Sevierville, Tennessee is found at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. The Great Smoky Mountains is one of America’s most visited areas. Over ten million visitors come to the National Park each and every year, making it one of the most popular vacation spots in the country! It is popular for many reasons; people come to the National Park and surrounding areas for weddings, family reunions, and other events where people come together to enjoy their lives!
There are plenty of things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You can check out the fishing spots. Just make sure to follow all the rules and regulations that come with this enjoyable activity. If you bring something in, please pack it back out. There is also a variety of wildlife for you to view and enjoy. There's playful river otters that amuse adults and children alike. There is also an abundance of deer, raccoons, foxes, and other animals. Perhaps the most popular animal in the park is the elusive black bear.
Bear Safety
These animals are prominent throughout the park, so make sure you either read up on bear safety or ask an employee or park ranger for information on how to handle these majestic creatures. Just remember: a black bear can live up to fifteen years if untouched by human hand. The moment you start feeding it food, and teaching it to forage for human things, the life expectancy drops to only five to seven years! Help keep these animals alive longer by being careful of what you bring into the park,
especially if you’re camping.
Golfing
One of the most popular things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is to golf! Golfing has been a sport for a long, long time. In fact, there have been variations played since one hundred BC! The variation of the game that people play now, though, clearly originated in Scotland in the fifteenth century! There is a rich history to golfing, and you can learn all about it in the National Park!
If you’re looking for the best place to play a game, look no further than Sevierville! Golfing on the two 18-hole courses at the Golf Club is one of the greatest perks for those who want a beautiful environment and a challenging game. It is offered year round, and has many awesome attractions, special events, and entertainment. This is where the Smoky Mountains fun truly begins!
The National Park
The National Park covers over five hundred thousand acres, spreading across both Tennessee and North Carolina! It is considered one of the largest mountain ranges in the country, and has the most visitors of any of the fifty eight parks in the country. So if you’re looking for some great golf, read on to find out some of the best places to play in Sevierville, Gatlinburg, and Pigeon Forge! Several of the courses available to play at have been honored in national magazines, such as the Golf Digest, and the Southern Living Magazine.
Sevierville Golf Club
The Sevierville Golf Club is a very impressive institute. The original location was called Eagles Landing. However, many years ago, the City of Sevierville (who own the club) decided to expand the city’s golf options to thirty-six holes as well as building a first-class clubhouse with the many amenities and facilities of a high-quality private club. It has very reasonable daily fees, making it affordable for almost anyone!
That’s not even to mention the awesome Sevierville Convention Center, Wilderness Resort, and the indoor/outdoor water park that’s just next door! You can very easily walk out the back door of the popular lodge and across the parking lot to the gorgeous Golf Clubhouse facility. The staff is most efficient and very friendly. Ashly McGaha, PGA is a professional that oversees the entire operation; with an excellent staff and support group to help her!
Featuring two eighteen hole championship courses, the Sevierville Golf Club shows off the beautiful nature of the area. The Highlands wind through full, green forests, over the rolling hills, and past the many fresh mountain ponds. The River course goes straight down the valley, along and across the Little Pigeon River! When they created the two different courses, the designers were able to incorporate some of the original Eagles Landing course. There are seven holes that are part of the Highlands layout, and six holes that are blended into the River Course. Both of these courses are signed and well-marked, but please double check and make certain you are on the right golf hole when you move from one green to the next tee.
The Highland Course
The Highland Course goes through the valley right where the Little Pigeon River is. After the fifth hole, you are going to cross a road through a tunnel to a higher elevation area that begins with the sixth hole into the lush, beautiful forest that sports blooming wildflowers and flowing streams. This makes the play far more enjoyable with the beautiful environment you’ll be golfing in. The course has five sets of tees ranging from 6200 to 4186, playing to a par 70.
The River course lives up to it’s name. It has three holes that are on the islands in the Little Pigeon River. It also offers five sets of tees that range from 7120 to 4967 and plays to a par of 72. Six of these holes are from the previous course and have been integrated very well with the other eleven holes.
High-End Golf Club
For those people who wish to warm up their swing before actually hitting the holes, the Sevierville Golf Club has one of the best driving ranges, putting greens, and short game practice areas. They are some of the best you can find at a high-end golf club! The Club also offers a full service restaurant that has lunch served on a daily basis. There are meeting places both indoors and outdoors. These are meant to accommodate corporate, civic, golfing, and other groups who wish to use the clubhouse for both meetings and tournaments. The Sevierville Golf Club offers people a full-service package so that you can best enjoy whatever vacation brings you to the Great Smoky Mountains.
