Charles “Chuck” Atkins is without doubt a fantastic home builder. Ask anybody and you will hear words like “awesome” or “amazing,” but more often than not you will also hear people say how much they care about him. I think it is because he truly loves people and cares deeply about serving and giving them what they want. He takes pride in making sure every new homeowner is happy. He cares and he serves.
I was once sitting in the office of Dick Coffey at Dixie Kitchen, visiting over coffee. He had to take a call from the field. He listened calmly and then simply said, “Well it doesn’t matter, just do whatever it takes to make it right and to make them happy.” That, folks, is real customer service when the first item on your list is making certain that everything is perfect. And Dick is right there all the time, leading by example. All of his people follow his example. He cares and he serves.
I love going into any of Randy Burleson’s restaurants and watching his people work. They are bright-eyed and attentive, and the quality of the product is great. But what I really love is when I happen to see Randy himself in one of his properties. He is never still, not sitting at the bar, or stuffed away in an office. He is on the floor, setting an example for the people who work for him. Leadership through example—he is a strong and humble man who truly cares about his staff and his patrons. You can tell: he really cares and he happily serves.
While waiting to see Jimmy Murchie of Cella Flooring and Design, I overheard him speaking to one of his customers. He said, “Ma’am, we are here to serve you and want you to be happy. We are going to do whatever it takes to make your floors perfect.” I know from personal experience that he and his team live up to that promise on a regular basis. They happily care and serve.
These are just a few of the people I have the honor to serve as the publisher ofCityview. And that is what we are really here to do: serve our readers and advertisers by sharing the positive stories of our community.
What our voters have chosen is those in the community who care about what they do and about whom they serve. It may sound like a simple concept, but it’s at the heart of what makes someone the very best.
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Arts & CultureSEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2018
Matthew Cummings
Story by Emily Stevens
Glass sculpture artist Matthew Cummings, owner of Pretentious Glass Company, has found that it is much more rewarding to get your art into the hands of many rather than few.
“After drinking a little too much one day, because that’s when all the really good ideas happen, my friends convinced me to start making beer glasses. I didn’t make functional work at the time.”
While working as a glass artist in Louisville, Kentucky, Cummings opened an Etsy shop in December 2012 to sell a few handmade beer glasses—just enough to offset the cost of the studio.
About 7 months later, his shop appeared on the front page of the Huffington Post. Overnight, Cummings went from selling 20 glasses a month to 200 in one night. Cummings and his wife, Stephanie, were interested in moving, and Knoxville seemed like the right market. Pretentious Glass Co. openedhere in 2015.
“I wanted to make something that my friends could have and afford and be able to use every day as a product of my life’s passion. I wanted to make something I could share with more people.”
Pretentious Beer Co. was not in Cummings’ original plan, but his passion for homebrews and creating the glasses to accompany them seemed to go hand in hand. With the help of Master Brewer Will Brady, Pretentious Beer has sixteen rotating craft beers on tap, delicious bar snacks and munchies from OliBea, and guests can be entertained by live glass blowing demos.
Although Cummings has now created thousands of glasses, he doesn’t think of it as a production process. For him, it has become “an active form of meditation.”
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PoliticsSEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2018
The Waiting
Story by George Korda
Done well, the stage is set for a successful start to a political term of office. For the purposes of examination, we’ll focus here on transitions to a chief executive’s office: mayor, governor, or president.
Principal campaign roles generally are campaign manager, finance chairman, political director, and communications director or press secretary. In office, those responsibilities equate to chief of staff; finance director; and communications director, press secretary, or both. Political directors are political appointees with politics as a de facto job except for presidential administrations, which have a political affairs office.
Four things occur during a transition: incoming staff members learn the specifics of what are often difficult jobs, determine when or how they can incorporate the boss’s priorities into their office strategy, decide whom they’ll keep or let go, and jockey for position within the administration.
Transition is the least pressure the senior staff will ever feel. Its members have the benefit of a certain amount of celebrity—their names are in the papers, they are invited to parties, and they have been receiving congratulations from people who will want things from the government or who hope they won’t be fired.
What transition leaders haven’t yet experienced is the day-to-day responsibility of running a government. Elected office, because of politics, inhabits a jungle different from any other landscape. Mistakes and failures wind up in the headlines. Bad is usually more memorable than good. The weaker the transition, the more likely bad will emerge sooner and bigger.
