Does cowboy cosplay interest you? If so, Nashville is the place for you. With an ever increasing tourism industry, Nashville has become a leading destination for bachelor parties, weddings, and group trips. As a resident of Nashville, I stay away from Broadway, but I do frequent the local golf courses, so lets talk about a golf trip in Nashville.

Objectively, Nashville is not a great location for a golf trip, but Nashville’s other draws means your group, business trip, or couples getaway may end up in Nashville. Nashville desperately needs more high-end, destination type public golf, but due to Nashville’s history and the fact that it’s tourism industry and population boom are relatively recent, public golf options are limited. Most good golf in Nashville is at private courses, which Nashville has in abundance; but, Nashville has a few good public options that can make a golf trip here a decent option, combined with the nightlife, concerts, and other draws of Nashville.

Just be careful in Nashville; not because of the crime or anything like that, just be careful you don’t accidentally fall in love with the growing city and move your family here.

Accommodations

Nashville has a lot of options, but you’ll find that downtown Nashville hotels are quite expensive compared to other similarly positioned cities. Nashville also has an abundance of rental houses, as with most cities that have a decent tourism sector, many local residents have bought second and third houses, specifically to offer them as short term rentals. So, you’ll have some options.

Downtown Hotels & Rental Homes

If this is the option you choose, all of the downtown area hotels are of a similar quality, but here are some of my recommendations, based on their proximity to Broadway, Bridgestone Arena, Nissan Stadium, and other tourist activities:

• Omni Nashville Hotel – This hotel has one of the most desirable locations in Nashville, being essentially centrally located downtown, with the convention center next door, the Country Music Hall of Fame right behind it, Bridgestone Arena on the next block, Lower Broadway just two blocks away, and Nissan Stadium about a 20-minute walk away over the pedestrian bridge.

• Four Seasons Nashville – Probably the most expensive option in Downtown Nashville, but a good location if your event is at Nissan Stadium, the Ascend Amphitheater. It is a bit closer to Lower Broadway than the Omni.

• Holston House Nashville – If Broadway’s night life is your main draw, or if your event is at Ryman Auditorium, this Hyatt owned option is normally reasonably priced and is in a good location north of Broadway, near the Ryman, Bridgestone, and Broadway.

• JW Marriott Nashville – A slightly less desirable location with longer walks to Broadway, Nissan Stadium, and Ascend Amphitheater, this very classy hotel is a good option if your main event is at the Music City Convention Center but easily works for Bridgestone Arena as well.

• A Downtown Nashville Rental Home – Obviously a better, less expensive option for larger groups.

There are so many options in the downtown area, so if one of these options don’t fit your eye, check here for some other options. Remember, if your objective is to enjoy the nightlife, you are likely going to be thoroughly intoxicated, and will need to stay somewhere walkable from Lower Broadway or your venue.

Non-Downtown Hotels

If you are staying in a non-downtown hotel, you are giving up some access to Lower Broadway, but you can still take a rideshare or rental car if you want to experience it for the night. These locations are better locations for the public golf options, if golf is your primary reason for the trip.

• Gaylord Opryland Hotel – This is the famous Opryland hotel in Nashville of which you have likely heard. It is a massive, sprawling property, and is actually a decent location for the public golf options in the area. The Opryland hotel is obviously adjacent to the Grand Ole Opry, if that is the purpose of your visit, as well as one of the largest shopping malls in Tennessee, the Opry Mills Mall.

• Cheaper Options in the Opry Mills Area – There are plenty of chain hotel options in the Opry Mills area if you find that area is best for you.

• If golfing as much as possible is the goal of your trip, Hermitage Golf Course offers on site lodging in 2-bedroom cottages.

Non-Nashville Hotels

• If you want to make your trip part golf and part great outdoors, consider the Lodge at Montgomery Bell. Montgomery Bell is a state park with a golf course, and tons of other activities. Montgomery Bell is also near another top public golf option in Nashville.

• If you get invited to one of the many private courses south of Nashville, consider staying in Brentwood or Franklin, as these are nice areas with cheaper hotel options.

• Places to avoid: there are a few unsafe areas in Nashville that are unfortunately filled with flipped short-term rental homes in unsafe and non-tourist areas (because they struggle to rent them long term at full value, due to the crime). Avoid hotels and rental homes in the Madison area, Antioch area, La Vergne area, MetroCenter/North Nashville area, and RiverGate Mall areas. These areas are simply not safe, as Nashville’s street crime industry is rising with its population growth.

