greens. They are definitely severe, especially where some of the pins were (they set up two pins per green so you could play 18 different holes easily). I can see how higher handicaps could have a hard time. I found them to be mesmerizing. The feeling you get when you hit a crisp chip or deft approach stiff is very Pinehurst or St Andrews-esque. Rewarding but also treacherous. Prepare for some humbling moments. The course off the tee is pretty forgiving and the short par 4s are wildly fun. The 7th green takes no prisoners.

Fresh off their recent investment, Sweetens has more maintenance staff and new equipment. A new putting course is grassed and should be done soon. I’m excited to continue to watch this place evolve, and hope it gives tired nine-holers around the country the inspiration to try something bold. It’s better to make a statement than to be bland.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 7
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

The little course that could

Strictly golf to be played at Sweetens. No clubhouse or cart girls needed. Just wonderful golf on a gorgeous layout that could be played ten times in a row and all be different. If you haven’t played this golf gem then you’re missing out on one of the best golf experiences of your playing career .

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 13
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Pure

The fairways are wide and the greens are very undulating. There are waste areas and bunkers everywhere. If you want to play a links style course, go here! I will definitely be going back here in the near future! They don’t make very many golf courses like this anymore.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
1.0
First Time Playing

Get some carts Sweetens Cove

Drove 2 hrs to play the course. Check in for our tee time where we’re told, very rudely I might add, that “there are no more carts”. Guy preceded to just stare at us with no explanation & doesn’t care how long we drove to get there. Hey Sweetens Cove: you’re the “#1 course in the state”. Get some carts. And a decent staff. It’s 95 degrees outside

Will not be back.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 8
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

The most fun I’ve had on a course in years!

The statement “golf the way it was meant to be played” was written for this place. It is an amazing layout, an easy walk and soooooo much fun to play!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
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