Crockett Ridge Attracts With Its Natural Beauty

Tucked away between the lush green ridges of upper east Tennessee lies a true gem, though not the kind you recover from a mine. This gem is a golfer’s paradise.

Crockett Ridge Golf Course is an 18-hole regulation-length public course located near Kingsport, Tennessee. When you approach it for the first time, you’re likely to be drawn in by the natural beauty.

“We think we have the ‘wow’ factor,” said course manager Jade Bell. “It’s green and well-manicured, and we’re in a good location between the ridges and the valley.

“We’re lucky to be surrounded by God’s beauty,” said Bell, a veteran who spent 20 years in the Air Force. He’s been in his current role at Crockett Ridge since January.

The scenery, which includes four lakes, isn’t the only selling point for Crockett Ridge, of course. It’s a user-friendly course that can still give your game a workout.

At 6,675 yards from the pro tees, “we’re not the longest course” Bell said, “but we’re challenging, all the same. We’re a good course for all skill levels.”

The typical mix of players, Bell said, includes both “guys with their pro cards and also weekend warriors trying to improve their games.”

Technically, Crockett Ridge is what’s known as a parkland course, which is a popular style on the PGA tour. A parkland course is located inland and features plenty of trees and lush grass. While Crockett Ridge certainly qualifies by that definition, it also has some traits of a historical links course—think sand and fewer trees. There are some bunkers that wouldn’t be out of place on a links course, for example.

Plus there are some characteristics of a mountain layout with some pretty serious elevation changes.

In any case, it’s the type of course that can inspire you to play well, and also inspire a good time.

“We try to be a family course—we’re owned by a family,” Bell said. “Anybody that comes out here, we consider them family. Even if they’re not playing their best, we greet them with a smile.”

Bell says many of the course’s regulars play a couple of times a week, so they take their game fairly seriously and want to work on it. Crockett Ridge can certainly give them the opportunity.

“We’ve probably got the best practice facility in the area,” Bell said. “We have a full driving range along with a putting green and chipping green. You can practice on all parts of your game” before you hit the course.

The putting and the chipping can be particularly important: “The short game is where you make your score,” Bell said.

The toughest hole on the course? That’s up for debate, Bell said.

“We’ve got a few pretty long par fours, and a lot of our greens have undulation” that offers rises and dips in elevation, Bell said. “Our greens are fast—you can get there quickly but then three-putt.”

As an example, he cited No. 3, a 417-yard (from the back tees) par-four.

“It’s wide open,” Bell said. “You can hit the green in two shots, but it’s a hard two-putt after that.”

He said it’s hard to narrow down what might be his favorite, but he said he does have a fondness for No. 11. It’s a short par-three—188 yards from the white tees—but there’s a drop from tee to green that makes the shortness of the hole a bit deceiving.

Andrew Longworth of Johnson City, who plays at Crockett Ridge often and describes it as one of his favorite courses, has a couple of nominees for toughest hole.

“On the front nine, No. 8 is just a crazy par four,” he said. “No. 16 is not necessarily the most difficult, but it’s tricky because there’s water on the right side of the green, so if you go right you go in the water.”

Longworth said his favorite hole might be either of the par fives on the front nine. “They’re straight, and if you hit a good drive (keeping it in the fairway), you can make up a couple of shots,” he said.

Longworth also likes No. 7.

“It’s a 280-yard (from the white tees) par four, and if you hit a strong tee shot you can almost drive the green,” he said.

In the fun-versus-challenging debate, he agrees that Crockett Ridge can be a little of both.

“You can have a good time, but if you’re playing in a tournament, you want to bring your A game,” Longworth said.

Crockett Ridge mostly draws its clientele from the surrounding area—Johnson City, Kingsport and Bristol, Tennessee, plus Southwest Virginia—but Bell said the occasional celebrity has been known to try their hand at the course.

Country music stars Kenny Chesney, a Knoxville native and East Tennessee State University graduate, and Trace Adkins have played there, as have a number of NASCAR team members when they’re in the area for a race at nearby Bristol Motor Speedway.

But whether you’re hoping for a celebrity sighting, playing in a tournament or just out for a fun day with friends, Crockett Ridge should fit the bill.

It’s located just a short distance off Interstate 81. After taking Exit 66, turn left on Tennessee Highway 126. Drive about two miles and turn right on Harr Town Road. Then make a quick left on Island Road and watch for the signs.