Clifton, Tennessee, is home to the fifth Bear Trace golf course. Hard to find and more than a little out of the way, Clifton is barely a spot on the map, a small community some 150 miles east of Memphis and 110 miles southwest of Nashville. The drive, mile after mile of Tennessee back roads, from almost anywhere, seems to go on forever but all that travel is well worth the effort, I promise. Make a good score here and you’ll remember Ross Creek Landing always.
Situated on the banks of the Tennessee River, and designed by Jack Nicklaus, this Bear Trace course opened for play with little fanfare in the fall of 2001. It wasn’t until September, 2002, when Jack arrived to christen it, that Ross Creek Landing really took off. And the hype only increased when, in March 2003, Golfweek ranked it “the best public access course in Tennessee.”
The Bear Trace at Ross Creek Landing is built on 450 acres of farm land owned by The Hassell Charitable Foundation, and named for the creek that passes in front of and behind the green on the treacherous 10th hole.
At 7, 131 yards off the back tees, Ross Creek Landing is second in length - only by nine yards - to its sister course, Harrison Bay. From the back tees it’s a true championship challenge, and most mid-handicap golfers find even the blue tees more than they can handle. Ian Thompson of the Birmingham News maintains that, “holes 8 - 10 could easily be Ross Creek Landing’s ‘Amen Corner,’” and I can’t help but agree with him. Handicapped 1, 2 and 3 respectively, they are the toughest three holes on the course. And that’s not all. If you should fall foul of the terrible trio, you still have the four finishing holes to contend with – perhaps to toughest road home in the Bear Trace system.
The 8th is a long par 5 – 556 yards off the back tees – and there’s water to the left the entire length of the hole. The tee shot is not so tough: there is a little room for error to the right, but the lay-up shot is demanding. The approach to the green is narrow and bounded by water to the left and mounds to the right. If you can manage a par here….
The 9th is a real bear (no pun intended). A 453-yard par 4, you tee off over water aiming for a fairway that lies diagonal to the tee and only a mind like that of Jack Nicklaus could envision. Get the water safely behind you and there’s still more than 200 yards of narrows to negotiate before you can reach the 9th’s over-large green where three-putts are often the order of the day.
Moving right along to the third hole of the terrible trio, the 10th at 435 yards is yet another long par 4. Again, the tee shot here is quite easy, but miss the fairway and the chances are your second will find the deep chasm that fronts the green. Having said that, even a nicely placed tee shot can bring hazards all its own. The elevated green is well guarded by rocks, bunkers and water. We’re talking target golf here. Go long and the chances are you’ll end up in the water; fall short and it’s rough, rocks, sand and water that awaits you
Of the five courses in the Bear Trace this one, I think, is the toughest. I also think it’s one of the most enjoyable.
Oh, and while you’re there, you might like to check out Shiloh National Battlefield Park. The site is only about 35 miles from Clifton and it saw some of the bloodiest fighting in the early years of the American Civil War. In fact, it was the Battle of Shiloh that finally caused the American populations of both sides to realize that the war was going to be a long a drawn out affair. It would not be over in three months as everyone in the Southern Confederacy had thought.
While you're there, be sure to check out the other four courses in the Bear Trace System. Each one is different, and each one is worth a visit.