GOLF

Public Golf Courses

The public golf options in Nashville are somewhat limited, but as I have played all of these, so I will rank them in order from best to worst.

• Hermitage Golf Course – Presidents Reserve – Review – Hermitage Golf Course is around 20 minutes east of downtown and has 36-holes, but the President’s Reserve is a quite special course, and in my opinion, the best 18-hole public course in Tennessee. Top100GolfCourses.com ranks the President’s Reserve as the #23 course in Tennessee. Expect $105/round.

• GreyStone Golf Club – Review – GreyStone is about 45-minutes west of Nashville, but the golf course is largely worth the extra drive. It is normally at a great price, with decent course conditions, and a is proper challenge. GreyStone seems to be the Tennessee Golf Association’s favorite course, as it has hosted multiple State Open tournaments in recent years. Top100 ranks GreyStone as #19 in Tennessee, but the President’s Reserve at Hermitage is unquestionably a better course. Expect about $70/round.

• Gaylord Springs Golf Links – Review – This links style golf course was purpose built to accompany the Gaylord Opryland Resort, and it has a nice clubhouse, good course conditions, and is an interesting design along the river. This course has very few trees and can be very hot in Nashville’s hot and humid summer months without any shade. Expect $120/round.

• Towhee Club – An now up-and-coming Arnold Palmer design that used to be King’s Creek Golf that was essentially an unmaintained goat track. However, new management has replaced the putting greens, replaced bunkers, invested in turf care, built a brand new clubhouse and restaurant, and a new, large practice putting green. The course has decent design (for a Palmer course) outside of a few questionable holes, and on the current trajectory, will become one of the nicer public options in the area. Towhee is about 35 minutes south of Nashville in the suburb of Spring Hill. Expect $90/round.

• Hermitage Golf Course – General’s Retreat – Hermitage Golf Course’s original design, a Gary Roger Baird layout, is clearly an older course, but is in the same general shape as the President’s Reserve, but is less interesting and more tightly packed in less acreage. This course’s main defense is a set of very interesting greens with decent sized undulations. The course used to host the LPGA’s Sara Lee Classic for around 10 years in the 90’s. Expect $80/round.

• Old Fort Golf Course – Old Fort is an interesting value play in Murfreesboro, about 40 minutes from Nashville. Old Fort consistently provides good playing conditions, and the design has some interesting holes. It is a good value at less than $65/round.

• The Legacy Golf Course – This Raymond Floyd design is actually pretty good, has a lot of variation, and is somewhat scenic. The course has occasionally struggled with course conditions, so it can be a bit hit-or-miss. With a higher maintenance budget, the Legacy would be higher on this list. The course is about 30-minutes north of Nashville in Springfield. Expect $65/round.

• Montgomery Bell Golf Course – This course is in Montgomery Bell State Park mere minutes from GreyStone. Montgomery Bell is a good course, but lacks the maintenance budget and length to make it a great course. Better players should find Montgomery Bell easy, but it is a good place to play for beginners or higher handicap golfers. Wildlife is often seen on this course, as it is a state park, so it can make for a good couples round as well. Expect $55/round.

• Franklin Bridge Golf Course – Located in Franklin about 30-minutes south of town, this course has a spotty history of course conditions. This course is low on my list due to the price and value you receive for the price. You can probably do better for your dollar. Franklin Bridge benefits from being one of the few public courses in a very rich area where most of the private courses have multiple-year waiting lists. Expect $100/round for a course that would command no more than $55 outside of Franklin.

• Two Rivers Golf Course – This is a Nashville municipal course, one of a few, and all of them are not very good. This is the best municipal course in my opinion, but it does not have a driving range. Expect less than $55/round.

• Harpeth Hills Golf Course – The second Nashville municipal course on the list, some residents consider this the best municipal. Despite my despite for it, I will include it on the list because it has a driving range, and some people perceive what happens on this property to technically be golf. Links Magazine recently rated this as a the top of their list as an “exceptional public golf course” in Nashville and a “true gem,” which should really make you question ever visiting that website or relying on its advice. Expect less than $50/round.

• Twelve Stones Crossing Golf Club – Twelve Stones used to be in the “cannot recommend” category below, but the owners at Twelve Stones have begun investing a bit more heavily in the course, and have improved conditions enough to consider Twelve Stones as a last minute option or backup plan. Course conditions can be variable, but as of my last round there in October of 2025, the place was reasonably maintained and improving. Expect $60/round.

