The Bottom Line
- One of Jack Nicklaus' finest designs
- Set in an area of great natural beauty
- A long, par 72 course with something for players of every skill level
- Close to Jackson, Tennessee, and Interstate 40
- Chickasaw is very quite, especially during the week, maybe too quiet for some
Description
- They say "The Bear Trace at Chickasaw captures all the flair and natural beauty of its sister courses." It certainly does.
- An area of great natural beauty and a true test of golf.
- If you are looking for a quiet, relaxing day far away from the hustle and bustle of everyday city life, you'll find here.
- Chickasaw was chosen as "One of the Top Ten Places You can Play" in 2001 by Golf Magazine.
- It was also chosen as one of the “100 Best Fairways for Women” by Golf for Women magazine in 2000.
Guide Review - The Bear Trace at Chickasaw, Tennessee
Chickasaw is the westernmost stop on the Bear Trace. An area of great natural beauty with a 7,118-yard layout that incorporates vast natural wetlands and oak and pine trees that hide one fairway from another. Each fairway is a tight, private world unto itself where accuracy is paramount. Long hitters who love to “let it rip” will find the going tough here.
Chickasaw demands you pull out every trick/skill in your golfing repertoire, and it all begins on the first tee.
At 571 yards, the 1st is the longest hole on the course, but not by much. Your tee shot must avoid a lake to the left and heavy marshland to the right; the second must carry a creek. This is one of toughest opening holes I’ve ever played. A high score at the first means you’ll be fighting an uphill battle against the card right from square one. The way to play it, I think, is to treat it as easy par 6: keep the ball on the short grass and, if it takes four to reach the green, so be it.
The fourth is a 392-yard par 4. The choice of club for the tee shot is crucial. From an elevated tee the fairway slopes sharply to the left and Jack, with his typically fiendish mind hard at work, has split it with two bunkers that seem to gather every slightly wayward shot. The approach to the elevated green is guarded by marshland. You’re better off to be slightly long here than short.
From there you’ll have to contend with two more huge par 5’s, Piney Creek and its tributaries (they seem to meander from one hole to the next) are in play over seven of the nine finishing holes. Water or marshland or both come into play at some point on almost every hole. This is, after all, a wetland course.
So, there you are. All you need now is a couple of buddies and a place to stay.
But let's not quit now, there are four more great courses in the Bear Trace System, why not play them all?