Memphis

Accommodations:

Hampton Inn

Location:

Northeast Memphis.  Down in the land of cotton, great BBQ and Elvis, you will find some great golf courses.  This area of Southwestern Tennessee and Northern Mississippi, so rich in history, features tracks designed by Donald Ross, Ellis Maples, Chic Adams, Hubert Green, Hale Irwin, George Cobb, D.A. Weibring, Clyde Johnston, Don Cottle, Jr., and a whole lot of great local talent. The Hampton Inn features spacious guest rooms with two queen-sized beds.  With restaurants nearby and a short drive into Memphis, you have the best of all worlds.  Play golf during the day and at night visit Beale Street and the excitement of the city.  The hotel features a swimming pool and passes to the Wimbleton Sportsplex. Double occupancy. Cost includes breakfast, green fees, carts and taxes.

Stonebridge Golf Club
Part of the course’s marketing material utilizes a quote from Golf Digest, “Most enjoyable course to play in Memphis”.  There is some truth in advertising; it is very enjoyable. Located only 15 minutes from downtown, it was designed in 1972 by George Cobb. This housing development course has a variety of terrain to challenge you.  Your round is aided by the GPS system on the cart, but the track is fairly straightforward.  Water comes into play on 8 holes and on the 4^th you’ll experience it twice. The sixth is considered the signature hole.  This 578-yard, par 5 features a slight dogleg fairway with water guarding the left side and requires an approach over water to an elevated green.  Even Tiger Woods would have trouble reaching this one in two.

Big Creek Golf Club
If you play out here often enough, you will realize why the University of Memphis Golf Team plays their home matches here.  It is a great challenge!  Opened in 1976, this mature William F. Mitchell design presents many obstacles … trees, rolling hills, wetlands, outstanding bunkers and water. Especially water; it seems like if comes into play on most holes.  The opening hole is a great starting hole that doglegs left around a lake which borders the hole on the left all the way from 100 yards out, and wraps around the back of the green. The 4th, 6th, 8th and 9th holes involve water bordering hazards, as do the 11th, 13th, 14th, 16th and 18th holes.  The signature hole is #13, a 183-yard par 3 that requires a downhill tee shot over water to the green.

Quail Ridge Golf Club
The newest of the three courses was built in 1993 and has matured well and the houses are not too invasive.  Tree lined fairways, seven lakes and a winding creek give Quail a rustic feel that is unparalleled in the Memphis area public golf market.   I wouldn’t call the terrain hilly, but there are some rolling fairways and some elevation changes.  Pete Dye’s former assistant, designer David Pfaff allowed for the golfer to “warm up” for his round with a fairly open front nine, but narrows it on the back. Let’s hope you’re ready for #7, a 415-yard par 4 that features water on your drive and then dogleg left with water on your approach.  At the turn, get yourself a glass of courage to tackle the tenth, a 456-yard bear of a hole.  With an approach over water, you need to make sure you have a great, long drive. Quail Ridge has Champions Bermuda greens with Bermuda fairways. It is not uncommon to see wildlife at Quail Ridge, including deer, foxes, hawks, ducks and quail.  The Commercial  Appeal readers choice survey  rated it the best public golf course in Memphis in 2006.