There’s an old political saying, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” That means if you’re not one of the decision makers making decisions, those decisions may well carve you up. That’s why people close to power often jockey for more access and more power.
Nevertheless, a staff is a team. Teams work together, but in high-pressure situations it’s not always true that team members like each other. It’s when personal feelings interfere with the mission that it becomes operationally dangerous.
I’ve worked in and around politics for nearly 40 years. I was once in a situation where I was in need of information from a fellow staff member, information that was kept from me. This person didn’t like me, thinking I had too much influence and access.
In a meeting I said, “On a baseball team the second baseman may hate the first baseman’s guts, but he still throws the ball to first when a runner is coming down the baseline.” It didn’t help.
When you read about disruptions in a political office’s force, it’s usually one of two things: that a person can’t do the job or that an individual’s personality renders him or her incapable of playing well with others. Those are the kinds of things, if possible, that are discovered during the transition, before public departures are necessary. In that respect it’s comparable to baseball’s spring training: does the player have the skills to make the team?
Sean Spicer was a senior communications adviser on Donald Trump’s presidential transition team and became presidential press secretary and communications director when Trump took office.
Shortly after watching Spicer give his first press briefing, in which he disputed the media’s inauguration crowd size estimates, I opined on social media that he wouldn’t last six months in the job. I thought he was wound tighter than a cheap watch spring and out of the box far too combative.
Six months later, almost to the day, Spicer resigned.
But transitions in office are typically upbeat, expectant times, something like the moments in recent years before kickoff of the Tennessee-Alabama football game: optimism is high and nothing bad has happened.
So, here’s to the new folks, and hoping you’ve set your stage well; otherwise, the production may be in for a short run.
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InsightsSEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2018
The Right Representation
Story by Bruce Fox
In selecting a lawyer, the first thing you should do is make sure you are selecting a lawyer whose primary area of practice is in the area of your need. The legal profession does not have clear specialty differentiations, as opposed to physicians for example. For lawyers, it’s a self-designation. A consumer should look at the lawyer’s central focus of their practice to find what they excel at.
If a lawyer’s website lists more than three areas that they practice in, I would be suspicious. You’re looking for a specialist, not a generalist. It would be like going to your family doctor for back surgery. He might be able to get it done, but that’s not really his type of work. It’s the same with lawyers.
How do you determine what area they devote the most time, energy, and money to? What resources are available to you? I believe other lawyers are the best judge of competency in the profession. There are also multiple accredited rating services that give validity to special practice areas.
Law firms receive numerous phone calls a day from people with legal issues across the spectrum. I prefer to take calls and listen to each individual’s story and situation so that I can best assess how to help them. Occasionally, I make referrals to other lawyers who are better equipped for that particular area of practice. I keep a directory so I can quickly give them a couple recommendations. This accomplishes two things: I’ve gotten them to the right person and hopefully created some good will, and I made a recommendation that I feel comfortable with.
When speaking with your potential lawyer, the first question you should ask if your issue falls into their area of normal practice is about what their experience has been with these types of cases. Do they try cases or only settle? It’s important to know that some lawyers never try cases. For example, we have some major television advertisers in the Knoxville market who have never tried a case, yet still regard themselves as being great lawyers. The defense bar views these lawyers as not willing to prepare a case, not willing to try a case, noy willing to even perform the preliminary steps of written discovery and depositions. In my view, they don’t serve the consumer unless the consumer’s only interest is getting a check, no matter how fair the amount may be.
Personally, I never settle cases. I fully prepare to go to trial for a client. For example, I recently tried a case with an insurance company. The case could have been settled for the policy limits of $50,000, but they offered me zero. So we went to trial and the jury awarded my client $315,000. Because we prepared the case, knew who the witnesses were, and brought in a doctor’s testimony, we were successful against State Farm.
Fortunately, I rarely run into incompetence on the defense bar. We have a great defense bar in Knoxville with competent lawyers of multiple firms who know exactly what they’re doing—which is why the insurance companies have hired them. They have been practicing for years and most of them are a pleasure to deal with. One thing we do enjoy in Knoxville is that there is no better place to practice law.
