The Elite 18: Brainerd’s No. 7 Top Vote Getter

Over the past few years, there has been a full-blown drive across the country to restore golf courses designed by the iconic architect Donald Ross to their original glory. The fact that Chattanooga has a public course laid out by Ross during his prime in Brainerd Golf Course is a rare jewel.

Although there have been two renovations since the course opened in 1926, there still remains plenty of the intrinsic charm that make Ross designs compelling for golfing purists. Hopefully the city’s leaders will recognize the jewel we have in Brainerd and seek to restore the grand dame to her original glory.

No hole best captures the essence of Ross’ handiwork more than No. 7, a short par 4 where the green sits perched on a ridge high above the fairway, a rocky outcropping Ross deemed as “a gravel pit” guarding the hole to the right.

The simple yet classic design of the hole was deemed as the favored choice in The Elite 18 voting, finishing ahead of another memorable entrant in The Honors Course’s seventh hole. Brainerd now joins the list of other winners:

No. 1: WindStone Golf Club

No. 2: McLemore Highlands Course

No. 3: Bear Trace at Harrison Bay

No. 4: Chattanooga Golf and Country Club

No. 5: The Ooltewah Club

No. 6: Black Creek Club

It’s time to advance to hole No. 8. Our panel of local professionals and top amateurs came up with 17 different No. 8 holes nominated among the 25 golf courses in consideration. With distances measured from the back tees, the top nominees are:

Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, par 3, 202 yards: This challenging par 3 is well-protected by bunkers on both sides of the green. Playing at more than 200 yards from the tips, the angled green can be difficult to find with a long-iron. Shots long will find the woods surrounding the back of the green, making birdies on this hole a rare feat.

Black Creek Club, par 4, 392 yards: The fairway bunkering is random and is visually challenging from the tee. The landing area is quite generous, but players must choose direction, shape, and distance to find a good angle for the approach. The square green presents strategic challenges, particularly when pins are in the corners. It is often best to approach the green perpendicular to the square for the best opportunity for birdie.

Chattanooga Golf and Country Club, par 4, 472 yards: With the Tennessee River bordering the hole to the right, this lengthy par four has a pair of bunkers to the left of the fairway that must be circumvented. The approach shot is uphill to a green well-protected by bunkers on both sides. The green has testy undulations that can bring a three-putt into play depending upon the pin location.

Council Fire Club, par 4, 447 yards: Teeing off from a cluster of trees, unseen trouble lurks on both sides of his slight dogleg right hole. A hidden pond beyond the lone bunker guarding the left of the fairway can come into play, and shots pushed to the right can find the thick native grass. The large green has some devilish contours and is well-protected by bunkers.

The Honors Course, par 3, 228 yards: The picturesque par three over water is a thing of beauty, but don’t let the view from the tee lull you into letting your guard down. Any shots left are sure to find a watery grave, and bailing out to the right presents its own challenges. The green is long and slopes away from the center on the right and back, so accuracy is a must.

You can make your preference known at the poll below. Voting will remain open until Saturday at 6 p.m., with the final results revealed on Monday when we introduce the candidates for the Elite 18 Hole No. 9.

Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com