— · Franklin, Tennessee
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Franklin Frontline.
Top Spots · Chapter 01

The best golf courses near Franklin

Two lists of ten. The private clubs, most of which you will only see with a member, and the courses anyone can book, from a $22 muni in Sylvan Park to the Korn Ferry Tour's old stop in Franklin. Every card carries par, yardage, course rating and slope, the green fee where there is one, and the hole people talk about on the drive home.

20 Courses 10 Private · 10 Public 7 in Williamson County September 2026
Straight to the rankings How the ranking works

Showing all 20 courses

The Private Ten

The clubs, if you can get on.

#1–#10 · Review score, course rating as the tie-breaker
The course at The Golf Club of Tennessee
Kingston Springs Private Members only

The Golf Club of Tennessee

Par 727,100 ydsOpened 1991

Ranked No. 2 in the state. Fazio routed it across 317 acres of forest, rocky ridge and the Brush Creek valley in 1991, and Gil Hanse opened the Upper Course in 2024. Five par 3s, each asking for a different club. The creek comes into play eight or nine times. No tee times, no waiting on the group ahead.

Signature holeNo. 4, par 3: 200 yards across a chasm that drops into Brush Creek

4.8Review score
  • Rating75.1
  • Slope143
  • Yards7,100
  • Par72
Designer, address & details
DesignerTom Fazio; Gil Hanse (Upper Course, 2024)
Opened1991 · Upper Course 2024
AccessPrivate · members and their guests
From the tipsPar 72 · 7,100 yds · 75.1 / 143
Elevation740 ft
The course at Troubadour Golf & Field Club
College Grove Private Members only

Troubadour Golf & Field Club

Par 716,873 ydsOpened 2016

A Discovery Land project on the bones of the old Hideaway at Arrington. Fazio and Bickford pulled out the grassy moguls, opened the corridors, and let the foothills do the work. Holes 10 through 15 ride up and down through isolated ground and play like they have been there for decades. Ranked No. 4 in the state.

Signature holeNo. 13, par 3: elevated tee, a long drop, no bailout

4.7Review score
  • Rating73.1
  • Slope133
  • Yards6,873
  • Par71
Designer, address & details
Designervon Hagge, Smelek & Baril; Tom Fazio (2019)
Opened2016 · Fazio redesign 2019
AccessPrivate · members and their guests
From the tipsPar 71 · 6,873 yds · 73.1 / 133
Elevation810 ft
The course at The Grove
College Grove Private Members only

The Grove

Par 727,438 ydsOpened 2012

Norman carved this out of thirteen hundred acres of College Grove farmland and built it to hold a tournament. The Grove hosted LIV Golf in 2024 and is a Korn Ferry venue. Wide landing zones reward a plan off the tee; slick MiniVerde greens punish a tentative approach.

Signature holeNo. 18, par 5: water left the whole way home, ridge green to the right

4.5Review score
  • Rating75.8
  • Slope142
  • Yards7,438
  • Par72
Designer, address & details
DesignerGreg Norman
Opened2012
AccessPrivate · members and their guests
From the tipsPar 72 · 7,438 yds · 75.8 / 142
Elevation782 ft
The course at Richland Country Club
Nashville Private Members only

Richland Country Club

Par 727,090 ydsOpened 1988

Nicklaus laid it down in 1988 on Forest Hills land. Bergin took it apart and rebuilt it in 2021 with wider fairways, restored greens and fewer trees, work that finished third in Golf Digest's Best Transformation that year. The club itself dates to 1901.

Signature holeNo. 8, par 4: over the restored creek to a Ross-style green

4.5Review score
  • Rating74.8
  • Slope141
  • Yards7,090
  • Par72
Designer, address & details
DesignerJack Nicklaus; Bill Bergin (2021)
Opened1988 · reworked 2021
AccessPrivate · members and their guests
From the tipsPar 72 · 7,090 yds · 74.8 / 141
Elevation585 ft
The course at Belle Meade Country Club
Nashville Private Members only

Belle Meade Country Club

Par 726,964 ydsOpened 1901

The grand dame of Nashville golf. Ross laid the routing in 1921 across a tight Belle Meade parcel. Belle Meade Branch runs through holes 3, 4, 6 and 8 and makes you think on the tee. Rees Jones touched it up in 2004 without breaking the bones. It still plays under 7,000 yards, and it still has teeth.

