Sweetens Cove Golf Expansion Plans Includes 13-Hole Short Course

BusinessSportsMoneySweetens Cove Golf Expansion Plans Includes 13-Hole Short CourseByErik Matuszewski,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Erik Matuszewski's coverage spans golf businesses, news & destinationsFollow AuthorJun 09, 2026, 12:00am EDTOne of the most unusual properties in the world of destination golf, Sweetens Cove in Tennessee is adding a 13-hole short course that's set to open in 2027.Sweetens CoveThe pilgrimage golf property of Sweetens Cove in Tennessee has unveiled plans for its much-anticipated expansion, with a new 13-hole lighted short course from King Collins Dormer Design set to open next summer. The new routing will connect and overlap with the existing 9-hole layout at Sweetens Cove, providing (and encouraging) the opportunity for creative cross-country play at a public facility where a limited number of guests purchase all-day passes – similar to the operating model at a ski resort – rather than set tee times. “We’re going to work really hard on tying the two courses together so that Sweetens feels more free-flowing and explorative than it already is,” said architect Rob Collins, who teamed with Tad King to rebuild the current nine holes at the property that opened in 2014.Ground was recently broken on the new short course project at Sweetens Cove. Sweetens CoveThe golf course groundbreaking is the core element of the long-planned growth effort at Sweetens Cove, one that will also feature a stay-and-play opportunity with one-bedroom, on-property cabins set to open in 2028. Also to come as part of the ownership’s partnership with Reef Capital – the group behind Black Desert Resort in Utah – are a full-service restaurant and bar (only for those staying on property), a two-acre putting green, a micro-distillery for Sweetens Cove Spirits, a fishing dock near the sixth hole, and a skeet shooting range.MORE FOR YOU“Sweetens will be the ultimate 24-hour golf playground,” says Collins, who...