The Journal: Nashville, TN Public Courses

The Journal is where CR&J captures the breadth of our golf experience; courses played, places traveled, and ideas that don’t always warrant a full architectural review. Not every course demands 4,000 words, but many still deserve to be seen, rated, and contextualized. The Journal allows us to build a meaningful ratings record, explore regional golf, and document how courses fit into the larger landscape of the game. In each Journal entry, we will try to provide short-form ratings for three to five courses in the same general geographic area.

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Courses Reviewed in this Journal:

• Hermitage Golf Course – General’s Retreat
• Old Fort Golf Course
• Twelve Stones Crossing Golf Club
• The Legacy Golf Course

(Click to Jump to Review)

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Course Review: Hermitage Golf Course – General’s Retreat

CR&J’s Final Rating: 49/80 (Good)

The General’s Retreat Course at Hermitage Golf Course is the lesser sibling of the President’s Reserve course. Often called little brother courses, the General’s Retreat course is actually the older brother of the President’s Reserve, and hosted the LPGA at the Sara Lee Invitational in the 90’s. The General’s Retreat course is a relatively easy golf course tee-to-green. It visually resembles a lot of other courses built around the time, with holes tightly bunched together and of a shorter overall length than modern standards. However, the main defense is a very interesting set of putting surfaces, that contain significant undulation (significantly more than its younger brother).

What Works: Hermitage is typically first class when it comes to the conditioning of their golf courses. Both the President’s Reserve and General’s Retreat courses are normally in about as good of shape as can be asked for a high output, daily fee public course. I’ve never been dissatisfied with course conditions and have played this course a lot. General’s Retreat also introduces a lot of variety, doglegs, and has an interesting double green on head-on par-3 holes (the third and the thirteenth). For how close the holes are to each other, the course is not overly tight, and typically presents some room for tee shots to move rather than work through narrow corridors. Wind management is good too, with 3 of the 4 par-3 holes and 3 of the 4 par-5 holes working in unique directions. General’s Retreat provides an approachable round of golf, and while challenge is not extremely high, challenge on the greens, and overall fun, are high.

Best Hole: The eighteenth hole, a short par-4, strikes me as the best hole both visually and from a playability standpoint, with options plentiful on this shorter par-4. While not quite driveable for most players, a driver can challenge those greenside bunkers. However for most, the challenge is picking the right club to land on the up-slope between the protruding lake and the cross bunker short of the green. From there, a short wedge to a wild green awaits. Getting close (rather than laying up to a number) is helpful here, because the green is sloped violently from back to front; thus, controlling the spin is required either through a pitch shot from a shorter distance, or an extremely precise wedge.

Interesting Hole: I could have chosen a few different holes here, but the fifth hole best illustrates that even this comparably easier course has some real teeth. This long par-3 plays over two bodies of water, flanking left-and-right, and the oddly shaped green sits atop a flattened part of the hill, with steep runoffs on all sides except the very back. I’ve personally witnessed many golf balls end in the pond left (on a pulled long iron) or down the hill to the right. Any miss here makes for a very difficult up-and-down, due to the narrow and oddly shape of the green. This is a very difficult hole, and bogey is not a bad score.

Limitations: The limitations at General’s Retreat is simply the availability of land. The course is too tightly packed onto a bit too little acreage, and therefore, you kind of need to keep your head on a swivel while playing. Because it is the cheaper of the two courses, it attracts the higher handicap player, and there are a few holes that create some proximity danger. If I could make property exist, the General’s Retreat would be a better course if it were a bit longer.

Final Thoughts: The General’s Retreat is a very solid round of public golf, is quite fun, and presents an opportunity for a great score if you happen to bring your best game. You’ll also undoubtedly have some interesting putts. It is not going to be found on any top-10 lists anytime soon, but if you want that, the President’s Reserve exists.

CR&J’s Final Rating: Shot Options: 6; Challenge: 4; Layout Variety: 7; Distinctiveness: 6; Aesthetics: 5; Conditioning: 8; Character: 6; Fun: 7. Total: 49/80 (Good)

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Course Review: Old Fort Golf Course

CR&J’s Final Rating: 49/80 (Good)

Old Fort is the best municipal golf course in Nashville without much of a doubt. Owned by the city of Murfreesboro, Old Fort went through a recent bunker and greens renovation that has tightened up the bunker edges and converted the putting surfaces to the more durable Bermuda grass that has become industry standard in Nashville. Murfreesboro clearly sees the value in properly investing in their golf course, and that type of stewardship should be recognized and applauded, as so many municipalities take the opposite approach. Old Fort packs plenty of length and challenge as well, playing some 7,200 yards from the back tees to a nearly 74 rating.