Signature holeNo. 16, par 4: a peninsula green

4.4Review score
  • Rating74.5
  • Slope140
  • Yards6,964
  • Par72
Designer, address & details
DesignerDonald Ross; Rees Jones (2004)
Opened1901 · Ross routing 1921
AccessPrivate · members and their guests
From the tipsPar 72 · 6,964 yds · 74.5 / 140
Elevation612 ft
The course at Nashville Golf & Athletic Club
Brentwood Private Members only

Nashville Golf & Athletic Club

Par 727,126 ydsOpened 1990

Brian Silva's classical design on a wooded Brentwood property, with bent fairways and greens that hold a well-struck ball. Hosted the Nashville Open on the Web.com Tour from 2008 through 2010. Members call it the area's most demanding shot-maker's course: narrow corridors, firm conditions, and nowhere to put a wide miss.

Signature holeNo. 15, par 4: uphill approach over a creek to a heavily contoured green

4.4Review score
  • Rating74.4
  • Slope138
  • Yards7,126
  • Par72
Designer, address & details
DesignerBrian Silva
Opened1990
AccessPrivate · members and their guests
From the tipsPar 72 · 7,126 yds · 74.4 / 138
Elevation660 ft
The course at The Governors Club
Brentwood Private Members only

The Governors Club

Par 727,031 ydsOpened 1999

Palmer's signature design on 600 acres of farmland held by one family since 1799. Crenshaw bent greens, Zoysia fairways, spring-fed creeks, and old stone walls used as part of the architecture. The Pleasant Hill mansion sits in the background. Older than Troubadour and quieter than The Grove.

Signature holeNo. 9, par 4: stone bridge, spring-fed creek, the mansion in the distance

4.4Review score
  • Rating73.8
  • Slope139
  • Yards7,031
  • Par72
Designer, address & details
DesignerArnold Palmer & Ed Seay
Opened1999
AccessPrivate · members and their guests
From the tipsPar 72 · 7,031 yds · 73.8 / 139
Elevation695 ft
The course at Old Hickory Country Club
Old Hickory Private Members only

Old Hickory Country Club

Par 716,617 ydsOpened 1926

Founded in 1926 as the recreation club for DuPont's Old Hickory plant, and still one of Nashville's oldest layouts. Shorter than the new private clubs, but its bent greens are widely held to be the fastest and truest in the area. No resort polish; clean lines and a great putting surface.

Signature holeNo. 6, par 3: a small bent green with no real bailout

4.4Review score
  • Rating72.4
  • Slope130
  • Yards6,617
  • Par71
Designer, address & details
DesignerOriginal 1926 routing, revised several times
Opened1926
AccessPrivate · members and their guests
From the tipsPar 71 · 6,617 yds · 72.4 / 130
Elevation440 ft
The course at Westhaven Golf Club
Franklin Private Members only Frontline Pick · Best in Franklin

Westhaven Golf Club

Par 726,976 ydsOpened 2009

Named one of Golf Magazine's best new private courses when it opened. Hills routed it through the Franklin hills with no homes lining the fairways, a deliberate choice that gives the holes room. Named holes (Otter, Eagle), Italian fountains by the clubhouse, and 2,600 homes around it that mostly stay out of sight.

Signature holeNo. 17 "Eagle", par 5: water down the entire left side

4.3Review score
  • Rating74.1
  • Slope137
  • Yards6,976
  • Par72
Designer, address & details
DesignerArthur Hills; Steve Forrest & Associates
Opened2009
AccessPrivate · members and their guests
From the tipsPar 72 · 6,976 yds · 74.1 / 137
Elevation715 ft
The course at Hillwood Country Club
Nashville Private Members only

Hillwood Country Club

Par 726,716 ydsOpened 1922

Langford laid these holes in 1922, which makes Hillwood one of the three oldest courses in Nashville. The routing climbs and falls across the West Nashville hills with very few flat lies, and it rewards a player who can shape the ball both ways off the tee.

Signature holeNo. 12, par 4: uphill dogleg, blind approach over a ridge

4.3Review score
  • Rating72.6
  • Slope132
  • Yards6,716
  • Par72
Designer, address & details
DesignerWilliam B. Langford
Opened1922
AccessPrivate · members and their guests
From the tipsPar 72 · 6,716 yds · 72.6 / 132
Elevation680 ft

No private clubs match that filter.

The Public Ten

The ones you can book this weekend.

#1–#10 · Public, semi-private, resort & municipal
The course at GreyStone Golf Club
Dickson Public $45–$70

GreyStone Golf Club

Par 727,220 ydsOpened 2000

Half an hour west of Nashville and the value play in Middle Tennessee. McCumber used big elevation changes, rock outcroppings and long views to the west. Host of several Tennessee Junior Amateurs and Tennessee PGA Players Championships. Most people who make the drive go home wondering why they don't go more often.

