Northeast Shelby County Offers Great Courses
In the flat West Tennessee landscape, Quail Ridge Golf Course stands out for its rolling terrain.
“The builders just picked a great piece of land,” says Brian Alexander, Quail Ridge’s general manager. “Most golf courses in this area are really flat, but here you’ve got a lot of undulations. In fact, the driving range here is the second-highest point in Shelby County.”
Opened in 1994, Quail Ridge Golf Course is a semi-private club that offers membership benefits but is also open to the public. The par-70 championship course offers more than 6,600 yards of play and full amenities. Players can pick up supplies at the fully stocked golf shop, eat at the grill or hone their game on the practice putting green and driving/chipping range.
In 2006, local residents voted Quail Ridge the best public golf club in the Memphis metropolitan area – a well-deserved honor, in Alexander’s opinion.
“From a public golf course perspective, I don’t think there’s anybody in town that can beat our greens for their color, their speed - the whole package,” he says.
The course is also noteworthy for its playability.
“We’re there for all types,” Alexander says. “The way the course is set up, it’ll challenge the best player we’ve got, but there’s also plenty of room for the person who’s just an occasional or beginning player.”
Even spectators can find something to enjoy at Quail Ridge: The club hosts a regular rotation of tournaments, including the popular Bubba Conlee National Junior Golf Tournament each June.
“We had more than 160 participants last year,” Alexander says. “It’s a great tournament, a lot of fun to watch and a great opportunity for the young players.”
In 2009, the Bartlett area will also host the Southern Amateur Golf Championship. The tournament will take place at Cordova’s Colonial Country Club, a private facility offering 36 holes of championship golf. Opened in 1913, Colonial sits on 385 acres of land and also offers swim and tennis programs.
Other golfing options include Lakeland’s Stonebridge Golf Club and Millington’s Big Creek Golf Club.
Stonebridge, a par-71 championship course, was named Most Enjoyable Course to Play in Memphis by Golf Digest. It was designed by George Cobb, architect of Augusta National’s famed Par 3 mini-course. Big Creek offers nine holes of golf and was recently rescued from auction by the family of Grammy-winning singer and avid golfer Justin Timberlake, who grew up in Millington.
Whether you come to watch or to play, Alexander says, Bartlett promises a top-notch golf experience.
“Especially in the spring and fall,” he says, “the weather is so mild. It’s just a beautiful time to play.”
