Community Reviews
Bristol Golf Course Reviews
Bristol golfers sharing honest reviews of local golf courses — conditions, difficulty, green fees, and more.
6 Reviews
Clear Creek Golf Club
Played Clear Creek out toward Bluff City and the mountain scenery surrounding the course is the real draw here — several holes play right along the creek with a constant water sound in the background. Conditioning was solid for a semi-private club and pace was quick on a weekday.
Memorable Hole: Hole #10 — par 4 running parallel to the creek with water on the right
Toughest Green: Hole #17 — small and sloped hard toward the creek side
Best Food: BBQ sandwich in the grill room
Pine Oaks Golf Course
Played Pine Oaks, Bristol's municipal course, on a Saturday morning and it was busy but the round moved along fine. Nothing flashy but the fairways were mowed tight and the price is unbeatable for a weekend round in the Tri-Cities. Good practice track for working on your irons.
Memorable Hole: Hole #4 — short par 4 reachable with a good drive
Toughest Green: Hole #8 — flat, medium-fast, forgiving compared to the private clubs nearby
Best Food: Hot dog and a fountain Coke at the snack window
Blackthorn Club
Played Blackthorn Club in Jonesborough, a Bristol-area favorite with a Denis Griffiths design that uses natural rock outcroppings as hazards on a few holes. Genuinely unique look for this part of the state. Greens were fast and true, staff went out of their way to make guests feel welcome.
Memorable Hole: Hole #16 — approach shot over a rock outcropping to a raised green
Toughest Green: Hole #9 — long and undulating, three-putt risk from the back
Best Food: Turkey wrap and sweet tea at the turn
Ridgefields Country Club
Got a member-guest round at Ridgefields in Kingsport and the layout winds through the neighborhood with the South Fork Holston River in view on several holes. Classic country club conditioning, quick greens, and a clubhouse that still feels like old Tri-Cities golf.
Memorable Hole: Hole #5 — dogleg right along the riverbank
Toughest Green: Hole #11 — small and firm, backstopped by a bunker shelf
Best Food: Pimento cheese sandwich in the men's grill
Cattails at MeadowView
Played Cattails at the MeadowView Marriott Conference Resort in Kingsport, which pulls a lot of the Bristol golf crowd — the Denis Griffiths layout has real length and some tough forced carries over wetland areas. Conditioning was resort-quality and the practice facility is one of the best in the Tri-Cities.
Memorable Hole: Hole #7 — long carry over a marsh to a well-bunkered green
Toughest Green: Hole #14 — elevated and firm, tough to hold with a long iron
Best Food: Chicken club at the halfway grill
The Virginian Golf Club
Played The Virginian in Bristol as a guest and the Tom Fazio design is every bit the standout course this region claims — dramatic elevation changes, pristine bentgrass greens, and mountain views on almost every hole. It's technically across the state line but it's the anchor course for the whole Bristol golf market. Worth every bit of the green fee.
Memorable Hole: Hole #12 — downhill par 3 framed by mountains behind the green
Toughest Green: Hole #18 — large, multi-tiered, brutal from the wrong section
Best Food: Grilled trout sandwich on the clubhouse deck
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