Signature holeNo. 16, par 4: elevated tee, dogleg right around a stone ridge

4.6Review score
  • Rating74.6
  • Slope138
  • Yards7,220
  • Par72
Designer, address & details
DesignerMark McCumber
Opened2000
AccessPublic · green fees $45–$70
From the tipsPar 72 · 7,220 yds · 74.6 / 138
Elevation825 ft
The course at Hermitage Golf Course, President's Reserve
Old Hickory Public $68–$97

Hermitage Golf Course, President's Reserve

Par 727,157 ydsOpened 2000

Tennessee's top public course on most lists. Griffiths routed it through 300 acres of wetland along the Cumberland, with Zoysia fairways and not a house in view. In the afternoon, border collies herd blackface sheep across the property. Golf Digest has it among the ten best in the state.

Signature holeNo. 18, par 5: reachable in two if you flirt with the river on the left

4.6Review score
  • Rating74.5
  • Slope138
  • Yards7,157
  • Par72
Designer, address & details
DesignerDenis Griffiths
Opened2000
AccessPublic · green fees $68–$97
From the tipsPar 72 · 7,157 yds · 74.5 / 138
Elevation425 ft
The course at Vanderbilt Legends Club
Franklin Semi-Private $95–$135 Frontline Pick · Best in Franklin

Vanderbilt Legends Club

Par 727,167 ydsOpened 1992

Vanderbilt University's home course: two 18s by Tom Kite and Bob Cupp, opened in 1992 on the rolling ground south of Nashville. The North hosted the Korn Ferry Tour's Stadion Classic for sixteen seasons. Semi-private, with a limited number of daily-fee tee times for non-members. Wide corridors, deep bunkers, and bentgrass greens that hold a long iron.

Signature holeNo. 18 North, par 5: the risk-reward finisher the Korn Ferry Tour used as its stadium hole

4.5Review score
  • Rating73.6
  • Slope138
  • Yards7,167
  • Par72
Designer, address & details
DesignerTom Kite & Bob Cupp
Opened1992
AccessSemi-Private · green fees $95–$135
From the tipsPar 72 · 7,167 yds · 73.6 / 138
Elevation685 ft
The course at Gaylord Springs Golf Links
Nashville Resort $75–$135

Gaylord Springs Golf Links

Par 726,827 ydsOpened 1991

A Scottish-style links in Tennessee, and Larry Nelson made it work. It runs across 220 acres of wetland and limestone bluff along the Cumberland, with a century-old springhouse on the fourth hole. Five minutes from Opryland and twelve from downtown.

Signature holeNo. 4, par 4: blind tee shot past the old springhouse

4.4Review score
  • Rating73.8
  • Slope135
  • Yards6,827
  • Par72
Designer, address & details
DesignerLarry Nelson
Opened1991
AccessResort · green fees $75–$135
From the tipsPar 72 · 6,827 yds · 73.8 / 135
Elevation412 ft
The course at Old Fort Golf Course
Murfreesboro Municipal $32–$50

Old Fort Golf Course

Par 726,936 ydsOpened 1976

Built on the site of Fortress Rosecrans, the Union supply depot from the Civil War. Wide rolling fairways and mature hardwoods, and a regular host of regional qualifying and Tennessee PGA junior events. The price makes it one of the best rounds per dollar in the metro, forty minutes from downtown.

Signature holeNo. 9, par 4: dogleg left, Civil War earthworks visible from the fairway

4.4Review score
  • Rating72.4
  • Slope124
  • Yards6,936
  • Par72
Designer, address & details
DesignerBruce Devlin & Robert von Hagge
Opened1976
AccessMunicipal · green fees $32–$50
From the tipsPar 72 · 6,936 yds · 72.4 / 124
Elevation615 ft
The course at Franklin Bridge Golf Club
Franklin Public $45–$65

Franklin Bridge Golf Club

Par 727,152 ydsOpened 1986

Franklin's longtime public course, called Forrest Crossing until 2020. Baird routed it along the Harpeth River in 1986, and the back nine winds through floodplain hardwoods that feel more secluded than the address suggests. Tennessee PGA events for years, solid conditioning, fair prices, and no member's invite required.

Signature holeNo. 5, par 4: water down the right, a tee shot along the river

4.3Review score
  • Rating74.6
  • Slope132
  • Yards7,152
  • Par72
Designer, address & details
DesignerGary Roger Baird
Opened1986 · renamed 2020
AccessPublic · green fees $45–$65
From the tipsPar 72 · 7,152 yds · 74.6 / 132
Elevation615 ft
The course at McCabe Golf Course
Nashville Municipal $22–$32

McCabe Golf Course

Par 706,258 ydsOpened 1942

Twenty-seven holes inside the city, walkable from Sylvan Park, and Nashville's favorite muni for an everyday round. Three nines (Middle, North and South) that can be mixed and matched. Short and forgiving, conditioning that has steadily improved, and locals who will tell you it's the best-value golf in town.

