Imagine building 26 golf courses at the height of the golf development bubble, with nine figures in public pension money — in an effort that now loses money year after year. Welcome to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
In theory, 12-hole designs should be cheaper to play, build, and maintain. But in the staid industry of golf course development, there’s been no rush to test the theory. The minds behind Sweetens Cove are ready to change that.
Lincoln Duff explains that, with a variety spanning cutting-edge 21st century designs and Golden Age layouts, not many American cities can match the depth of golf options in Chattanooga, Tenn., both public and private.
Geography, pedigree, and happenstance have positioned a Chattanooga muni to emerge as a star in an area that is already an embarrassment of public golf riches.
For a golf course in south central Tennessee and designed by one of the world’s most famous architects, comparisons between Sewanee and nearby Sweetens Cove are inevitable.