OOLTEWAH, TN — When Jack Lupton picked the name of The Honors Course, he did so with the goal of always honoring amateur golf.
Lupton, who owned and then sold the world’s largest Coca-Cola bottling company, was good friends with amateur legend Bobby Jones, Clifford Roberts and himself an Augusta National member. Lupton saw how passionately Augusta National celebrated the game's amateurs, and he wanted to replicate that near his home in Chattanooga. When he and four other business leaders got together in 1980 with the goal of constructing a championship golf course in southeast Tennessee, they did so wanting to create a haven for amateur golf.
More than four decades after it opened in 1983, The Honors Course has continued to do just that: champion
amateur golf.
This week, The Honors Course is adding another amateur chapter to its impressive legacy, hosting the 126th U.S. Women's Amateur. It has hosted numerous USGA championships, starting in 1991 with the U.S. Amateur, which will return in 2031, and the Curtis Cup in 1994.
Tiger Woods won an NCAA individual title at The Honors Course in 1996, famously shooting 80 in the final round and being on record as saying it's the hardest course he has ever played. Recent renovations by Gil Hanse have helped strengthen the venue, but the goal has always remained the same: Honor amateur golf.
"That's why it's called The Honors Course," said Henrik Simonsen, who has served as director of golf since 2007. "We're committed to amateur golf. That's what we want to do."
The club’s logo mimics the trophy given to the champion of the Tennessee Amateur. There is also an Honors Circle in front of the modest clubhouse where bronze plaques recognize those who have achieved excellence at the course and in the amateur game. It's all characteristics Lupton, who died in 2010, wanted prominently featured.
Pete Dye was the original architect of The Honors Course, which ranks 23rd among Golfweek's Best Modern Courses in the U.S. The property, sheltered on all four sides by wooded areas, rests next to White Oak Mountain. It was the site of a munitions plant during World War II, and Dye was quoted as saying there were 14 natural green sites on his first visit.
The Honors Course plays fairly open off the tee, but water hazards lurk on several holes, and in typical Pete Dye fashion, it's visually intimidating. The course's natural defense is on and around the greens, where poor shots are penalized while strong ones will be rewarded fittingly.
During the early days of the club, there were numerous discussions about trying to host professional events, but the club didn't budge on its founding principles. Lupton loved the idea of hosting tournaments where fans could roam the fairways, following players closely and feeling as if they were a part of the action.
"We have 400 members, and they're told exactly what they're getting into from the very beginning: We are here to honor amateurs," Simonsen said. "That's who we are. That's what we want to do."
On top of USGA events and a pair of NCAA Championships, the course has served as the venue for numerous Tennessee amateur tournaments as well as the Southern Amateur, a Arnold Palmer Cup and more.
The top female amateurs in the world are taking on The Honors Course for the first time this week and the champion will instantly gain legend status at the club. There's a chance they could even get a bronze plaque of their own in the Honors Circle.
But now and in the future, The Honors Course remains committed to providing the best experience for amateur golf.
"We want to, and I hope that we show this week what we can do," Simonsen said. "We love hosting national championships."
And if the past is any indication, the future of amateur golf at The Honors Course is as bright as it was in 1983.
Cameron Jourdan is an assistant editor of Golfweek, covering college and amateur golf, the PGA Tour and plenty more. Follow Cameron on X/Twitter (@Cam_Jourdan) or Instagram (@GolfweekJourdan).
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Built to honor amateur golf, The Honors Course has stayed true to its roots
