The Links At Kahite Golf Club, Vonore, TN

Fun course to play and some interesting holes. The par 6 is fun and not that difficult as long as you keep it in the fairway. There are some short par 4's that a long hitter could go for the green, but would have to be very accurate. If you are playing pin position 2, your shots in need to be very accurate since it is their tournament locations.

In all my years of writing about golf and golf communities, I have never come across anything as impressive as Tellico Village. I know there are communities with more courses, but geographically speaking it has to be one of the largest golf communities in the country.

Tellico Village is nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains on the Tennessee side and encompasses more than 5,000 acres in and around Tellico Lake. There are around 5,000 homes and more than 8,000 people who call Tellico Village home. Tellico Village was created in 1986 when Cooper Communities first broke ground on this master-planned, ungated community. Located about 30 minutes from Knoxville, Tellico Village has three championship golf courses and unlimited resources for boating, fishing, and swimming. There are outstanding medical facilities in the area too, with more than 200 doctors and state-of-the-art medical technologies.

Tellico Village has become one of the premier senior planned retirement communities in the southeast. In addition to golf and boating, Tellico Village offers residents a wide array of recreation facilities and activities. For many residents, golf is the main attraction here. Tellico Village boasts three of the area’s most pristine golf courses: Tanasi, Toqua, and Kahite. All three courses were designed by Ault, Clark & Associates. These three private, championship golf courses have hosted many state and national championship events including the Tennessee Golf Association’s Junior Amateur Qualifier, Women’s and Men’s Senior Amateur Championships, Four-Ball, and Senior Four-Ball Championships as well as the PGA Tour Nationwide Knoxville Open Qualifier. All Tellico Village, when you become a property owner you automatically become a full golf club member with rights and privileges on all three courses. Each clubhouse has a restaurant with a unique menu and taste. These are not your average clubhouse restaurants.

Tellico Village’s 3rd course - the Links at Kahite - opened for play in 2002 and in 2003, the course was nominated to Golf Digest’s list of “Best New Private Courses.” Kahite is a links-style course with some very unusual design characteristics including tall fescue grasses that line some of the fairways. It features Bermuda fairways and Bentgrass greens and can be played anywhere from 7,170 yards to 4,435 yards. The course meanders through a serene, natural setting with several holes offering beautiful panoramic views of the Great Smoky Mountains. There are a couple of things that differentiate Kahite from Tellico’s other two tracks. The first is the number of bunkers, all well placed. There are 93 bunkers in all, with 12 of those being on the 18th hole. Perhaps the most notable characteristic of Kahite is the 808-yard (back tees) par 6 9th hole. Although it’s a long - OK really long – hole, it’s fairly straightforward. If you can keep it in play for four straight shots and hit it straight, you can score well.

Kahite features the Village’s newest driving range facility, practice bunkers, and putting green. The Kahite Clubhouse has great casual dining and an outdoor patio for post-game refreshments.

With three golf courses to keep in pristine condition, you have to imagine things can get rough for those in charge. Chris Sykes, who has served as the Head Golf Course Superintendent at Toqua Golf Club and was recently promoted to Director of Golf has said that their biggest challenge in maintaining all three courses is managing the putting surfaces through the summer season in the transition zone. Chris had the good fortune of working for David Stone at The Honors Course at the beginning of his career, where he formed the foundation for Tellico Village’s ongoing agronomic programs. David Stone is in the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame and won every award imaginable including the USGA Green Section Award.

All things considered, Tellico Village is a great location for active adults who want to concentrate on enjoying their golden years rather than worry about their financial situation.

I played Kahite on Nov 27 2010 during a Thanksgiving visit to Vonore. I'm a senior with a 12.4 H.I. I absolutely enjoyed every aspect of the round. Friendly personnel, grass driving range, quiet electric carts, and an outstanding, well maintained golf course. Generous fairways, many elevation changes, excellent greens, beautiful scenery, and the links style of design (little water, many traps, many mounds) made for an interesting day on the course. Multiple tees allow a full challenge for any level of handicap. Kahite is a terrific value. I will certainly return.

Dennis McCahill