Hardest Public Golf Courses in Tennessee

The hardest public golf course in Tennessee is Blackberry Ridge Golf Club in Shelbyville, with a slope of 149 and a course rating of 74.2 from the Black tees (6,992 yards). It is a semi-private course that sells public tee times. Semi-private clubs limit public tee times to certain days or hours, so call ahead. Next are Island Pointe Golf Club (slope 146) and Pine Creek Golf Club (slope 145).

5 hardest public courses in Tennessee, by slope

Every course here has had its public access checked against a named source.

RankCourseCityAccessSlopeCourse ratingTeeYardsAccess checked
1Blackberry Ridge Golf ClubShelbyvilleSemi-private14974.2Black6,992Nov 2026 source
2Island Pointe Golf ClubKodakPublic14674.3Champion7,001Nov 2026 source
3Pine Creek Golf ClubMount JulietPublic14573.3Gold7,115Nov 2026 source
4Hermitage Golf CourseOld HickoryPublic13873.9Black7,157Nov 2026 source
5Sevierville Golf ClubSeviervilleMunicipal13774.3Black7,120Nov 2026 source

How this list is built

Each course is ranked by the highest slope rating from its men's tees. Women's ratings are used only where a course publishes no men's rating. Only regulation 18-hole courses are included; nine-hole courses are left out.

Only courses whose public access Stymie has checked against the club's own site or another named source are listed, and private clubs are left out. That is why this list differs from the hardest golf courses in Tennessee, which ranks every rated course.

Courses are checked in order from the highest slope down, and the list stops at the first course whose public access has not been checked yet, so nothing here skips over an unchecked course. Courses that were checked and could not be confirmed as open to the public are left out. 131 golf courses in Tennessee have a slope rating on file, and Stymie has checked access for 18 of them so far.

Semi-private courses limit public tee times. Call ahead before you plan a round.

Tennessee public course FAQ

What is the hardest public golf course in Tennessee?

Of the Tennessee courses Stymie has checked for public access, Blackberry Ridge Golf Club in Shelbyville has the highest slope rating: 149 from the Black tees, with a course rating of 74.2. Island Pointe Golf Club is next at 146. Courses are checked from the highest slope down, so no unchecked course ranks above the ones listed.

What is the hardest municipal course in Tennessee?

Sevierville Golf Club in Sevierville, with a slope rating of 137 from the Black tees. It ranks No. 5 on this list of checked public courses.

Can anyone play Blackberry Ridge Golf Club?

Yes. Blackberry Ridge Golf Club is a semi-private course that sells public tee times. Semi-private clubs limit public tee times to certain days or hours, so call ahead. Stymie checked its access in Nov 2026 against golfthis.com. Tee-time policies change, so confirm with the course before you go.

How is difficulty measured?

By slope rating, which measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer. It runs from 55 to 155, and 113 is standard difficulty. Each course is ranked by the highest slope from its men's tees, and only regulation 18-hole courses are included. Course rating, the score a scratch golfer is expected to shoot, is shown alongside.

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