(Plus Tons Of Scenery)

More than 2,000 zig-zagging road miles later, I can finally say it: I have played every hole of every Tennessee state park system golf course.

That's 189 holes at 11 golf courses (one course has only 9 holes).

And what an adventure it was.

During August and September (with one date in October), I hit the road to check out the state park system golf courses and what I found was mostly a duffer's delight.

Tennessee certainly offers a big variety of styles and designs of golf courses, some tough enough to make Tiger Woods sweat a little and some easy enough to make a once-a-month golfer smile here and there.

The state has park system golf courses scattered throughout the state, but most are in the middle third of the geographic area.

Tennessee certainly has more than its share of scenic golf courses, coupled with nature's delights. Whitetail deer and wild turkey were found on many of the courses. Beautiful lake views abound.

I am 65 and have played golf for some 40 years. I have not updated my official handicap in the last couple of years using the new system, but I play to about a 14. I usually shoot in the 80s, with an occasional foray into the high 70s or low 90s.

Age has cost me some flexibility, and, therefore, some distance off the tee. My drives now range in the 190-230 area. My 5-irons go about 150-160 and I can hit a wedge about 100. That gives you a general idea of my limited ability.

I used to play the blue tees a lot, but now I usually stick to the whites (and I am thinking about possibly moving up to the gold -- senior -- tees in a couple of years).

Thankfully, golf course are providing tees for just about every level of ability, so it's a game you can keep on playing, even in one's latter years.

Tennessee state parks in general are very beautiful. I found Fall Creek Falls to be as pretty and varied as any state park I have ever seen. Also, parks with lodges (and cabins) offer fantastic restaurant buffets at prices under $10. And, greens fees usually run less than $20. All in all, quite a bargain.

Here's a rundown on the Tennessee state park golf courses from my duffer's perspective (slope ratings and pro listings not available at every course):

Cumberland Mountain State Park, Crossville

The thing that stands out about this Bear Trace course is the very tough second cut of rough. It is U. S. Open caliber -- knee-high and very gnarly. It would take a Tiger Woods to get the ball very far down the fairway from this stuff (and even he might sprain a wrist doing it). The course plays 6,900 yards from the tips, 6,405 from the middle and 5,895 from the forward tees. Ladies play it at 5,066. Several sweeping doglegs and tight par 3s. There are several blind landing areas, so an investment in a yardage book might be well worthwhile (especially if you share the cost as a foursome). Water normally comes into play on only 3-4 holes, but one is very interesting: The tough par 3 No.. 16, which can play 212 from the gold, 176 from the blue or 160 from the white (124 women). A keyhole-shaped green about 32 yards deep and about 14 yards wide can be a tough target.The emphasis should be on accuracy on this course, even if you have to go down a club or two to keep the ball in play.

Fall Creek Falls, Pikeville

Caught the course at a bad time, as far as mowing goes. The fairways had apparently gotten out of hand in mid-August and mowing left grass clumps all over the place. It was so moundy you could lose a ball in the fairway. Rough is not a big factor, but if you hit the ball into the trees you have little chance of finding it because of the huge accumulation of year-around leaves. Plays 6,669 from the blues, 6,391 from the whites, 6,051 from the seniors and 4,417 for the women. Scorecard does not have much info and no yardage books are available. On-course yardage is pretty well marked, though. Lots of tree-lined (but usually generally wide) fairways. Practically no water worries. Chances of seeing wild turkeys or deer is fairly good (we saw both). Played it in mid-August (97 degrees, high humidity). Had a fairly consistent round, shooting 84. Pro: Billy Maxwell. Pro shop: 423-881-5706.

Harrison Bay, Harrison (Chattanooga)

Course was in great shape in mid-August. Fairways and greens were immaculate. Course plays a long 7,140 from the gold, 6,558 from the blue, 5,926 from the white and 5,290 from the red (women). Fairways very ample (usually 35-45 yards wide). This course is in the shadow of a couple of TVA nuclear power towers, but is very scenic with several back 9 water holes. The sprinkler system was operated a lot in August, often leaving you hitting to a rather wet fairway. This also left a couple of bunkers in poor shape. Had my A-game going this day, starting out with five straight pars and winding up with a 79 (double-bogeying 18 after hooking a second-shot 160-yard 9-wood into the lake). Slope rating: 132 championship, 125 regular, 116 forward, 123 women. Pro shop: 423-326-0885.

Henry Horton, Chapel Hill

A mostly-flat, nondescript course with very generous fairways and very large greens. The greens were somewhat slow when I played it in September. Rough is not significant, and trees lining the fairways are relatively widely spaced. Tees were in poor shape in September. Water comes into play on only one hole (par 4 fifth). Wide fairways let you keep the ball on the short grass much of the time (I hit 11 fairways), but the huge greens can result in a lot of three-putts (or more). Greens generally have little undulation, but its not rare to find yourself trying to two-putt from about 80 feet. Poor iron play resulted in me hitting only five greens in regulation. The course plays 7,060 yards from the tips (6,604 white, 5,625 ladies). Better signage needed (if you don't know your way around its a chore to get from No. 9 to No. 10). Distance is a premium on this course. If you're fairly long off the tee and can play a decent iron game, you can score here. I struggled at times and wound

Old Stone Fort, Manchester

This is almost an executive course. There are only nine holes, so you go around twice. The course measures only 6,054 from the blue and 5,920 from the white. The seniors tee is 5,316 and the ladie's tee is 5,228. Basically a flat course with lots of dogleg rights (water comes into play a lot down the right side side of many holes, so slicers beware). With short courses comes small greens and Old Stone Fort has a lot of smallish greens. This is basically a 3-wood and short iron course, so if you can control your 7-8-9 irons you could score here. I had an 80. Course manager: Wendell Shelton. Pro shop: 931-723-5075.

