Cherrytop Springs Country Club
A rural setting not far from the bustle of downtown Nashville, Cherrytop Springs was built to task golfers with a variety of challenges, each hole bringing something new in terms of difficulty and approach.
The course has recently undergone renovations to make the course PGA Tour eligible, including the additions of better viewing areas on a number holes, grandstands, and improved facilities.
The course is equipped with four tees of wide-ranging length:
Gold: 5,857
Red: 6,312
Blue: 6,696
Black: 7,088
All skill levels are welcome, but only the golfer with a well-rounded game will be able to conquer the course at all stages. For now, just to pique your interest, join us on this photo tour of Cherrytop Springs!
Here we have the 1st green, sheltered by sand on all sides, excluding the front. In the background, you can see the Gable bridge leading from the 5th tees to its fairway.
This is the 2nd green, wider than it is long. A difficult play depending on the pin position, it will force golfers to make a choice on whether to carry the front bunkers, or play it safe and leave yourself a long putt.
Pictured now is the 3rd tee. As one of our two signature holes, the 3rd hole offers a challenging but fair par-3. The water doesn't really come into play, but the additions of the grandstands make the drive in a bit more intimidating, especially once filled with golf fans.
And this is the 3rd green. The shadows make reading the green a bit more difficult, factor in the pressure of putting in front of hundreds of tournament-goers and it makes this shot even more challenging.
The 4th green is elevated above the approach. Avoid the danger to the right (picture left), a deep pocket of think brush and a hazard lining the hill await if the approach shot isn't where it needs to be.
The 5th green looks innocent enough, but careful: come up short and you're wet. The left is flanked by large oak trees, while the right side of the green features sloping and snaking bunkers. You might be better off long in the deep rough.
There are no breaks just yet at the 6th green. Although the course doesn't lack its fair share of sand, the 6th green generally offers gentle slopes and a modest landing area. A pin location in the front is actually more concerning.
The view from the newly installed camera tower looking over the 8th hole. The fairly narrow fairway doesn't offer much room for error, but the wide and mostly flat green offers a slight reprieve from the ongoing challenge.
This is the 9th tee. If it's hot outside, it is one of the most popular locations on the golf course, with nearby picnic tables shaded by the large elm, maple, and cedar trees. There's a hefty drop-off to the 9th fairway, with a not-so-subtle dogleg to the right awaiting. The raised mounds on both sides of the tee offer fans a great view of their favorite players.
Coming up is the 10th green. The front is heavily protected by a small creek with large rocks. Landing over the pin and using the green's natural slope seems the best approach. Come up short and you're looking at a big score.
A view of the 11th tee from the adjacent grandstands. The 11th is a fairly straightforward par-3 with modest bunkering and a waste area between the tee and green.
Now we come to our 2nd signature hole, the 13th at Cherrytop Springs. This hole introduces a fairly different style, molded in the eye of Oakmont outside Pittsburgh, PA. The rolling fairway and large, speedy green requires golfers use all their skills. The piano-key bunkers are reminiscent, if not straight clones, of those found at Oakmont.
Here's the view of the approach from the other angle, behind the 13th green. You can see it offers plenty of landing areas, but pin positions in all four corners means you're playing a different approach each round. The green features subtle, but hard-to-judge, sloping.
The 14th green is offers more wide landing areas, but the approach is narrow and features water along the left side (picture right). Similar to before, if you come up short of this green, you're swimming. Go long and you have an extra landing pad of fairway, but downslopes and bunkers protect all sides.
Shade overhangs the 17th tee, which includes patron stands on both sides. Coming out of the chute, golfers are forced to fly the large lake. A drive of 230 yards is required from the black tees.
The 17th green is also covered in shade most of the day, making reading slopes difficult as you near the end of your round. There are plenty of viewing areas for fans and television. The pressure of the tournament doesn't relent when you're going for that important tour victory.
Looking back toward the 18th tee offers a unique perspective on this hole. The camera tower looms large over the next to tee off, not to mention - once again - patron grandstands lining the tee box.
As the final hole, the 18th generally allows for the most patron viewing areas, with six total grandstand locations (two at the tee, two lining the fairway, and two at the green). As it typically is the most important hole on the course, this isn't too surprising. You can see how the green is located on a plateau above the fairway, making high-arching landing shots a must.
The final green you'll face at Cherrytop Springs CC, the 18th doesn't have a ton of sloping, but it is narrow with run-offs on most sides. It will award precision and largely penalize even modest misses.
Thank you for joining us on this lengthy photo tour of Cherrytop Springs! Even our driving range offers unique views not found anywhere else in golf. As you work on your long game, you can get a nice perspective on some of the state wind turbines used to, among other things, power this country club.
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