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DepartmentsSEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2018
Snow Tubing
Story by Emily Stevens
Tennesseans, and Knoxvillians specifically, know all too well that winter weather can be unpredictable—a decent snowfall can be rare and a “White Christmas” is almost unimaginable. Luckily, you don’t have to travel to Colorado or West Virginia to get your snow fix for the season. Ober Gatlinburg, which is open year-round, features a multitude of activities including the increasingly popular snow tubing. Starting November 17, people of all ages can feel the wind nip at their nose while sliding down a ten-lane, 400-foot hill on an inflatable tube. The “Magic Carpet” escalator brings you back to the top of the hill for your next run. Ober Gatlinbug also has skiing, an ice skating rink, bumper cars on ice, and many other activities fit for the whole family.
Because winter in the Smokies can also bring a bit of rain, Pigeon Forge Snow has recently opened—featuring indoor, year-round snow tubing slopes. Hailed as America’s first indoor snow park, their snow is made from 100% pure water, and it’s always 60-70 degrees inside. Whether you’re looking to brave the elements or simply get a taste of winter fun, Ober Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Snow are great destinations this season.
Ober Gatlinburg
Opens November 17th
(865) 436-5423
fun@obergatlinburg.com
Pigeon Forge Snow
Indoor year-round snow tubing
(865) 366-1334
pigeonforgesnow@gmail.com
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DepartmentsSEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2018
Spicing Up SoKno
Story by N. Brooks Clark
In the early 1900s, a streetcar line was extended across the Gay Street Bridge and along the waterfront to the planned suburb of Island Home Park. Around that time a Craftsman-style home was built at 1147 Sevier Avenue, just where it bends to the right before the left turn onto Island Home Avenue.
Around 110 years later, South Knoxville residents Zach and Hao Land bought the house, which had most recently housed the Tennessee Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. The Lands took the house down to the studs and left the original wood floors, woodwork, and elegant fireplaces. They renovated it as a restaurant, with tables in the front room, a bar with craft beers on tap in the parlor, and seating for 50 upstairs.
The restaurant takes its name from the nearby Suttree’s Landing Park, named after Cornelius Suttree, the title character in Knoxville author Cormac McCarthy’s novel Suttree.
Zach, a Seymour native and a former Jupiter Entertainment producer, earned his restaurant chops working at LaCosta, LaPerigo, and the Orangery. Hao, a Chattanoogan of Cambodian descent, developed a family style of Cambodian cooking, borrowing from northern and southern Chinese cuisine. They opened in July of 2018.
Landing House has a neighborly feeling that fits nicely into the unpretentious Island Home family atmosphere. The sense of history almost makes diners feel that a trolley (or Cornelius Suttree himself) might come rolling by at any moment. Walk through the foyer and turn left into the beautifully restored bar. With a wide variety of craft beers and unique cocktails, Landing House is a terrific place to meet and catch up with friends.
Waiters are attentive and enthusiastically knowledgeable about the various dishes, their ingredients, and preparation.
Both vegetarians and vegans will find plenty of choices in the small plates, including Fried Vegetable Spring Rolls ($5), with cabbage, onion, carrot, bean vermicelli noodles, and sweet chili sauce. Meat eaters can try the pork version, which were crisp and aromatic.
Don’t miss the delicate tofu skin dumplings, stuffed with pork, bamboo shoots, shiitake, scallions and served over jasmine rice. The vegan Tofu Skin Dumplings ($7) include earthy wood-ear mushrooms and water chestnuts and are very satisfying.
If you love Pho, Hao offers many choices with her classic Cambodian Pho (pronounced “fuh”) of rice noodles in a Superior Broth. It can come with a choice of beef or chicken ($8), or in several combos—1, with beef and meatballs ($10); 2, with chicken and shrimp ($10); 3, with beef and enoki mushrooms ($10); and 4, ($15) with beef, chicken, shrimp and enoki mushrooms. The Vegan Pho ($12) comes with Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli) leaves, tofu, mushrooms, and rice noodles in a vegan broth.
Diners will find lots to choose from including steamed or fried jasmine rice combos—1, with Char sui pork, carrots, onion, tomato, sriracha mayo; 2, with chicken, Gai Lan, shiitake, carrots, and hot honey mustard; 3, with tofu, carrots, zucchini, bamboo shoots, and mustard; and 4, with ribeye, shrimp, shiitake, onions, Gai Lan leaves, and Sriracha Mayo.
There is a Chinese saying that can be loosely translated to, “There is no satisfaction without noodles,” which describes our table favorite: Fresh Knife Cut Noodles ($13) with braised pork, fire-roasted bell-peppers, Baby Bok Choy and XO sauce. The perfectly tender noodles offset a rich and savory pan sauce.
