Lunchball
Sweetens Cove is the architectural equivalent of a punk rock cover of a classical symphony—loud, aggressive, and undeniably brilliant. Architects Rob Collins and Tad King took a dead-flat, flood-prone 9-hole track in the Sequatchie Valley and transformed it into an inland links playground that defies logic. By moving massive amounts of earth to create dramatic internal contours and vast waste bunkers, they created ‘golf in a box,’ proving that strategic density and width can manufacture world-class golf without an ocean view. It is often called ‘The Little Old Course’ for its reliance on ground game, massive double greens, and infinite replayability.
The vibe here is the definition of ‘Lunchball’—unpretentious, communal, and focused entirely on the joy of the shot. The routing allows for cross-country golf and variable loops, while the famous ‘Shed’ serves as the clubhouse where shots of whiskey and course strategy debates happen simultaneously. From the ‘Alps’ third to the ‘Biarritz’ eighth, the course is a museum of templates reimagined with a heavy machinery aesthetic. It is a pilgrimage site that fundamentally changed the conversation about what 9-hole public golf can be in America.
Comparison: 8th (Biarritz)
8th (Biarritz)
The American Biarritz
Yale Golf Course
Architectural Analysis
While Yale's 9th is the titanic standard for American Biarritz holes with its sheer scale and water carry, Sweetens Cove reimagines the template as a ground-game puzzle where the swale is integral to the putting adventure.