Montgomery Bell Golf Course

Montgomery Bell Golf Course sits in Burns, Tennessee, approximately thirty miles west of Nashville in the rolling countryside of Dickson County. The course takes its name from the nearby Montgomery Bell State Park, which honors the early 19th-century ironmaster who operated furnaces and forges throughout Middle Tennessee. Designed by Gary Roger Baird and opened as a public facility, the course occupies terrain characteristic of the region's transition between the Highland Rim and Central Basin, featuring moderate elevation changes and wooded corridors. The layout works through a landscape of hardwood forests and open meadows, with fairways that move across natural contours rather than dramatic manufactured features. Baird's design emphasizes playability for a range of skill levels while incorporating the property's native topography into the strategic demands. Water features appear on several holes, and the routing takes advantage of elevation shifts to create variety in approach angles and shot requirements. As a public course serving both the Burns area and visitors from Nashville, Montgomery Bell provides accessible golf in a rural setting. The facility operates within the Tennessee state park system's broader recreational offerings, which include camping, hiking, and lake activities. The course reflects the practical design philosophy common to many public layouts from its era, balancing challenge with pace of play and maintenance considerations appropriate to its operational context.