A delightfully light and fresh Rice Vermicelli Salad ($14) is served with beef, carrots, radishes, sesame soy bean sprouts, mint, basil in a lemongrass citrus dressing; The traditional Pork Belly ($20) comes with the “house favorite” Brussels sprouts. Our server said, “I’d work here just for the Brussels sprouts,” and after tasting them, we understood what she meant. Crispy rice balls are a nice accompaniment to the Pan-seared Cod ($18) in caper brown butter and served with ratatouille. Meat-lovers can choose the eight-ounce ribeye ($20).
Zach’s mother, Linda Land, makes the desserts. It will be hard to choose among the Coconut Tapioca topped with mixed berry puree ($6) or the Ginger Almond Cake with Chocolate Ganache ($6). She also makes the ice cream offered in flavors of Jasmine tea, Vietnamese coffee, Lemon Lavender, Coffee, Sweet Corn coconut or Caramel Popcorn.
Prices are reasonable, which makes Landing House a nice regular place for a meal. Happy Hour (Monday evenings and Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday until 6 p.m.) specials feature $1 off drafts, $1 off starters, and a half-price Rice Combo 1.
There is parking on the street and at nearby Suttree’s Landing Park.
1147 Sevier AveKnoxville, TN37920(865) 264-3663
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Dining GuideSEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2018
PIE!
Story by Keith Norris
What’s more American than apple pie? Not much, the old phrase would have you believe. But regardless of whether your choice is apple, cherry, or some rare pie-in-the-sky you could easily find cooling on a your grandmother’s window sill, you’ll be having a slice of a great American tradition. Here, we have five Knoxville bakeries showing off their sweetest, flakiest offerings to make your dessert choice as easy as, well, pie.
Magpies Bakery
“All Butter All The Time!” It’s a fitting slogan for Magpies, reflecting the decadent goodness in their locally-sourced, from-scratch baked goods available at the shop in Happy Holler. Owner Elizabeth Smith and baker Peg Hambright create some delectable pies, like the apple, cherry, and pecan offerings you see here. 846 N. Central St., Knoxville TN 37917
Just down the road in Bearden is the original Buttermilk Sky, where you can find the iconic 1-40: an extremely indulgent homage to southern pecan pie, featuring toasted coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips on top of a traditionalfilling, wrapped in a shortbread crust. Owners Meredith and Scott Layton put the focus on making human connections when they talk about their passion. For them, “pie is representative of home.”
Fountain City icon Litton’s was founded in 1946 as a gas station. Since then, it has grown into a full-service restaurant with attached bakery. In addition to the pecan and key lime pies pictured here, bakery manager Lynda Jones offers a stunning chocolate chess pie and some wonderful bran muffins that, rumor has it, are made from a recipe first found in the Fountain City Methodist cook book 50 years back.
Yes, there really is a Rita! Most of the recipes in the family-owned shop come from the kitchen of Rita Patterson, motherof co-owners and siblings Monica and Michael Patterson. A wide range of cookies, cakes, pies, and pastries are available in the Fountain City shop. Pictured here are the delectable German Chocolate Pecan Pie and an almost impossibly smooth Key Lime Mousse.
You can find a full line of baked goods, from breads to pastries at the Farragut bakery—made by head baker VG! The shop has been going strong for 19 years now. We tried their deep dish Chocolate Cream and Creamy Pumpkin pies. Also creeping into the picture are VG’s lovely little pies, personal versions of their classics. If you see their stall at one of the area farmer’s markets, do not miss a taste of the Kolache, a mouth-watering stuffed savory pastry. You will not regret it.
Appalachian Ballet Company is returning to the Knoxville stage for their 47th performance of the seasonal classicThe Nutcracker. The famed tale tells the story of a young girl named Clara and her nutcracker, which comes to life after the family’s Christmas Eve celebration. In this two-act ballet, the Nutcracker leads an army of toy soldiers into a fierce battle with the Mouse King, and Clara is enchanted by the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Land of Sweets. Under the direction of Amy Morton Vaughn, the ballet features live original music by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, extravagant sets and scenery, and exquisite choreography. The Appalachian Ballet is East Tennessee’s premier classical performing company and resides at the Van Metre School of Dance in Maryville. They perform three programs per year; this year’s season featuresBluejeans Ballet & the Blues,Peter Pan, and The Nutcracker, which will be at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum on December 1st and 2nd. Tickets are available through TicketMaster and start at $29.