The Highland and the The River have been golfed on by some of the best golfers in the entire state! They have hosted the following events: the Tennessee State Boys and Girls Junior Championship, the South Atlantic Conference Golf Tournament, and the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate Championship.
Family Acvities
The different golf courses available for your pleasure in Sevier County make the area a true golfing destination; both for amateurs and professionals alike. Even if you don’t play golf, there are still plenty of activities for the entire family to enjoy. Having the water park next door is an attraction for entire families: whether you golf or not, it makes an excellent place to relax! Just a few miles away, you can play at the River Islands Golf Course, Gatlinburg Golf Course (which happens to be located in Pigeon Forge), and the Bent Creek Golf Course.
All of these have gained their own sort of popularity because of publications by the Golf Digest, and the Southern Living Magazine. They have been given honors such as Tennessee’s best public course, one of the best of the fifty courses in the south, and one of Tennessee’s top ten golf courses. It doesn’t matter where you choose to play: you’ll be in good hands.
Sevierville has many attractions to draw people in, and great entertainment. Some of the attractions worth mentioning are the muscle cars, the NASCAR themed go-cart tracks, the warbird aircraft museums, the petting zoos, the underground cave tours, and even interactive mini-golf courses! There are also two music theaters that serve up to six shows a day!
The Rich History of Sevierville
A lot of communities are actually jealous of Sevierville, not only because of the amazing golf courses and the connection to the Great Smoky Mountains, but also because of the rich history of this town. It was founded in 1975. Twas was named for Tennessee’s first governor: John Sevier. It is also home to Dolly Parton! Her statue was sculpted by the local artist, Jim Gary, and placed in front of the county court house.
It is an important icon for the city. In 1896, the courthouse was built for over twenty one thousand dollars! It was designed by the McDonald brothers to showcase the Beaux-Arts classical style. It utilized bricks which were manufactured by the African-American and Sevierville resident, Isaac Dockery. The courthouse was remodeled in 1970, and rises an astonishing one hundred and thirty feet above the surrounding city of Sevierville! It contains a four-sided Seth Thomas clock that’s set into the tower.
Ober Gatlinburg
There are plenty of things in the area to enjoy, even if you don’t golf. If you go to Gatlinburg, you can go up a bit further to Ober Gatlinburg and enjoy all the activities it has to offer. This includes things such as a giant mall, an indoor ice skating rink, plenty of arcade games for all ages, fun rides such as the ski mountain coaster and the aerial tramway, and, of course, ski slopes for people of all skill levels. There is also Oktoberfest in October and November! This has a lot of fun activities such as songs, and face painting, and German themed food and music. There is a great beer garden that is open throughout the day. So you can try out signature beers with your food. On the weekends, you can actually meet members from the different distilleries.
There is also the wildlife encounter which hosts a family of black bears, and several other animals. They are all native to the Great Smoky Mountains. If you come in the winter, you won’t get to see the bears, most likely, as they’ll be hibernating.
Fall Outings
Coming in the fall is an amazing time to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This is when the leaves start to change from a lush green to beautiful reds and golds. You’ll get to see the colors change at high elevations first. Then they'll make their way down the mountains and valleys.
Whether you’re in town to just vacation, or you come to enjoy the awesome golf courses, you might wonder where you’re going to stay. Don’t worry! There are plenty of fun and relaxing places for you to be in. Sevierville itself has over three thousand lodging facilities including campsites. The County can also host up to forty thousand visitors every single night! Whether you stay in Sevierville or Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, there are plenty of options. There are camping sites, chalets, and hotels for starters.
Cabins to Choose From
Then, of course, there are the many cabins that you can choose from! There are some great options for you and your family in regards to lodging. You can hope on the Internet and look up some of the available cabins. Then you can choose the one that suits you! It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for some cheap but comfortable cabins. It doesn't matter whether you want a luxurious one with all the amenities. There are also options for people who wish to have a motorcycle accessible cabin. There's even a cabin that allows them to bring their pets! Don't forget the cabin with a nice, relaxing hot tub!
Nightlife
There is plenty of nightlife in Gatlinburg, and the surrounding areas. This includes a world-class theme park (Dollywood). It also includes restaurants, and high-end name brand outlet shopping. It's all served up with signature Southern charm! There’s no end to the amount of food you can get, entertainment you can get, and shopping you can do! You’ve picked the right spot to vacation by coming to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park!
So if you’re coming to the Mountains, make sure you find the best lodging for you and your family. Then enjoy all the area has to offer. Whether that’s skiing on the slopes, or ice skating in an indoor mall, or golfing at one of the awesome courses, you’re sure to have a great time!