What Works: Old Fort is typically in good condition, perhaps a tier below Hermitage on an average day, but not too far away and better than the average course in the area. Old Fort is a well-balanced golf course – nothing sticks out to me as being overly challenging; rather, the Fort presents a consistent challenge throughout round. If Old Fort has any particular challenges, it’s a few tight tee shots off of the first, fourth, eighth, ninth, fourteenth, and eighteenth holes, placing Old Fort into more of a tee-shot golf course. The green complexes are somewhat challenging, not flat but not the type that will induce any fear. Old Fort has great variety and, for a course located a stones throw from a shopping mall parking lot, has some rather scenic, aesthetic holes. Just excuse the occasional police siren.

Best Hole: While there’s no hole that I’d consider a stunner at Old Fort, the second is a really good hole. The mid-length par-5 provides some risk reward for bigger hitters that can choose to go for the green after a good drive, working a long approach shot into a smaller green over an array of bunkers. But the target is tight and unforgiving both right and long, because there is a significant drop off. For shorter hitters or those required to layup, deciding whether to position in front of the cross bunkers, and accept a longer, uphill shot from a worse angle. Conversely, some may elect to try to carry the cross bunkers for the shorter shot with a much better angle; however, failure here will leave the hardest shot in golf, the dreaded 60-yard uphill bunker shot (and the potential to go bunker to bunker).

Interesting Hole: I have to choose the drivable par-4 eleventh hole here. Most people actually cannot drive the green here, but can get close. Rather, the hole plays more of a “bite off as much of the lake as you are willing.” This is a great test of how good you think you are vs. how good you actually are at golf, because picking the right line to ensure you carry the water is the primary task. Accomplish it, and a good birdie looks await. However, let your ego get the best of you, and your birdie attempt may be from the tee box.

Limitations: While Old Fort is generally acceptably conditioned, it can sometimes be a bit spotty. This is the nature of being a high volume municipal course, but must be referenced. I also particularly dislike the section of the course from the fifth to the ninth hole, with the ninth being the biggest offender for being overly tight off the tee. It also has an unmistakable municipal feel, which is a negative for me personally, but others might feel as this is a positive. However, none of the limitations at Old Fort discourage me from being a repeat visitor.

Final Thoughts: Old Fort is the best municipal course in the Nashville area, albeit a low bar to clear. However, Old Fort is more than just a municipal course. Its one of the best value rounds in Nashville, and provides a championship level test on a course that may just fall a tier or two below championship level. It would comfortably fit in a Top 5 public courses in the Nashville area, and perhaps Top-15 overall in Nashville, which really is quite an accomplishments for a municipal course.

CR&J’s Final Rating: Shot Options: 6; Challenge: 6; Layout Variety: 6; Distinctiveness: 7; Aesthetics: 6; Conditioning: 6; Character: 6; Fun: 6. Total: 49/80 (Good)

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Course Review: Twelve Stones Crossing Golf Club

CR&J’s Final Rating: 42/80 (Average)

Twelve Stones Crossing review today may not be Twelve Stones Crossing review tomorrow, as the ownership of the course continues to make investments and improvements in the property. I have only played Twelve Stones once, but from what I understand, the course has been vastly and quickly improving and holds a much better rating today than it would have at the beginning of the year. However, Twelve Stones even in its best form has a ceiling, as structural problems with the golf course remain to be solved, as well as once severe (but now less severe) conditioning issues.

What Works: What is working for Twelve Stones at the moment is a commitment to improve. Because, frankly, it needed it badly. Twelve Stones has an all new driving range area with nice mats, conditioning has improved enough where the course is playable without major issues (at least at the time of my round), and the putting surfaces roll nicely. There are also a few really cool, thoughtful holes. The cost to play, for the Nashville area, is also on the side of good value.

Best Hole: As I said, for a golf course that leaves a lot to be desired, there are actually a handful of good holes and nice vistas. The best hole might be the shorter par-4 sixteenth, a hole that wraps around a lake with some nice fountains. Like Old Fort, this has a bit of the same flair with biting off as much as you can chew without plunking one. Successful drives will leave but a short approach and a reasonable look at birdie.

Interesting Hole: This one is funny. I presume that at some point, the course will blow the fifth hole up or sell it off as land, requiring a redesign. But for now, the mid-length par-4 fifth hole is probably the worst hole I’ve ever played, basically straight up the side of a mountain. There’s nothing really to this hole and I presume it would be like playing golf while climbing Mount Everest. It is so steep, it causes me to question whether a ball would even stay on the hill if the fairway was conditioned like a Top-100 golf course.

