NYT article on Sweetens Cove

[hardcaliber]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/sports/golf/sweetens-cove-golf-club-rob-collins.html

 

Great article here. Apparently its an incredible new 9 hole course that is fun, affordable, and challenging for golfers or all levels. I especially love the line in the middle about the 8 martinis. I hope more courses like this pop up.

[cvhookem63]

This was a great article. Golf media (No Laying Up, Jonathan Wall, Fried Egg, etc) seems to have a lot of good things to say about this course - and it looks like those kind words are warranted.

[johnnylongball]

I've played it a couple of times. It's unique and a lot of fun.

[mbs_59]

Awesome place, live about 45 min away. Worth the trip if you're in the southeast. One of the few courses I've played that can challenge your game mentally and physically if you're a scratch but you can bring your buddy who can't break 90 and still have fun. Take your time and play it more than once so you don't miss all the nuances. Great to play a track that has been designed for modern golf without being 8000 yards.

[naws-golfer]

I'm a member, and couldn't agree more with everything that was said both in the article and on twitter.

 

Its a special place, and will undoubtedly change the way you look at 9 hole courses and certainly shaped my opinion on how important having fun at course is!

[Roadking_6]

I just played it last weekend......such an amazing place!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PuttCurseRepeat]

There are multiple interesting and informative threads about this course, posted on golf club atlas' discussion board, including insight from at least one of the principals. That course is the Little Darling of the GCA community. I hope to get down there to play it someday. I wish more courses like SC would open around the country.

[SCme]

Growing up in the area that area was an old average at best public "county club" course. Love what they have/are doing with it. I need to get my butt back over there and play it I mean I'm only less than an hour from there coming from Chattanooga.

[krtgolfing]

Heard nothing f but great things about the place. If I'm ever in the area I'll have to hit it up.

[28tosssweep]

It's hard but fun. Go play it if you can.

[jshel]

It is great. Was in Atlanta for work and made a special trip up to Sweetens. Was totally worth it.

[smashdn]

Both times I have went by it was closed due to the rain we had this spring. Really want to check it out from somewhere other than the parking lot.

[lincolnduff]

I'll be up there Thursday if anyone wants to join.

[Wren]

This is only a little over an hour from home. I need to make the trip.

[andrew_m]

I'm going to be making a day trip once the leaves start changing...stop by SC and then Chatt for food before driving back to BNA

[portergolf]

This 9 hole course is one of the best golf experiences I have had, 9 or 18 holes.

 

 

I had heard about Sweeten's Cove via podcast and Golf Club Atlas and just new I had to make the relatively short drive from Atlanta and I am so glad we did. I wanted to take my 7 year old son on his first golf trip so I started with something that would be close but we could stay overnight. My brother also came along with us, just the 3 of us. Our 4th was watching over us as my dad just passed away about a month and half ago after a short 3 month battle with cancer.

 

This place was amazing! You show up at the course and immediately you can see this thing of beauty staring at you, and you can tell it's no frills and all about the golf and boy they do not disappoint. Especially if you appreciate good golf architecture.

 

 

Sweetens was incredible. I don't know the last time I've played a course as fun. The holes had me constantly thinking of how I wanted to play a shot. The green complexes are outstanding, you don't usually see greens that are so dynamic with that many fair places to put pins. I didn't find it too difficult to play, but it made you pay if you got overly aggressive and didn't pull off the shot. Number 5 for instance I hit driver all 4 times I played it. I drove it once and 3-putted, I hit one green side left to the short mown swale and I got up and down for birdie, I drove one long and left and lost it in the crap behind the green and made double, and I drove it right of the green and was blocked by a tree and made bogie...

 

The 9th hole was a lot of fun, pin was back left and that allowed you to use the slope and funnel everything back towards the hole. I was 2-3 inches from making an ace!

 

I thought the 2nd hole was terrific. I love the lone fairway pit bunker.

