Photo credit: USGA
In the heart of Tennessee’s rolling countryside,
The Honors Course stands as a monument to amateur golf — a place where the traditions of the game are preserved with reverence and where the purest form of competition unfolds against a backdrop of architectural brilliance. Designed by
Pete Dye, refined by
Gil Hanse, and home to the prestigious
Lupton Invitational, it is a course that honors the past while remaining firmly in the present.
A Vision Rooted in Purity
When Jack Lupton envisioned The Honors Course in the late 1970s, his ambition was not simply to build another club. He sought to create a sanctuary for amateur golf, removed from the distractions of country club life. No pool. No tennis courts. Just golf — serious, world-class golf.
Photo credit: USGA
Dye was given over 400 acres of untouched land — a rarity in modern golf development — and his resulting design was equal parts artistry and challenge. Wild native grasses, dramatic angles, and strategic deception define the course. It opened in 1983 and was quickly heralded as one of the finest pure golf experiences in the country.
But The Honors Course was not built to chase headlines. Its mission was, and still is, to serve the amateur. Its logo is the outline of the Tennessee Amateur Championship trophy. Its clubhouse is an understated Tennessee farmhouse. And its competitive calendar revolves around USGA championships and elite amateur tournaments — none more symbolic than the John T. Lupton Memorial Invitational.
The Lupton Memorial: A Living Legacy
Each May, many of the nation’s top mid-amateurs and seniors descend upon The Honors Course for the Lupton Memorial, a tournament named in honor of the club’s founder. The event embodies everything The Honors stands for: fierce but respectful competition, intimate camaraderie, and the pursuit of excellence by golfers who compete for love of the game, not prize money.
At the 2024 Lupton Invitational, Ben Reeves, a 31-year-old Knoxville native and radiology resident, stormed back from six shots behind to capture the Mid-Am title in a playoff over Mississippi’s Brett Patterson. It was Reeves’ first Lupton appearance.
“To be able to accomplish this with one of my best buddies is amazing,” Reeves said, referring to his caddie and friend, Brooks Sandlin. “This place… it demands your best, but it gives so much back if you respect it.”
In the Senior division, Jack Larkin of Atlanta captured the title — his first — without even realizing he had won until his playing partners congratulated him. “This course is a grind. It’s not just about talent, it’s about perseverance,” Larkin said.
Gil Hanse and the Pressure of Greatness
In 2020, a devastating tornado swept through The Honors Course, toppling hundreds of trees. It marked a turning point — and a moment of decision. Enter Gil Hanse, one of the modern era’s most trusted golf architects, known for his reverent approach to classic restorations.
This wasn’t just another project. Pete Dye had passed away on January 9, 2020. Hanse’s restoration began shortly after and concluded in 2022. The emotional proximity to Dye’s passing added a layer of gravity to the work.
“There’s a different weight when you’re touching the work of someone who’s still so present in people’s minds,” Hanse said. “You’re not just editing design; you’re honoring a memory, a voice.”
Hanse’s updates were thoughtful yet minimal: restoring the 10th and 11th greens to their original shape, repositioning bunkers for modern play, exposing creeks on the 18th, and introducing Zeon Zoysia fairways for peak playability. His aim was simple:
“Our goal with any restoration is to make it look like we were never there.”
It’s no surprise Hanse approached the work with such delicacy — he’s long admired Dye’s mind, even while holding a critical eye on some of his more flamboyant visual choices.
“Pete Dye is the best of the modern architects. The fact I can dislike the visual aspect while liking a design such as TPC Sawgrass says a lot for the strategic aspects.”
The 2024 U.S. Senior Amateur served as proof. Only four players broke par. The course, even with modern touches, remained pure Pete Dye — demanding, strategic, and visually intimidating.
Photo credit: USGA
The Honors Course: Still the Gold Standard
From the 1991 U.S. Amateur to the upcoming 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur and 2031 U.S. Amateur, The Honors Course continues to be a chosen stage for the game’s most prestigious amateur championships.
But what truly sets it apart is its soul. Golfers speak of it with reverence. One competitor said it best: “If you could imagine the one golf course you want to play in your eternity, I believe this would be it.”
Thanks to the foresight of Lupton, the genius of Dye, and the humility of Hanse, The Honors Course remains a timeless challenge — and amateur golf’s beating heart.