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DepartmentsSEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2018
Facebook Manipulation
Story by Cityview
Dear Over It:
The “if you care” card on Facebook is afrequent annoyance to the Knoxonomist, not just because it is a pitiful passive-aggressive plea for attention, but because it is such a crudely obvious pitiful passive-aggressive plea for attention.
Before social media, the average person didn’t have much of a megaphone. Uncle Cletus might drink too much at Thanksgiving and get maudlin, but the whole world didn’t have to witness it. But now Uncle Cletus can with impunity spill his tales of woe to his 1,873 Facebook friends: “The VA treats vets horribly,” he might post. “If you are my friend, you’ll share this, but I already know that many of you will not.” Then inevitably will follow comments offering sympathy, complete with competing tales of woe.
At any rate, what was before kept to the family and close friends is now trumpeted to the world. Now do you not only have to endure the passive aggressive, attention-seeking behavior of those in your own circle, but also you have to endure that behavior from your Facebook friends, most of whom you really don’t know. It’s the equivalent of watching a stranger debase him- or herself in the middle of the mall.
The Knoxonomist’s advice? Ignore these pleas. If a Facebook friend threatens to unfriend you for resisting such manipulation, well, you know, them’s the breaks. The Knoxonomist needs to trim his Facebook friend list anyway, and it is so much easier to get unfriended than to unfriend someone else, which often results in demands for explanation. (Thank God for “unfollow.”) If for some reason, it is important to stay in good graces with a manipulator, then “like” or “comment” on his or her posts that are not pitiful, if there are any. But the Knoxonomist will never respond to a manipulative plea. The Knoxonomist does not encourage poor behavior.
Why are we so annoyed by such crude attention-seeking ploys? The Knoxonomist thinks it’s because we can feel the manipulation working on us despite our understanding that it is manipulation—and that gets muddled up with the embarrassment we feel when people don’t treat themselves with dignity.
Now our Facebook friends want us to honor their birthdays by opening our wallets for their favorite causes. (Merely posting “Happy Birthday” on their pages is no longer enough.) Of course, that opens a Pandora’s box of problems. Because almost nobody can afford to donate every time someone has a birthday; one must pick and choose. This friend makes the cut, but that one doesn’t.
The Knoxonomist is not sure he helped you much, Over It, because the Knoxonomist is over it, too.
The Knoxonomist welcomes your questions—Send your inquiries toTheKnoxonomist@cityviewmag.com.
Dear Knoxonomist: On Facebook, many of my friends make very emotionally manipulative posts. “If you are truly my friend,” they say, “you’ll share my post.” Frankly, I find this tactic an eye-rollingly pathetic plea for attention. How should I deal with such friends? —Over It, Bearden
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JurisprudenceSEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2018
Be of Good Cheer
Story by Gary Wade
During the Protestant Reformation, Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and, in 1534, declared himself as King to be the “supreme leader” of the Church of England. In 1630, during the reign of Charles I, the Puritans, who sought to “purify” the church through obedience to a strict moral code, sailed to America to establish the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
By 1642, England was engaged in Civil War. The Parliament’s Oliver Cromwell, a Puritan, established an army which defeated Charles I’s royalist forces. As “Lord Protector” of England, Cromwell ordered the execution of the King in 1649. In the same year, the Parliament, finding no spiritual basis for the merriment associated with the season, abolished all festivities associated with Christmas. In his The Complaint of Christmas, royalist John Taylor lamented that the celebrations of the nativity were “now extinct and put out of use... as if they had never been.” Whereas before the Civil War, Puritans had tolerated the Christmas season, the rebellion against Charles I hardened their views.
The Pilgrims, even more dissatisfied with the Church of England, chose to separate altogether rather than attempt to reform. Having left for America ten years before the Puritans, they also disapproved of Christmas festivities. As an illustration of their concerns, in Medieval England wealthy landowners opened their doors to the poor during a twelve day Christmas season, gave them food and drink (often too much), and named the poorest of all the “Lord of Misrule.” Both the Pilgrims and the Puritans, which had settled in the New England area, condemned such decadence as dishonorable to the birth of Christ.