Limitations: The limitations appear to mostly be monetary. The Nashville golf community often lament about the poor and changing course conditions at Twelve Stones. Perhaps that time is coming sooner than later. What money it will take to condition the course properly will pale in comparison to the money required to redisign a few of the broken holes, particularly the fifth. Limitations are aplenty at Twelve Stones, but I think they should be commended for putting forth some effort to turn the ship around, and I hope it continues its current trajectory, because I found it a perfectly playable golf course and a fun golf round.

Final Thoughts: Twelve Stones is not a course I could confidently recommend, yet. It is a course that I would recommend in the shape I found it. Consistency and continued improvement will determine the future of Twelve Stones. Twelve Stones will never be in contention for a top golf course list of any kind. But, it can aim to be a good public course that serves a very underserved public golf community in Nashville, and if done correctly, will make a lot of money doing so.

CR&J’s Final Rating: Shot Options: 5; Challenge: 6; Layout Variety: 5; Distinctiveness: 5; Aesthetics: 7; Conditioning: 4; Character: 4; Fun: 6. Total: 42/80 (Average)

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Course Review: The Legacy Golf Course

CR&J’s Final Rating: 45/80 (Average)

The Legacy Golf Course in Springfield, TN, just north of town, is another municipal golf course that provides a pretty strong round of golf by municipal standards. The Legacy was designed by Raymond Floyd, who designed a few golf courses after his career, but not a lot. Floyd designed a pretty good golf course in my opinion, where the bones of the golf course are actually quite nice. There’s a few holes that need significant renovation in my opinion, and if I were handed the keys to the castle, the par-5 seventh and par-4 eleventh would be at the top of my list to redesign. But, the Legacy has some strong holes too, an interesting routing, is set in a nice neighborhood in Springfield.

What Works: Unlike most municipal courses of its ilk, the Legacy is not cramped. Springfield provides a large canvas for the Legacy and the holes are largely set in their own independent corridors, which is nice. There may be only a handful of holes where you could see another group playing, but the holes aren’t far enough apart that walking would be difficult. Rather than the down and back or maze-like municipal routings, the Legacy is routed more like a nature walk, but for the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth. The Legacy presents a variety of yardages and hazards as well; a well rounded test of golf. The Legacy is a bit easier than the average golf course, only stretching to 6,800 yards. While not a championship test by any means, the Legacy does have some tricky short and mid length par-4s.

Best Hole: The Legacy’s best hole may the shorter par-4 sixteenth that plays under some powerlines. While not quite reachable, the hole requires some placement off the tee to allow for a wedge on approach between some pinching trees on either side to a slightly elevated green. There are plenty of ways to play this hole, and I love options, with tee-ball accuracy being the real test to the hole. Leave yourself a clean approach shot with no tree trouble, and the green should be easy to locate.

Interesting Hole: The most interesting hole has to be the difficult par-4 twelfth hole, that has a very blind tee shot on top of and then over a ridge. As you can see, if you hit it far enough, the landing area really gets pinched by the hazard on the right, and you cannot see the ball land here at all. Also of note, the back tee is probably sitting on about an 8-degree side slope, which makes the second hardest tee shot on the course all that much more difficult. Mission #1 is finding your drive here, as you can’t see it land, and have to be very concerned with runout. Anything less than driver to find the wider landing area will leave a long, downhill approach to the most guarded green at The Legacy.

Limitations: While the Legacy has a decent variety of holes, it does not have any holes that are “long.” The longest par-4 is just 436 yards from the tips, no par-3 stretches longer than 189, and all four par-5s are very reachable for long hitters. Course conditions are generally acceptable or good, but like most municipal courses, this can occasionally be an area of concern. The practice area is among the worst practice areas I’ve seen, but credit the Legacy for at least having a driving range, whereas so many municipal courses do not. The Legacy is very comparable to Old Fort in its general “municipal vibe,” but perhaps feels a bit less municipal than Old Fort, despite Old Fort being a better golf course.  

Final Thoughts: The Legacy is a perfectly fine golf course with a rough practice area. The Legacy is an okay value for the area, has some interesting design and a fun routing, but leaves a little bit to be desired. This is probably the course that has the most upside in the Nashville area, and if there was more money in the area, I could see The Legacy being a private course; with the right redesigns, restorations, drainage improvements, and property acquisitions, it would be a pretty strong private option as well. However, for now, it is city-owned, and thereby, city-cared-for.

CR&J’s Final Rating: Shot Options: 7; Challenge: 5; Layout Variety: 6; Distinctiveness: 5; Aesthetics: 6; Conditioning: 5; Character: 5; Fun: 6. Total: 45/80 (Average)