Blackberry Farm Golf Course

The golf course at Blackberry Farm is a nine-hole short layout set within the resort's pastoral 4,200-acre estate in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. The par-29 course features seven par-3s and two par-4s, providing a relaxed yet scenic golfing experience amid the tranquil landscape of Walland, Tennessee.

Blackberry Farm Golf Course is a nine-hole layout on the grounds of Blackberry Farm, a Relais & Châteaux resort on a 4,200-acre estate in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains near Walland, Tennessee. The course is set along the bank of Stevens Creek, which runs through the property, with tree-lined fairways and small, firm greens defining the playing experience. At par 29 from seven par-3 holes and two par-4 holes, measuring 1,544 yards from the men's tees, the course is explicitly designed for recreational play and as a complement to the resort's broad menu of outdoor activities — not as a competitive challenge for low-handicap players, but as an enjoyable experience for resort guests whose primary connection to Blackberry Farm may be through its celebrated food and wine program, fly-fishing, or the Great Smoky Mountains trails that begin near the property. Blackberry Farm opened as a resort in 1941, when Florida and David Lasier converted their country house on West Millers Cove Road into a lodging operation.

The property occupied land in the eastern Tennessee foothills between Maryville and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park boundary, a location that combined mountain access with the agricultural character of the Smoky Mountain foothill region. Over the subsequent decades, the resort grew in scale and reputation, eventually achieving international recognition as one of the premier small resort destinations in the United States — a Relais & Châteaux property known particularly for its farm-to-table cuisine, its wine cellar, and the immersive connection to the Tennessee landscape that its 4,200 acres provide. The golf course, set along Stevens Creek with the forest pressing close on either side, reflects the broader philosophy of the resort: activities integrated into the natural landscape rather than imposed on it. The creek comes into play on multiple holes, and the tree-lined corridors that define the fairways create an intimate playing experience appropriate to a course designed for enjoyment rather than competition.

The Smoky Mountain foothills setting — with the ridgeline of the national park visible from portions of the property — provides a visual context that transforms even a modest nine-hole round into a memorable experience. Walland, where the resort is located, sits at the eastern edge of Blount County in what was historically a farming community servicing the timber and agricultural economy of the Smoky Mountain foothills. The road through Walland leads directly to Townsend, the small community at the foot of the national park often described as the "peaceful side of the Smokies" in contrast to the commercial development at Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Blackberry Farm's position at the boundary between this rural community and the national park landscape gives the golf course a context of rare environmental integrity — no suburban development, no commercial intrusion, just the creek, the forest, and the mountain foothills stretching in every direction.

For resort guests, the nine-hole course provides a focused golf experience that fits naturally into a multi-day stay built around the property's many other offerings. Fly-fishing on the resort's private stream, hiking on trails connecting to the national park, and the farm-to-table dining that has made Blackberry Farm famous on the national culinary scene all compete for the attention of guests who may or may not prioritize golf — and the nine-hole layout, navigable in under two hours, fits comfortably within a day structured around those other pleasures.