In 1659, the Puritans, continuing their quest to reshape England’s church, enacted laws forbidding Christmas celebrations. Violators were fined five shillings. The 1660 restoration of the monarchy by the coronation of Charles II did not lift the ban. In 1686, Royal Governor Edmund Andros bravely sponsored a Christmas Day service in Boston. Fearing backlash by the Puritans, Governor Andros required military escorts as he led Christmas hymns. New Englanders, however, continued their boycott. In 1712, famed religious leader Cotton Mather preached against the revelry of the Christmas season. Those in favor of independence from England associated Christmas celebrations with English rule and, therefore, largely rejected the seasonal festivities. Benjamin Franklin’s endorsement of the Christmas season in Poor Richard’s Almanac did little to persuade detractors. Even after the adoption of the United States Constitution in 1789, the Senate and the House continued to conduct business on December 25. By 1823, however, Clement Clarke Moore’s “Twas the Night Before Christmas” softened opposition. In 1843, Charles Dickens’ publication of “A Christmas Carol” further served to change perceptions. Alabama became the first state to declare Christmas a public holiday.
While most Americans had begun to embrace the Christmas season, schools in New England stayed open on December 25th as late as 1850. In 1856, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow observed, “The old Puritan feeling prevents [Christmas Day] from being a cheerful, hearty holiday; though every year makes it more so.” Even so, it was not until the end of the American Civil War that Congress passed a bill recognizing Christmas as a national holiday. On June 28, 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant’s signature made it official.
One hundred thirteen years later, then Chief Justice Warren Burger, wrote in a Supreme Court opinion that the First Amendment “affirmatively mandates accommodation, not merely tolerance of all religions, and [of importance] forbids hostility toward any.” Thus, all those of any faith may raise a toast of good cheer during this holiday season—without fear of arrest.
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FeatureSEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2018
Sneaky Good
Story by Cityview
Two words describe the golf scene in the Greater Knoxville Area: Sneaky good. Knoxville may never rival Bandon Dunes, Ore., or Pinehurst, N.C., as a trendy golf destination, but zoom the microscope a little more into East Tennessee and you’ll not only find high quality golf courses but history and tradition, as well.
Classics such as Cherokee Country Club and Holston Hills Country Club were founded in 1907 and 1927, respectively, and were both designed by famous course architect Donald Ross. They sandwich the downtown cityscape, and Holston Hills annually ranks among the nation’s top classical courses.
Fox Den Country Club in Farragut has played host to the Web.com Tour’s Knoxville Open for nearly two decades, and the Knoxville stop on the Web.com Tour—the PGA Tour’s proving grounds—is the longest-standing event on the Tour’s schedule, dating back to 1990.
WindRiver, located just Southwest of Knoxville in Lenoir City, and Tennessee National Golf Club in Loudon, are two of the area’s hidden gems and newer tracks. WindRiver can play up to 7,225 yards at its championship tees, and Tennessee National is a Greg Norman design with Open Championship style bunkers.
Tellico Village, Tenn., located some 30 minutes south of Knoxville, showcases three charming yet demanding courses. Its Kahite course even boasts a par-6 hole. Oak Ridge Country Club played a role in the development of three-time PGA Tour winner Scott Stallings.
Three Ridges in North Knoxville, Avalon in Lenoir City, Sevierville Golf Club, River Islands in Kodak, Egwani Farms in Louisville, and Willow Creek in Farragut are well known for attracting golfers for their consistent quality, layouts, and reputations.
And for the budget-conscious golfer who wants to enjoy the casual round, Dead Horse Lake, Knoxville Municipal, and Whittle Springs have soundly invested in their courses over the last decade and have reaped the benefits.
Williams Creek, Concord Park, and Beverly Park offer amazing par-3 courses. Fairways and Greens Practice Center welcomes golfers of all skill levels to learn or hone the golf swing.
And rumor has it that TopGolf may be coming to town.
Regardless, once its all added up, Knoxville has a sneaky good golf scene, with courses on par with some of the best in the region.
Sweet Emotions
Zac Blair, a diminutive PGA Tour player with a refined palette for golf course architecture, finished his third-round 71 on May 12 at the Knoxville Open and promptly departed from Fox Den Country Club—and Knoxville.
Sure, the 28-year-old wasn’t ecstatic about his score, but he didn’t withdraw from the tournament. He simply had an afternoon tee time at Sweetens Cove that he did not want to miss.
“It’s a must play for me any time I’m in the neighborhood,” Blair tweeted that afternoon.
A 130-mile drive isn’t exactly “in the neighborhood.” But to those who know Sweetens Cove’s story and who have played its nine holes, a two-hour drive might as well be two minutes.
The trip rarely disappoints, and many East Tennessee golfers have made the trek there or are planning one.