Tims Ford, Winchester

Another Bear Trace course, and a very good one. Very scenic, with many holes running along the lakeside. But the lake is always far enough away that it never really comes into play. Despite all the water around the course, water really comes into play only on the par 3 ninth (a relatively short hole of 105 to 170 yards). This course is much like another Bear Trace course, Cumberland Mountain. You can see lots of wildlife here, including deer, turkey and hawks. The fairways are immaculate. The greens are relatively large with moderate undulation. When I played the course in September the greens had just been aerated, so I opted to play the shorter white tees. The course measures 6,764 from the gold, 6,469 from the combo tee, 6,109 from the blue and 5,517 from the white. The ladies play to 4,848. This course has a lot of huge fairway bunkers, many placed to collect tee shots of 200 to 230 yards. The fairways are not very wide in the landing areas and the second cut of rough is thick and so ta

Paris Landing, Buchanan (Paris)

A very tough test of golf, particularly if you are not very good with your middle or approach irons. This course plays at 6,685 from the tips and 6,433 from the regular (white) tees (5,321 ladies). What makes this course more difficult than most is the large number of ridan greens. These are greens that sit on a knoll, with relatively steep dropoffs on 2-3 sides. You can't roll your ball onto these greens. You've got to fly it there, and if you miss on either side, long or short, your ball tends to roll away quite a bit. This also means many times you have to chip to a blind flag -- not very conducive to getting up and down. To top all this off, I caught it right after the greens had been aerated and sanded. Fairways are adequately wide and the rough is moderate. The course is moderately hilly. The view from the elevated tee at the 186/177 par 3 fourth hole, looking down at the green with the lake framed by trees in the background, is very beautiful. I struggled in with an 88 and felt

Pickwick Landing, Pickwick Dam

This course, five miles from the Mississippi border, is probably most noteworthy because of its long par 3s. One measures 200, another 227. And they are not downhill. Not a long course (6,478 blue, 6,284 white, 5,245 seniors, 5,229 ladies), this course for the front 9 has somewhat of a municipal feel about it (rough tees, far too many unrepaired ballmarks on the greens, many unrepaired divots in fairways). The driving range runs parallel to No. 1 and a hardhat sometimes seems appropriate. The back nine is a lot more wooded and offers more interesting holes (including six doglegs). Driving is a premium here (several relatively narrow landing areas), with lots of trees and lots of leaves. If you can work the ball, you have a big advantage. Some nice lake views, but if you catch the wind blowing the wrong way the sulphuric-like smell from a nearby paper plant is not pleasant. Could use better distance markers (some are hung from trees alongside fairways and are sometimes difficult to spot).

Chickasaw, Henderson

Another Bear Trace course, another beautifully manicured layout. Driving is especially a premium here. The course runs a PGA tour-like 7,118 yards from the tips (6,432 blue, 5,965 white, 5,270 ladies). Fairways are for the most part tight, though a few are generous, and the first cut of rough runs about 12-15 yards wide. Greens are generally very large. Lots of trees to deal with and if your second shots are wayward, your score could quickly mount. One of the most distinguishing elements of this course is that several large heavily-weeded gulches guard approaches to several greens. One such gulch has a sign reading "Snake Habitat. Do Not Enter." So much for searching for your ball in that. There are two interesting split fairways on the front nine. The 349-yard par 4 fourth has a high-low fairway that offers an interesting choice (depending on the flag location) of how to play the hole. The 381-yard par 4 seventh offers a somewhat similar choice. The course has some huge and deep bunk

Montgomery Bell, Burns (Dickson)

Caught this one on a very cool, damp morning after the fairways and greens had recently been aerated and the course had just gone through five days of relatively heavy rain. That all adds up to little or no roll on soft fairways. Thus, it played a lot longer that its normal 6,169 blue and 5,939 white (5,560 seniors, 4,9711 ladies). But, the fairways are generous and the greens are big. Which means approach putts are really important. Alas, I had six three-put greens on the way to an 86. Lots of trees to bedevil slicers, but little water problems (in play only on No. 16, a 195-yard par 3 with a pond in front). Several blind shots to greens. A nature-lovers paradise, with deer and turkeys in abundance. No slope rating available (I would estimate 118 blue, 116 white). Pro shop: 615-797-2578.

Warrior's Path, Kingsport

Far and away the hilliest state park golf course in Tennessee. There's not a level hole in the 18 (you could stretch a point to say the par 4, 385-yard 17th is semi-level). Lots of doglegs, lots of uphill and downhill lies. Fast greens. Several large bunkers. Some testy uphill pars (3 of 4 can play to 200 yards or more). The course is 6,601 yards from the blue tees, 6.090 from the whites, 5.527 for seniors and 5,204 for the ladies. The slope rating is 123 blue and 118 white (112 seniors, 117 ladies). Course could use a little better maintenance (found one-half of a broken rake at one sand trap, no rakes at all at another). Not a course to take lightly. I was in seven traps and shot an 86. Pro: Mark Houser. Pro shop: 423-323-4990.

This story was published on 23 May 2002.