Courtesy of the club/Dan Reynolds
Courtesy of Dan Reynolds
Courtesy of Dan Reynolds
Courtesy of Dan Reynolds
The Honors Course
Ooltewah, TN • Private
The Honors Course
9603 Lee Hwy
Ooltewah, TN 37363-6825
United States
Overview
Considered radical in the early 1980s because of its acres of tall, native-grass rough, durable zoysiagrass fairways and terrifying greens perched atop bulkheads of rock, today The Honors Course is considered a well-preserved example of Pete Dye’s death-or-glory architecture. Other than reducing the contours in a couple of greens (particularly the 18th) in the late 1990s, and adjusting the bunkering in 2008, Dye left the course alone for most of his career. Georgia architect Bill Bergin created a new practice facility at the club in 2015, and Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner touched everything up again in 2022.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
100 Greatest: Ranked since 1987.
Highest ranking: 21st, 1987-'88.
Previous ranking: 31st.
2025-'26 ranking: 29th.
Best in State: Ranked first in Tennessee since 1987.
2025-'26 ranking (and previous): 1st.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“The Honors Course is one of the most exacting layouts I have ever played. Despite that challenge, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Compared with some other Pete Dye courses, The Honors feels less manufactured and more naturally settled into the land. The mountain backdrop, native grasses and wetlands create a genuinely beautiful setting. Dye provides enough room off many tees, but playing to the wrong side of a fairway can leave a difficult angle into a raised or well-defended green. The course is relentless but generally fair, although Dye frequently demands a specific shot, such as the drive on the long par-4 seventh. Challenge was the highest score I have ever given a course. That difficulty is also reflected in the 7,694-yard distance from the Silver tees. Layout Variety was another major strength. The long seventh bends left around a pond, with the slope of the landing area making it difficult to play safely away from the water. Just two holes later, the short par-4 ninth presents a much different test. The tee shot is partially blind and plays to a broad, low-lying landing area before a precise approach over water. The par 3s also added to the variety. They change in length, direction and setting, requiring a good mix of iron and long-iron shots. Some are framed by trees and natural contours, while others bring water into play, not surprising for a Dye design. The natural setting contributed to my Aesthetics and Character scores. The green complexes were also a major part of the course’s appeal. Their slopes, shelves and guarded edges require precise approaches, along with some imagination on recovery shots. Fun was my lowest score because the course is so exacting, but that does not mean I did not enjoy the round. I admired the course from beginning to end. Overall, the variety of holes, natural setting and quality of Dye’s design made The Honors one of the most complete and memorable courses I have evaluated."
Read More2026
Review
“Wow. If this isn't Pete Dye's best course, I'd like to know what is. The greens and green complexes are some of his best. It is a difficult course to access, but if you are invited, make every effort to go."
Read More2026
Review
“This course features some of Pete Dye's finest green complexes. They are wonderfully fun to play and require a deft touch and a great imagination to play them well."
Read More2025
Review
“Honors is a Dye masterpiece, framed in the beautiful and tranquil woods of the Ooltewah foothills. It’s Dye at his best, challenging the eye of the player constantly, yet furtively providing a fair-albeit-strategic path of play. There is every variety of length, direction, and slope of hole presented, with equally diverse putting surfaces to match. There are a trio of compelling short holes, including one of the most unique “island” green 3-pars in the game. While it presents a stiff test for any player, there is hardly an unfair component to be found on the course."
Read More2025
Review
“A treat any way you look at it. Challenging, even from the correct tees. Greens that will knock your socks off--very undulating and FAST. A lot of fun, with a wide variety of holes, and water ever-present to make sure if you cut a line too close you will pay a heavy price. A lot of fun to try to decipher how Pete is deceiving you on every hole."
Read More2024
Review
“The Honors Course is set in a beautiful and tranquil valley sandwiched between two foothills outside of Chattanooga. The setting provides a beautiful and private amphitheater for golf. I was impressed with both the layout variety and shot options at The Honors Course. The player continually moves through a diverse ecosystem with the first six holes on wooded terrain, the next three lakeside, the following six on more open land, and the final three a combination of lakeside and wooded. Shot options abound here given greens benched on plateaus set at angles to the fairways, large sentinel trees dictating shape on tee shots and a few approach shots as well, and angles around hazards impressive as well."
Read More2024
Review
“The experience lived up to the hype, but unfortunately the course did not. The day we played good iron shots were bouncing off the greens as if they'd hit a cart path, making the greens nearly impossible to hold even with well executed shots. Several of the holes felt repitive - both par 5's on the front were dogleg right playing to an elevated green, then there were the two identical holes that wrap around the lake (albeit different directions). A lot of the courses elements looked overly manufactured and out of place as well, e.g. there are no natural lakes in Tennessee, but 3 on this course. That said, it is still a great test of golf at its core. Be prepared to be humbled by the courses difficulty."
Read More2024
Review
“One of the stronger courses in the southwest Florida region. Excellent layout variety and demanding right from the start. Course is in very good condition considering the amount of play it gets, and it's important to choose the right tees to fit your game. Reasonably wide target areas off the tee but course requires precision on approach shots. Greens are challenging but almost all are fair."
Read More2022
Review
“The recent restoration of The Honors Course by Gil Hanse is outstanding to say the least. Gil did not change an incredible Pete Dye design but just restored it and made it even better. The new Zoysia fairways are superb as are the new Tif Eagle Bermuda greens. The minor changes to the 10th and 11th greens restored them back to an earlier Dye design which improve the holes significantly. The restoration included major foundation work under all fairways and greens which will improve overall conditions for years to come. The Honors was already a superb golf course with great layout variety, shot options and challenge. The new improved conditioning will take this special place to a new level."
Read More2022
Review
“Golf course has gone through a major revision in the last year, adding length and a number of design changes to some of the weaker greens. In particular, #10 and #11 greens have been improved to allow for more challenging pin positions and require precision approaches. Back tees have stretched the course to around 7500 yards so the challenge is obvious. This a course designed for championships and the improvements made have only added to that reputation."
Read More2022
