Alright folks, let me tell you about my trek out to Gaylord Springs in Nashville, Tennessee. Heard a lot of chatter about this spot being some kinda resort course splendor, but you know me, gotta experience it firsthand to see what’s what.
The Booking Headache
First thing first: tried to book online like any normal human. Their website? Felt like wrestling a greased pig. Slower than molasses in January. Tried picking a time, hit submit, nothing. Tried again… nope. Ended up swallowing my pride and calling the pro shop directly. Guy on the phone sounded half-asleep, but we finally nailed down a tee time for early Tuesday morning. Cost more than I like admitting too. Deep breath.
Morning Rush & Reality Check
Woke up at the crack of dawn feeling hopeful. Loaded the clubs, grabbed a sad gas station coffee. Driving up, gotta say, the entrance looked sharp – big fancy lodge vibes, nice landscaping. But then I saw the crowd. Parking lot was already filling up fast for a weekday. Met my buddy Tim at the bag drop. Kid took our clubs looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. First impression? Big place, lotsa hustle.
Hitting the First Few
- Starter waved us on. Hole 1 looked wide open, beautiful. Felt good.
- Smashed a driver… right into the left rough. Classic. Course felt damp, ball just buried.
- Next few holes? Lots of water. Like, a whole lot. Saw a couple balls take a swim. Course is sneaky tough.
The Crowds and Crawl
By hole 5, the backups started. Group ahead? Moved slower than frozen treacle. Waited on every tee box. Looked back – another two groups stacked up behind us. Marshals drove by, gave a halfhearted wave. Didn’t do squat about the pace. Spent more time standing around fiddling with my glove than swinging the damn club. Tim and I just kept shrugging. Whatcha gonna do?
Scenery Saves the Day (Kinda)
Look, gotta be fair. When you weren’t staring at the group ahead’s backsides, the place was gorgeous. Rolling hills, all that Tennessee greenery, the Cumberland River snaking around some holes. Saw a blue heron chilling by one pond. Pretty damn peaceful if you ignored the waiting. Greens rolled true, once you finally got there. Smooth like glass, but fast. Learned the hard way on hole 12 – blew my first putt six feet past the cup. Ouch.
Wrapping Up & Thoughts
Finished 18 hot, tired, and took forever to get our clubs back. Sat at the little grille after. Burger was decent, price tag wasn’t. Honestly? Mixed feelings.
- Beautiful course? For sure.
- Worth the money and hassle? Eh. Tough sell.
- That pace of play? An absolute buzzkill.
Final take? Felt like paying top dollar for a fancy amusement park ride – lotsa waiting in line for a few minutes of thrill. Glad I checked it off the list, but man, won’t be rushing back anytime soon unless someone else is paying.