Signature holeMiddle No. 4, par 3: short, with a tight green

4.3Review score
  • Rating69.4
  • Slope119
  • Yards6,258
  • Par70
Designer, address & details
DesignerOriginal 1942 layout
OpenedEst. 1942
AccessMunicipal · green fees $22–$32
From the tipsPar 70 · 6,258 yds · 69.4 / 119
Elevation460 ft
The course at Harpeth Hills Golf Course
Bellevue Municipal $25–$35 Frontline Pick · Best Value

Harpeth Hills Golf Course

Par 726,538 ydsOpened 1965

Nashville's best muni, inside the Warner Parks footprint in Bellevue. The layout asks for a real short game, it has USGA Public Links qualifying on the résumé, and a weekday round costs under thirty dollars.

Signature holeNo. 7, par 3: the smallest target in town

4.2Review score
  • Rating71.6
  • Slope128
  • Yards6,538
  • Par72
Designer, address & details
DesignerOriginal 1965 layout, renovated 1991
OpenedEst. 1965 · greens 2017
AccessMunicipal · green fees $25–$35
From the tipsPar 72 · 6,538 yds · 71.6 / 128
Elevation695 ft
The course at Ted Rhodes Golf Course
Nashville Municipal $25–$35

Ted Rhodes Golf Course

Par 726,800 ydsOpened 1992

Named for Ted Rhodes, the Black professional who fought to integrate American golf in the 1940s and '50s. The course sits along the Cumberland in North Nashville, and Baird's 1992 routing uses the river bend on several holes. Cheap, walkable, and carrying more history per yard than any other course in the city.

Signature holeNo. 17, par 3: over the water, with the namesake plaque near the tee

4.1Review score
  • Rating72.4
  • Slope122
  • Yards6,800
  • Par72
Designer, address & details
DesignerGary Roger Baird
Opened1992
AccessMunicipal · green fees $25–$35
From the tipsPar 72 · 6,800 yds · 72.4 / 122
Elevation430 ft
The course at Two Rivers Golf Course
Donelson Municipal $28–$40

Two Rivers Golf Course

Par 726,646 ydsOpened 1972

Between the Cumberland and Stones rivers, just past Opryland. Howard's 1972 routing is wide enough to swing freely and demanding enough on approach to keep you honest. A common pick for groups staying downtown who want an affordable round near the hotels, and pace of play is among the best in the city.

Signature holeNo. 13, par 4: water down the right, a green in the bend of the river

4.1Review score
  • Rating71.4
  • Slope124
  • Yards6,646
  • Par72
Designer, address & details
DesignerLeon Howard
Opened1972
AccessMunicipal · green fees $28–$40
From the tipsPar 72 · 6,646 yds · 71.4 / 124
Elevation415 ft

No public courses match that filter.

The Ranking

How the order was set.

This chapter is ranked differently from Coffee and Parks, and here is how.

The order is a review score. Each course carries one number out of five, a composite of public review platforms, player forums and panel rankings. Highest score sits at #1 in its list. Ties break on USGA course rating, then on yardage.

It is not the Frontline Index. Coffee and Parks are scored on five weighted categories from our own visits. Golf was the first chapter, built before that sheet existed, and it has not been re-scored on it. Until it is, we are keeping the aggregate and saying so.

Review scoreOut of 5, one decimal. Sets the order within each list.
Course ratingWhat a scratch golfer is expected to shoot from the back tees. Higher is harder.
SlopeHow much harder the course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer, on a scale of 55 to 155. 113 is average; everything on this list is above it.
Green feeThe published range for a round, low season to peak. Private clubs don't have one.

The atlas covers Middle Tennessee, not only Franklin. 7 of the twenty are in Williamson County; the rest are in Nashville or a short drive past it, because that is where Franklin golfers play.

Methodology

How the atlas was built.

Par, yardage, course rating and slope are from the back tees, compiled by hand from club scorecards and published course listings in spring 2026. Clubs re-rate and re-tee, so check the scorecard before you bet on a number. Green fees are the published range at the time of writing and move with the season.

The first edition of this chapter lived in a separate app with a satellite map that drew each property's boundary. This edition moves it onto the same card layout as the Coffee and Parks atlases, and every card links to directions instead.

Photographs. Course photos carry over from the first edition of the atlas.

Tip Us Off

Think we got the order wrong?

Tell us. If a course re-opened, a green fee moved, or your club deserves a spot on the list, send it in and we'll look at it for the next update.

Send a Tip

Next

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