Wind River Golf Club

Wind River Golf Club sits in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains near Lenoir City, Tennessee, about thirty miles southwest of Knoxville. The course was designed by Jack Nicklaus with Bob Cupp and opened in the late 1990s as part of a residential community overlooking Tellico Lake, a Tennessee Valley Authority reservoir on the Little Tennessee River. The collaboration between Nicklaus and Cupp, who worked together on several projects during this period, brought championship-caliber golf to East Tennessee's growing resort and retirement corridor. The routing takes advantage of rolling terrain with elevation changes that provide views across the lake and toward the Smoky Mountains. The design incorporates natural features common to Nicklaus courses of this era: strategic bunkering, large undulating greens, and water hazards that come into play on several holes. The layout demands accuracy from the tee and rewards thoughtful course management, with risk-reward opportunities balanced against the consequences of aggressive play. Wind River serves as the centerpiece of its residential community and operates as a private club. The course reflects the Nicklaus design philosophy of the period, emphasizing playability for members across different skill levels while maintaining enough challenge and variety to hold interest over repeated rounds. The setting in the Tennessee Valley, with its combination of mountain backdrop and lake frontage, provides a distinctive landscape context that separates the course from flatter layouts elsewhere in the region.