The Golf Course at Sewanee

[Mike Hendren]

Are you gents giving the 8th a pass?  Looks like a "signature hole" for the brochure with the lodge in the background.  Either that or they ordered too much sand.  Or Hanse had a 1960's flashback.
 
Surprised no one has mentioned the series of truncated chocolate drops left of the landing zone at the 7th.  Sublime.
 
I was also impressed with the elasticity of the golf course which wholly suits three unique cohorts on the plateau:  1) retired or semi-retired intellectuals;  2) competitive collegiate golfers; and 3) local hillbillies.  Numbers 1 and 3 were spotted repeatedly Wednesday. 
 
Bogey
 

[BCrosby]

The Hanse 7th, while using the old hole corridor, is essentially a new hole and a vast improvement. A semi-blind approach shot for me with a middle iron. Don't miss green on the left.


The Hanse 8th with its Bishop's Nose is also excellent. The BN forces choices from the tee. Not sure I get the complaints voiced above about the greenside bunkering. Most people are hitting approaches with a lofted club.


Hanse added a couple of well-placed bunkers on the 9th that come into play off the tee and at the green. Again, a big improvement on what was a pretty dull original first hole.


Bob 

[Mike Hendren]

Not sure I get the complaints voiced above about the greenside bunkering. Most people are hitting approaches with a lofted club.

Bob

Bob, you failed to add the winking emoticon.  Not a coincidence that I found myself humming Myrtle Beach Days by the Fantastic Shakers as I made my way to the 9th tee.  Don't you remember playing the "one of these is not like the others" game as a kid?
 
Bogey

[BCrosby]

Bogey -


Maybe an extra bunker or two at the 8th green, but a minor flaw in what is an intriguing course.   


Sewanee before and after would make for a wonderful essay on how to build an excellent golf course without spending buckets of money.
 
Bob

[Tyler Kearns]

Bogey,


Did Hanse employ six greenside bunkers at No. 8 to shift the visual focus away from the hotel?


If your dispute with the bunkering is that it limits short grass around the green and makes the running approach nearly non-existent, which I think it is, I don't think it is too much to ask of golfers at least once a round in regards to the latter.  My first thought when playing was the potential to blade a bunker shot from the right hand side into a hotel window!!


TK

[Carl Rogers]

I regret that this year's Dixie Cup could not get up there.

[Tyler Kearns]

Carl,


I do think it would have made an excellent addition to the Dixie Cup, although the greens were a little hairy due to recent aeration.  I would encourage anybody to make the trip to see the course, and combined with Sweetens Cove (30 minutes away) it makes for a wonderful day of golf.  I would believe that both of these nine-hole courses are in the top-10 of their kind in the USA.


TK

[Morgan Clawson]

This course was the surprise of my Dixie Cup trip.  That's due to the fact that 1) I wasn't planning on playing it until 10 minutes before I jumped in the car with Tyler, and 2) I knew next to nothing about the course.

Tyler was able to navigate the car down Lookout Mountain and up to Sewanee quickly, enabling us to play 2 loops before dark.

The first 6 holes are exceptionally good.  Any of the 6 might be considered the best, or one of the best holes on a very good 18 hole parkland course.

The last 3 holes were good; just not as strong as the first 6.

This was my first Hanse course and I was impressed with his work.  The fairways are generally very wide, the bunkers are striking, and the greens have interesting contours.  The movement of the land is near ideal - gentle rolling terrain. 

One of my dings when I played it appears to have been addressed.  When we played in September, there was very little difference in yardage between the back tees and the middle tees.  This was problematic on the 210+ par 3 5th hole which required a long uphill carry over water and native grass.  I just called the pro shop and they now list the back and middle yardage as 6,764 and 6,339 for 18 holes.  For the 5th hole, it's now 218 and 185 yards.  This is definitely a big playability enhancement.

Bogey - I'm not sure about the #3 rank, but I am sure that a Sewanee/Sweeten's Cove combo is pretty special.  I think it's a Doak 6.5 - 7.0.

