Cherokee Trails Golf Course

Cherokee Trails Golf Course sits in Tahlequah, the capital of the Cherokee Nation in northeastern Oklahoma. Designed by Tripp Davis with Amon Baker, the course reflects a collaboration that brought modern golf architecture to this culturally significant region. Davis, a Texas-based architect known for his work across the Southwest and Plains states, has built a portfolio of daily-fee and resort courses that emphasize playability across different skill levels while respecting natural landforms. The routing at Cherokee Trails works through rolling Oklahoma terrain characteristic of the Ozark foothills, where elevation changes and native vegetation frame the holes. The design incorporates strategic bunkering and green complexes that reward thoughtful course management rather than demanding excessive length. Water features appear on several holes, typical of the region's creek-fed landscape, and the layout generally allows the land's natural movement to dictate hole character rather than imposing heavily manufactured features. As a public facility in Tahlequah, Cherokee Trails serves both local golfers and visitors drawn to the area's historical and cultural attractions. The course operates within the broader context of Cherokee Nation enterprises, which have invested in recreational amenities throughout their jurisdiction. The setting offers views of the surrounding wooded hills and open stretches that define this part of Oklahoma, where the landscape transitions between prairie and forest. The course provides a straightforward golf experience suited to the region's golfing community.