Council Fire Golf Club

Overview: Council Fire Golf Club is a Bob Cupp design in Chattanooga's East Brainerd area, where lakes, streams, mountain backdrops and 114 acres of Bermuda turf create a varied Southern parkland setting. The 18-hole, par-72 layout uses the natural folds of the property to separate holes and change the visual scale of the round. Water and wooded edges frame the strategy, but the course remains playable because the corridors offer different lines for different levels of golfer. Its character comes from the combination of a championship layout, a distinctive name and a strong sense of local landscape.

History: The idea for Council Fire grew from Chattanooga's search for a stronger venue for its professional tournament. In 1988, tournament director Buddy Henry and businessman Jack Lupton began discussing a new course; by 1990, the partners had identified the rolling, creek-cut property and hired Bob Cupp to design it. The course opened in 1992 and hosted the Chattanooga Classic that same year. Cupp's plan also incorporated the residential development around the course, making Council Fire a deliberate blend of golf architecture and community planning.

Did You Know? The name Council Fire came from local history. Jack Lupton found references to the land as a place associated with Cherokee council meetings around a fire, then shortened the proposed name from Council Fire Ridge to Council Fire. The story gives the club a direct link to the cultural history of its site.