How Sweet It Is: Tennessee’s Sweetens Cove Golf Club

There is no other golf course in the United States quite like South Pittsburg, Tennessee’s Sweetens Cove Golf Club.

Dress code? Just be sure to wear jeans, pants or shorts, along with a shirt and sandals or shoes.

Tee times? What are those?

“This throws the presentiveness that is golf out of the window,” emphasizes Matt Adamski, PGA General Manager and Head Professional.

Due to the 9-hole course’s carefree, “no rules” approach, Adamski believes two words have become associated with Sweetens Cove’s overall experience.

“If you were to look up Sweetens Cove Golf Club in Webster’s dictionary, it would be defined as unique, which, for all intents and purposes, is an outsider looking in,” he says. “However, I think it’s also a golf anomaly that has been picked up and put on the golf community’s shoulders—as the needle pusher in the industry.”

Aside from its fantastic Appalachian Mountain views, golfers will immediately notice that Sweetens Cove is unlike any other mountain course they’ve ever played.

Designed as an inland links course, reminiscent of Alister MacKenzie’s original vision for Augusta National Golf Club, Sweetens Cove features greens that are extremely contoured. Its bunkers are simply indescribable. And its enormous fairways are tightly mown all year-round.

As a result, golfers will feel like they’re experiencing the game at the Home of Golf, all while enjoying the pristine views they simply couldn’t in Scotland or Ireland—views they can only capture in the Appalachians.

“We are blessed with beyond interesting architecture that is generally inaccessible by either membership or dollar figure,” Adamski says. “But we have made it accessible.”

How accessible exactly? To use a cart and play the nine-hole course as much as they’d like in the daylight, golfers only have to pay $175, plus tax. And that’s the rate during Sweetens Cove’s peak season.

Since Sweetens Cove never requires golfers to have tee times (even in the midst of the peak season), golfers should book a date to play directly on the course’s website. To plan ahead, golfers can reserve all-day passes online, too. These passes are released on Sweetens Cove’s website every fall.

If a certain preferred day isn’t available, Sweetens Cove shares updates on Instagram all year long, with regard to openings. Golfers should review Sweetens Cove’s Instagram page regularly, especially as the course’s popularity steadily rises. After all, it’s no longer just viewed as a golf course.

“Sweetens Cove has become more of a pilgrimage,” Adamski states. “It’s a pilgrimage for golfers to experience something completely different from what they’re used to, both operationally and architecturally.”

Recently, Sweetens Cove Golf Club partnered with Reef Capital Group to expand the course—in an entirely different way than golfers would expect. Rather than expanding with another 9 holes, the partnership will instead lead to a 9- to 12-hole short course that will be lit up and music infused.

“We’re also adding an enormous Himalayan-styled putting green that will be almost 3.5 acres, but with a second unique feature as well: a 5- to 7-hole pitch and putt, which will be lit up and have music too,” Adamski stresses.

To ensure golfers can relish the short course, putting green, and pitch and putt all night long, cabins will also be built around them. Set to open in 2026, the cabins will provide enough lodging for up to 120 people at a time.

“Golfers will be able to walk right out from the cabins and start playing!” Adamski says. “Each hole on the short course will have a miniature version of our original nine greens too, leading to a super unique experience.”

Finally, because of the cabins, Sweetens Cove’s camaraderie—another unique aspect of the course—will increase even more.

“The community that Sweetens Cove has formed is special, without a doubt,” Adamski adds. “Golfers will continuously treasure a golf experience that’s first in its class, while also forming bonds with amazing people.”

Dogwood Hills Golf Resort: This gorgeous, immaculate, 18-hole course is located in Alabama, roughly half an hour from Sweetens Cove.

The Course at Sewanee: Another special 9-hole course, it was fully renovated by well-known architect Gil Hanse in 2013.