thegolfinguy@gmail.com - 3/26/20
Golfers visiting the Crossville, TN area have more courses to choose from than most towns of the same size. After all, Crossville is recognized as The Golf Capital of Tennessee. I think there are 10 courses in the area, with some big-name designers like Ron Garl, Jack Nicklaus, and Joe Lee.

One local layout is the Lake Tansi Golf Course, which has been rated one of the Top 10 courses in Tennessee by Golf Advisor and has played host to the Johnny Majors Invitational as well as the TN Section PGA Team Championship. Recently, readers of the Crossville Chronicle awarded Lake Tansi Golf Course the People’s Choice Award as “The Best Golf Course in Cumberland County.”

Lake Tansi is not exceedingly long, just 6,701 yards from the back (Blue) tees with a course rating of 72.3 and a slope of 131. Most members and guests play the Whites 6,205/70.0/124), while ladies will play the Reds (4,769/67.1/107). In all, Lake Tansi has 5 sets of tees and a length to fit just about any level of golfer.

Lake Tansi Golf Course features modest elevation changes, meticulously maintained fairways, bunkers, and water hazards and lush playing conditions year-round. But the biggest takeaway from the course is the greens; they are well-undulated and quick. Keep the ball in play off the tee, hit some well-placed approach shots and you can score well here. That is as long as your putter is working!

Lake Tansi has several memorable holes starting with the 6th, a 172-yard par 3. Water doesn’t figure into many holes out here, but if you mishit your tee shot here, you can very well find it. Your tee shot is almost all carry to the green and with two bunkers guarding the front, you’re going to need a good shot to get on in regulation. Who says par 3s are easy?

At 526 yards, the par 5 9th hole is a great finishing hole for the front nine. For most golfers, the 9th is a three-shot hole. This long dogleg left is best played with tee shots and layup shots that favor the right side. That will leave the best angle into the green which is slightly elevated and has some great undulation.

The par 4 11th hole is a true risk/reward hole. The safest way to play this hole is to hit a fairway wood or hybrid straight down the fairway off the tee and leave a short, manageable shot into the green. If you feel a little more daring, you can try going straight at the green by hitting over the trees on the right; the green is reachable. Just be sure to avoid the traps that guard the front of the green. Push your tee shot right and you’ll be hitting three off the tee!

Number 13 is a 382-yard par 4 and can play tough from the White tees; at 451 yards from the back tees, it plays more like a par 5 for the average golfer. Either way, it’s a long dogleg left and takes a good poke off the tee just to get to the turn. Pull your tee shot left and long and you could easily find the bunker that guards the corner. A well-struck tee shot will leave a mid to long iron into a small green that is virtually unguarded but can be tough to hold. Par is a great score here.

The last two holes at Lake Tansi Golf Course are perhaps the strongest. Number 17 is a challenging 400-yard par 4 with a lake guarding the front of the green. There’s plenty of room to hit driver off the tee. A good drive will still leave a mid-iron into a relatively small green with a bunker front right. Play it a couple of times and it’s easy to see why Number 17 is handicapped the hardest on this side.

The finishing hole at Lake Tansi Golf Course is a daunting 541-yard par 5 dogleg left. For many players, it will take well-struck shots just to reach the dogleg. Once again, the hole is best played down the right half of the fairway, leaving a manageable shot into the green. Playing down the right also takes the pond on the left out of play however if you pull your approach shot left, you may find the wet stuff. Make par or better and consider your round a success.

After your round be sure and stop by the 19th Hole Restaurant. The 19th Hole can be found in the Lake Tansi Golf Course clubhouse and is a favorite water hole for not only golfers but locals as well. It can be tough to find a table around lunch or dinner time! The 19th hole is open early (6:30 am) for breakfast; they also serve lunch and dinner. For breakfast, the Hungry Golfer special is quite popular and comes with eggs, potatoes or grits, bacon, sausage, ham or corned beef hash, and toast or biscuits and gravy. Lunch features a vast array of sandwiches, burgers, dogs, and tacos. Dinner is served until 7 pm and offers a wide variety of choices, all for $10 including side. Daily specials are available as well.

Need help with your game? Lake Tansi’s Head PGA Golf Professional Gavin Darbyshire can probably help fix your problem. He’s been a Class “A” Professional for over 23 years and a proud recipient of the PGA Standard of Excellence Award. Gavin has been certified by Titleist through the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) and as a club-fitter. Gavin is passionate about helping others and has a gift for teaching the game of golf. Whether you’re a beginner, junior or seasoned player, Gavin will help by simplifying the process and make it fun and enjoyable along the way.

Stay and Play packages are a big part of what Lake Tansi has to offer golfers, especially those traveling from out of state. Although there are several condos that line the fairways of the first and second hole, what has become popular with golfers are the beautiful lakefront cottages. Each cottage has 2 bedrooms with double beds in each room and sleeps 4 people comfortably. These cottages feature modern appliances, hardwood floors, and flat-screen televisions. The beautiful 550-acre Lake Tansi is literally steps out the back door. The club can accommodate up to 68 overnight guests at a time.

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