The Bottom Line
Situated close to Winchester, Tennessee, Tim's Ford is the third of the Jack Nicklaus-designed courses in the Bear Trace system. It's a short course, only 6,109 off the blue tees, but it's well worth taking time out to visit.
Named one the "Top Ten Places You Can Play" and one of the "Best New Destinations" in Tennessee, the course can be both punishing and forgiving.
- Designed by Jack Nicklaus
- A combination of links and woodland
- A nice balance of challenge and playability
- Quiet and relaxing
- It's a bit out of the way
Description
- A short, but testing course where Jack Nicklaus was at his creative best.
- It's quiet, especially during the week. If you're looking for peace and tranquility, this is the place to find it.
- Short as it is, you'll find club selection is not always easy.
Guide Review - The Bear Trace at Tim's Ford, Tennessee
The Jack Nicklaus designed Bear Trace course at Tim's Ford in Winchester, Tennessee, is just 65 miles from the one at Harrison Bay. At 6,764 yards, it's not the longest course in the quintet but what it lacks in length it more than makes up for with its wild and aesthetic beauty.
Tim's Ford, like the other courses in the Trace, is way out in the back of Tennessee's beyond. It's a lonely, lakeland tract; idyllic, quiet and peaceful where on a warm summer day the only sounds to be heard might be the distant click of club on ball and the birds singing in the trees.
The course is a combination of big sky and wide open spaces over the front nine, and tight woodland fairways bounded by deep rough over the finishing holes. Just as it is at the other courses in the Trace, accuracy is the watchword. The rough, especially on the back nine, is intimidating and unforgiving. A fade, often a thing of beauty elsewhere, can easily turn any one of the finishing holes into a minor disaster; a draw, well, you get the idea.
The 439-yard par-4 18th at Tim's Ford is typical Nicklaus and one of the prettiest finishing holes on the Trace. From an elevated tee the fairway curves from left to right along the lake shore. The left side is guarded by wicked bunkers that inevitably lure even the slightest wayward shot to a sandy demise. Heavy rough and giant oak trees guard the right side. The green, undulating and tightly bunkered, is as much a test of perception as it is of putting skills.
Finally, the great, hand-crafted log clubhouse - while definitely in keeping with its pastoral setting - is something you would more expect to find at a grand resort than a state park in Tennessee.
While you're there, visit the nearby Jack Daniels distillery. It's located in a dry county which means you don't get to sample the goodies. And dont forget the other Bear Trace Courses.
