By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Buchanan, Tenn.–The Paris Landing State Park Golf Course is celebrating its 50th anniversary Tuesday, June 28, and everyone is invited to the party.
Join them and play a great round of golf at 50 percent off. Cake, punch and light hors d’oeuvres will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
A number of Tennessee state officials will be on hand for the ribbon-cutting at the new Lodge at Paris Landing on Monday afternoon, June 27, and they will be staying overnight at the Lodge to attend the golf course’s anniversary the next day.
The golf course is located on the western shore of Kentucky Lake and the entire course is tree-lined with great views of the lake. Several holes skirt Kentucky Lake, especially Hole #4, which is a downhill 186-yard par 3 with the lake waters providing a scenic backdrop.
Manager Keith Hickman said Hole #4 “is one of the most photographed in the state of Tennessee. It’s just beautiful.”
Hickman has worked at the golf course for 35 years and knows its history like the back of his hand.
The golf course has been an 18-hole golf course from its inception in May of 1972 and “has changed very little over the years, except the volume of golfers who come here has increased significantly over the years,” Hickman said. “We’ve improved three or four holes and rebuilt greens over the years, but the beauty has stayed the same.”
“We started with a bent grass green which is difficult to grow in the South and it gave us trouble most of the time,” Hickman said. “We converted to Champion Ultra Dwarf Bermuda grass in 2016, which has been a huge success for us. It’s much more suited to our location.”
The 300-acre golf course “is a beautiful piece of property” and along with the former Paris Landing Inn and the new Lodge at Paris Landing, it “is a real destination for people”, he said. Especially now with the completion of the new Lodge at Paris Landing, people coming to play golf have a choice of places to stay while here, including the cabins and campgrounds.
Hickman noted the golf course has enhanced tourism for Henry and Stewart Counties and the local area in general.
The facility includes driving range, practice green, carts, snack bar, club rental and Golf Pro Hickman provides lessons in the afternoons. Dwayne Hickman is the golf course groundskeeper.
It was designed by the same consortium that laid out the courses at Montgomery Bell and Pickwick Landing.
Since 1995 Golf Digest has awarded the course the 4 Star Award.