 

The 7th hole gave me the most trouble, I couldn't seem to figure out what to play off the tee, but it was still fun trying to figure it out.

 

I thought all of the holes were really well thought out. I should have mixed up the tees, we played the back tees the entire time but it would have probably created even more options mixing up the tees.

 

I had a blast, made a bunch of birdies, had a couple holes jump up and bite me,but all in all it was a great experience. I play to a 6-7 index and shot 77-78 in my two rounds so I definitely felt like it was very playable. I'll be making the 2 hour drive from Atlanta again that's for sure.

 

Big thanks to Patrick for his hospitality and promoting the play of juniors, our future of the game!

 

Make the trip and tell some friends!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes golf trips aren't just about the golf...

 

 

 

 

Creating our own Junior Tee box so he could drive over the bunkers!

 

3rd hole Par 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Legendary club house! You better be coming for the golf!

 

[smashdn]

If you do make a special trip to play Sweetens Cove, also take some time and drive up the mountain to play Sewanee. It is the nine hole, university course at Sewanee University - University of The South. Gill Hanse did a remodel on it a few years back and it too is a really fun course that is all golf.

[bg4266]

I am looking forward to driving up from Huntsville, AL to play this after hearing about it on the Golf Channel and reading the article and posts.

[davep043]

There's also a good article in the Golfers Journal, loads of pretty photos:

https://www.golfersjournal.com/current-issue/

[me05501]

If you do make a special trip to play Sweetens Cove, also take some time and drive up the mountain to play Sewanee. It is the nine hole, university course at Sewanee University - University of The South. Gill Hanse did a remodel on it a few years back and it too is a really fun course that is all golf.

 

I recommend this as well! One of my favorite local 18's is Sewanee + Sweeten's Cove. The drive between them is about 30 minutes, just enough time to clear your head for the "back nine."

 

I've been working with a pro on my game lately and trying to build some momentum. But we are getting 7-8 days of rain starting today so I really wanted to get some sort of course time before everything gets too wet. Sooo I made an executive decision to drive over and play Sweeten's Cove in the middle of the day. I'll work late to make up the time. :)

 

They top-dressed the greens this morning and dragged them after. You could see the sand but it didn't seem to hurt the roll of the ball. The greens were fast and true, much quicker than the last time I played there and faster than nearby Black Creek where I played last week. The rest of the course was in good condition as well. It isn't a country club and they don't have a country club budget, so it is a little scruffy in places but not in ways that impact playability.

 

I love the way the course is framed off the tee. There are enough tee sets to allow a different experience on your "front" and "back" nines. The rugged bunkering, varied grasses and rolling fairways don't look like anything else nearby. Even if you start your ball on target, you may not relax until it has finished rolling. It's thrilling.

 

The approach shots aren't framed quite as well to my eye, but of couse that depends greatly on from where you find yourself approaching. If you walked 360* around any of the greens, you'd see quite a variety of angles that aren't obvious from the middle of the fairway.

 

The greens are huge, multi-tiered, and well protected, with many pin positions allowing the course to be played a lot of different ways. I reckon If the green complexes were more obvious it wouldn't be as much fun to play over time. As it is, local knowledge can likely reduce your score. Knowing where to place your ball the second time around is likely part of the fun.

 

You can definitely benefit from having a rangefinder on the course. I use a Garmin golf watch, which is helpful for front/middle/back distances, but that isn't adequate when the green is 75 yards deep.

 

For example, the fourth hole called "King" features a huge waste bunker that looms between tee and green, rising to block most of the putting surface. I couldn't see that the pin was on the back tier today, so I hit the ball 145-150 which my watch suggested would put me in the middle of the green. I pulled off the shot, landing the ball in the center of the green...but 90 feet short of the pin.

 

For anyone who makes the trip, the only warning I'll give you is not to judge the course by its surroundings, the (lack of a) parking lot, the (lack of a) clubhouse, the dirty carts, or whatever. This is a pure golf experience. If you want something to eat there's a Hardee's off the interstate.