Laurel Valley Country Club

Laurel Valley Country Club sits in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains near Townsend, Tennessee, a small gateway community to the national park. Ed Ault designed the course, which opened in the 1990s. Ault, a prolific architect primarily active in the southeastern United States, built numerous courses across Tennessee, Georgia, and the Carolinas during his career, typically working with rolling terrain and incorporating natural water features into his layouts. The course occupies land characteristic of East Tennessee's transition zone between valley floors and mountain slopes. The routing likely takes advantage of elevation changes and wooded corridors, with fairways carved through hardwood and pine forest. Ault's design approach generally emphasized playability for a range of skill levels while using the natural topography to create strategic interest. Water hazards—whether creeks, ponds, or wetlands—appear frequently in his work and likely factor into several holes here. Laurel Valley serves a regional membership drawn from the Knoxville area and seasonal residents attracted to the Smoky Mountains. The club operates in a setting where outdoor recreation and mountain scenery define the local character. Townsend itself markets as the "peaceful side" of the Smokies, less developed than Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge to the east, and the golf course reflects that quieter, more residential atmosphere. The layout provides a mountain golf experience without the extreme elevation changes found at higher-altitude courses in the region.