Tyler - Great job with the photos and hole descriptions.  Fun playing with you!

[Erik J. Barzeski]

I played Sewanee on my trip south to watch my daughter play at Coosa Country Club in a college event (we played NCR South, Idle Hour, Holston Hills, Sweetens/Sewanee, and then Barnsley… the latter only because it was close and available).

MY OH MY. I was VERY pleasantly surprised. After playing all of 15 holes in 4:15 or so at Sweetens, and being relieved to head out of there, we were late to arrive at Sewanee but had called ahead when we realized we would be, and the head pro was great, and the course did not disappoint in the least. Yes, the two par threes are almost the same, but aside from that… what a great test of golf, an enjoyable walk, and a solid nine holes. We played 1-8 from the "front nine" tees and then played 9 from the par five tees (#18) for a par 37. Enjoyed the hell out of it.

Great routing, missed my 10-footer for eagle on four, and hit an all-timer shot on 7 following a great par on 8 despite hitting it back into 7 fairway from the tee. 

I wish this course was close by. I'd play it often.

[Sean_A]

Are you gents giving the 8th a pass?  Looks like a "signature hole" for the brochure with the lodge in the background.  Either that or they ordered too much sand.  Or Hanse had a 1960's flashback.
 
Surprised no one has mentioned the series of truncated chocolate drops left of the landing zone at the 7th.  Sublime.
 
I was also impressed with the elasticity of the golf course which wholly suits three unique cohorts on the plateau:  1) retired or semi-retired intellectuals;  2) competitive collegiate golfers; and 3) local hillbillies.  Numbers 1 and 3 were spotted repeatedly Wednesday. 
 
Bogey

Sorry I missed this tour back in the day. Course looks very good. Although, without knowing anything about its playing character, I agree you about 8. It's a visual mess with two different bunker styles, tons of bunkers, and unfortunate colour/style buildings to the rear.

What is the drive time between Holston Hills and Sewanee?

Ciao

[John Mayhugh]

What is the drive time between Holston Hills and Sewanee?

Around 2.5 hours if all goes well, but you have to drive across Knoxville and Chattanooga to get there, so it's likely to take longer. Also you go from Eastern to Central time.

[Paul Jones]

I am one of the few that likes Sewanee more than Sweetens Cove.  They are both fun and some of the best 9 hole courses, but still put Sewanee a little ahead of Sweetens Cove.

[Erik J. Barzeski]

I am one of the few that likes Sewanee more than Sweetens Cove.  They are both fun and some of the best 9 hole courses, but still put Sewanee a little ahead of Sweetens Cove.

I'm with you… except that I put it more than a little ahead.

[Ben Hollerbach]

I've played both course multiple times. Sewanee then Sweetens in the same day, Sweetens then Sewanee in the same day; multiple loops of Sweetens in the same day, & multiple looks of Sewanee in the same day.

In my experience Sewanee makes a better first impression that Sweetens, but is not as engaging of a course in the long run. Sweetens at times feels more like a playground, encouraging you to keep trying new styles of play on each new loop. Sewanee does not present the same desire. After 18 at Sewanee I'm ready to move on, after 18 at Sweetens I'm ready to head back to the first tee.

It's too bad that the two courses are as close to each other as they are, as that near engagement and similarity in design may hurt Sewanee more than it helps.

[Erik J. Barzeski]

Sweetens is a carnival. Sewanee is a comfortable chair. I know which one I'd rather play every day.

[Mike Hendren]

Sweetens is a carnival. Sewanee is a comfortable chair. I know which one I'd rather play every day.

+1

[Sean_A]

What is the drive time between Holston Hills and Sewanee?

Around 2.5 hours if all goes well, but you have to drive across Knoxville and Chattanooga to get there, so it's likely to take longer. Also you go from Eastern to Central time.

Thanks. The general area does hold some appeal as a place to visit.

Ciao