For those that I cannot recommend a visitor play, simply because there are better options in the area: McCabe Golf Course, Ted Rhodes Golf Course, Country Hills Golf Course, Shelby Golf Course, Nashboro Golf Club, Vinny Links Golf Course, Cheekwood Golf Course, Percy Warner Golf Course, Pine Creek Golf Course, and others.

Private Golf Courses

There are a few exceptional private courses in the area that I will cover (in no particular order) in case you get an invite from that old college buddy!

• Golf Club of Tennessee – Golf Club is the highest ranked course in the Nashville area, but has some interesting guest rules, so don’t expect the whole buddies trip to end up on the first tee. The Fazio design is ranked #199 in GolfDigest’s rankings, and the new upper course, designed by Gil Hanse, just opened on the property recently.

• Troubadour Golf and Field Club – Perhaps no club has come up like Troubadour, with many of the professional athletes in the area moving to the course in recent years since its opening. GolfDigest ranks Troub as the #4 course in State. Accept this invite should you receive it. Expect a guest fee around $200/round.

• Nashville Golf & Athletic Club – NGAC was the host of the Web.com tour event in Nashville for years, but it has sense left for the Grove. The tour leaves behind a very difficult golf course that has struggled with course conditions in recent years. Still, Top100 ranks NGAC as #15 in state.

• The Grove – Another new-money club like Troubadour, now the host of the Web.com Simmons Bank Open, and as of 2024, the new host of the LIV tour’s LIV Nashville.

• The Old-Money Trio – Richland Country Club, Hillwood Country Club, and Belle Meade Country Club. All of these courses are decent quality golf and old, old Nashville elite. As a new-money (or a no-money depending on your perspective of my personal finances), I haven’t played any of these three. They are all geographically close in the mansion-laden area of west Nashville.

• Westhaven Golf Club – A sneaky good Arthur Hills design in a residential community in Franklin. However, the houses are built in a separate part of the community as the golf courses, a nice design. I love this course and would encourage you to play if the opportunity arises. Expect a guest fee of $100/round.

• The Governor’s Club – A nice Arnold Palmer design if that is your thing, and a lot of really nice houses, if that is also your thing. It is a cool course to play once or twice, but I think it would lose its novelty by the third time. Expect a guest fee of $125/round.

• Vanderbilt Legends Club – The 36-hole home of the Vanderbilt golf teams, this course has a large local membership and is known for being a players club, with two stout courses and plenty of good players. Expect a guest fee of $115/round.

• Bluegrass Yacht & Country Club – Turning north of town, Bluegrass is located in Hendersonville. The golf course neither on a river, lake, ocean, stream, nor pond. The lake is about a half mile away, and they do have a marina. Expect an $125/round guest fee.

• Tennessee Grasslands Golf & Country Club – Last but not least, my home course(s), Tennessee Grasslands has 36 holes of Bill Bergin’s designs and has an occasional view of Old Hickory Lake. Expect a guest fee of $125/round.

Transportation

Unfortunately, because Nashville golf is so spread out, you’ll likely need a car to get around Nashville for a golf trip. Check rental car rates from BNA. However, if you just intend on going downtown and renting clubs for one round, I’d consider skipping the rental car, as Nashville has plenty of rideshare drivers at all hours.

The Ideal Golf Trip

If I could go to Nashville for the first time, and play four days, this would be my schedule if I had a reasonable budget:

Accommodations: A Downtown Nashville rental house or hotel room at the Omni Nashville Downtown.

Golf:

• Day 1: 36-holes at Hermitage Golf Course, President’s Reserve (AM) and Generals Retreat (PM)
• Day 2: 18-holes at Gaylord Springs Golf Course
• Day 3: 36-holes at GreyStone Golf Club (AM) and Montgomery Bell Golf Course (PM)
• Day 4: 18-holes at Towhee Club

Total golf price is approximately $500 for six rounds of golf; a very reasonable price for six rounds anywhere, especially on decent golf courses in a tourist destination. To reduce budget, consider cutting Montgomery Bell and General’s Retreat from the 36-hole days. Of course, substitute any of the private clubs in Nashville for Towhee Club, should you get an invitation.

Did I miss anything about Nashville? Please feel free to share below!