The Honors Course

Overview: The Honors Course, nestled in the scenic valleys of Ooltewah near Chattanooga, Tennessee, is an exceptionally private and challenging parkland course designed by Pete Dye. Built with the sole mission of honoring and promoting amateur golf, the course features a rugged, natural routing carved through dense forests and fields of tall native grasses. The layout is highly celebrated for its extreme difficulty, featuring Dye's signature railroad ties, strategic water hazards, and lightning-fast, heavily contoured greens that demand complete concentration and precise ball striking.

History: Founded in 1983 by prominent businessman Jack Lupton, the course was envisioned as a sanctuary dedicated strictly to amateur play, and the club has famously vowed never to host a professional tour event. It has hosted several prestigious amateur tournaments, including the U.S. Amateur, the NCAA Championship, and the Curtis Cup. In recent years, Gil Hanse was brought in to perform a meticulous restoration, clearing out non-native trees and restoring the original, wild character of Dye's design.

Did You Know? A young Tiger Woods famously won the NCAA individual championship at The Honors Course in 1996 while playing for Stanford University. The course's signature par-3 14th hole features an island green surrounded by water and Pete Dye's trademark railroad ties, presenting a highly intimidating tee shot that has derailed many championship hopes.