The Honors Course, Tennessee, United States

5BillVol 5:00 PM Aug 11, 2019

World class in every way
There are not many things here in the Chattanooga that we can say are as good as anywhere in the world. But in The Honors Course, we have at least one thing. When you walk this course, it's easy to see why it's been ranked among the top in the world since its first year of existence in 1983. Every hole is a new adventure and test in golf. Every hole is a masterpiece. The service here is so professional and genuinely friendly. They think of anything you can imagine. I love the simple, humble clubhouse, built to resemble a Tennessee farmhouse. Jack Lupton, Pete Dye, and the others really nailed it. The club pro, Henrik Simonsen, who is from Denmark, is possibly the nicest person you'll ever meet. The Honors is a tribute to amateur golf. P.J. Boatwright of the USGA asked Lupton years ago, "When can we have the Open at The Honors?" Lupton replied, "Never." It's all about amateur golf here. Every important American amateur golf championship has been held at The Honors, including the biggest of them all, the US Amateur, in 1991. In fact, the logo for the club is an outline of the trophy given to Tennessee Amateur champs, the Martin J. Condon trophy. The Honors Circle is a display around the flagpole in front of the clubhouse. It honors distinguished Tennessee amateur golfers and those who have won important events at The Honors. The Honors definitely put the exclamation point on the great golf city of Chattanooga. Three of Tennessee's ten top-rated courses are in Chattanooga, including this one (ranked #1, of course). The other two are Chattanooga Golf & CC and Black Creek. Council Fire could easily be on that list, too. Lookout Mountain, which is just over the line in Georgia, is another great one. On one of his many trips to Chattanooga, Arnold Palmer said, "Chattanooga is such a great golf city." That it is. Five stars to The Honors Course.

5HDFLHPI 5:00 PM Oct 2, 2015

In a category by itself!
If you are fortunate enough to be invited to play The Honors, take it. It's a terrific property. It's allure is in the combination of exclusivity, and understated quality. The course fits the topography like a pair of yoga pants on an Lululemon model. We stayed at the cottages, ate a couple meals on property and the table service was old Southern charm. The Honors has a well provisionied pro shop, and once the practice facilities are done, the entire experience will be world class.