True Modern Golf: Welcome to Sweetens Cove Golf Club
You don't come to Sweetens for a fancy clubhouse, you come for a day of golf you will never forget.
Tucked away in the serene Sequatchie Valley of Tennessee lies one of the Southeast's newest hidden gems. Sweetens Cove, a nine-hole course renowned for its adjoining fairways and expansive waste areas, has attracted golfers from around the world since its opening in 2014. There’s no driving range, no fancy clubhouse—just golf at its finest.
Fast Facts
Location: South Pittsburg, Tennessee
Accessibility: Public
Year Opened: 2014
Architects: Rob Collins and Tad King
Par: 36 (9 holes)
Yardage: 3301
You can play Sweetens Cove now in GOLF+!
The Story of Sweetens
In the late 1940s, Bob Thomas, a prominent figure in the South Pittsburg area, purchased the 135-acre property where Sweetens Cove now sits. Thomas later sold the land to the city with an agreement to develop it into a golf course. This led to the founding of the original 9-hole Sequatchie Valley Golf and Country Club.
For decades, the club served as a vital cornerstone of the South Pittsburg community. However, as support and funds began to wane in the late '90s, ownership of the property ultimately reverted to a bank after the club defaulted on a mortgage used to install an irrigation system in order to improve playing conditions.
In 2010, just as it seemed that the entire property—like many American golf courses this century—was destined to be sold for housing development, Thomas made a last-minute negotiation to repurchase the coveted land and save the golf course.
King-Collins Design
Once Thomas regained ownership of the property, he sought a team capable of completely overhauling the golf course and bringing it into the modern age.
Thomas enlisted Tad King and Rob Collins for their first joint project under King-Collins Design. Inspired by the work of renowned architect Alister MacKenzie, the two broke ground in 2011 with the vision of designing their own version of Augusta National. Bold bunkering, massive sloping greens, and conjoined fairways would be their template.
In another twist of fate, just weeks before the new Sweetens Cove was set to open to the public, disagreements arose regarding property ownership. Faced with the prospect of the family selling the property before the golf world could see King and Collins' creation, the two made their boldest decision yet and took ownership of Sweetens Cove.
Each green at Sweetens Cove features two holes to provide endless playability and versatility.
The First "Social Media" Golf Course
In his own words, Rob Collins describes Sweetens Cove as the first golf course to truly gain popularity through social media. Despite its clever, intriguing, and unique layout, Sweetens initially struggled financially and had difficulty attracting golfers to its fairly remote location.
Collins and King never gave up hope, and over the years, Sweetens' popularity began to bloom. Thanks in large part to prominent golf outlets like No Laying Up and The Fried Egg, the property became a sensation across golf social media. Offering "All-Day Passes" for golfers to play from sunrise to sunset, mixing and matching tees and pins, quickly made it a bucket-list destination for golf groups.
With growing success came new business opportunities for Collins and King. In 2019, they brought on an all-star team of owners, headlined by Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and tennis star Andy Roddick.
Playing Sweetens Cove Today
With the institution of the All-Day Pass, availability at Sweetens Cove is very limited and highly coveted. There are 60 passes assigned for weekdays (Monday-Wednesday) and only 45 passes given out for weekends (Thursday-Sunday). Passes can only be purchased through their website.
For those lucky enough to secure a pass, all groups meet outside the "clubhouse" at 8:30 am CT on the day of play. Groups are then assigned a starting hole, and play begins with a shotgun start, allowing golfers to play as many or as few holes as they like throughout the day.
While the course has nine sets of tee boxes and nine traditional holes, each green has two pins. This unique feature makes each individual hole play very differently depending on which flag you are playing towards!
Play Sweetens Cove in GOLF+!
Experience all that Sweetens has to offer for yourself in GOLF+. The course is now available for all GOLF+ PASS Subscribers, and can be purchased by non-PASS members for $7.99.