From 1951-2011, Sweetens Cove was known as Sequatchie Valley Golf and Country Club, the only course in Marion County and located specifically in South Pittsburg, Tennessee—some 30 miles west of Chattanooga.
It existed essentially in anonymity. Meanwhile, Chattanooga golf boomed with courses like The Honors Course, Black Creek, Council Fire, and Chattanooga Golf and Country Club.
But that all changed in November 2011, when the Chattanooga Times Free Press published an article about how the 60-year-old course located on Sweetens Cove Road would be getting a face-lift and a new name.
Mercy, did it ever. It was almost as if Chip and JoAnna Gaines came and renovated—but without all the shiplap. In this case, though, Chip and JoAnna were architect Rob Collins of King-Collins Golf and contouring specialist Gus Grantham.
And so, a course with little-to-no elevation transformed into a breath-taking, mind-bending topography of golf with elevated tees, knee-high native grasses, expansive waste bunkers, greenside bunkers with wooden-plank faces the height of NBA centers, and greens so massive and undulating that Tony Hawk could skateboard them.
Once it re-opened in 2014, Sweetens Cove quickly built a reputation through word of mouth and social media. By 2017, Golfweek rated Sweetens Cove a Top 100 Modern Golf Course. It’s now No. 50.
Its trials and difficulties during the reconstruction process have been told many times over by golf publications, podcasts, the New York Times, Golf Digest, The Golf Channel, and bloggers galore; Collins was forced to mortgage everything and take over the lease just to finish the project and get the course opened again.
The money ran dry once the course was finished, leaving the property bereft of many of the amenities most golfers come to expect. But the lack of a clubhouse, paved parking lot, bar or grill, and indoor plumbing are all now part of Sweetens Cove’s charm.
It is the Course That Can Do No Wrong.
The blue roadside sign on Highway 72, that alerts your impending right turn for Sequatchie Valley Golf and Country Club, still exists—but with mailbox letters stuck on it that spell Sweetens Cove Golf Club.
And the lone port-o-potty on site, the randomly placed synthetic turf practice green, and the dilapidated red entrance sign to the course enhance the stories told about Sweetens Cove every bit as much as the tales of the 20,000-square-foot green at the par-3 fourth or the roller-coaster of a green at the par-4 eighth.
Two-time Greater Knoxville Amateur champion and reigning East Tennessee Amateur champion Tyler Lane swears by Sweetens Cove. He’s had varying experiences each time there. He was 7 under through 10 holes on his first visit—and hasn’t played under par in the “four or five times” he’s played since his first round.
“That’s the beauty of it,” Lane says. “You’re never playing the same golf course.”
“When you’re thinking about golf,” Lane adds, “there are a lot of things that can be wrapped up into what people think ‘good golf’ is. Sometimes, it’s the clubhouse or the facilities or the aura around it, the history. I think I can fall into that trap, too, when thinking about legendary golf courses.
“But when you step onto this place, when I stepped onto it the first time, I remember thinking there’s none of that. It’s just pure golf—and you get it from the very first tee shot.”
Hayden Echols, the Knoxville regional director of the Tennessee Golf Foundation, was one of 36 players who pooled together some funds to rent the course out for an entire day.
They played 45 holes on June 23, and they won’t be the last golfers to sign up for a marathon round. Sweetens Cove’s locale draws pilgrimages from Nashville, Knoxville, Atlanta, Birmingham and beyond to come see what the buzz is about.
“For us, you hear about the uniqueness of the layout. You hear about the crazy green complexes. And then, obviously, Golfweek had it ranked the 50th best golf course in the U.S. Anytime you have a course rated that high, open to the public, only nine holes—there’s something very special there,” says Echols. “We wanted to go check it out.
“It’s one of those that where it’s unlike anything you’ll ever play. So, in terms of course layout and design, it met and exceeded expectations. I’ll be going back as soon as I possibly can.”
And as for Blair, he’s already planning a return trip. He announced, via Twitter in late July, a two-day gathering at Sweetens Cove on Oct. 19-20 called “The Ringer.”
Visiting in the Fall is imperative; by then, the foliage on the mountains that envelop the property have turned shades of red, brown and gold and they peripherally accent and complement the turning hues of the high grasses around the bunkers and rough.
“If that place got firm
and fast, it would be very difficult. But as far as a cool place to play, that’s probably the best golf day in Tennessee, to be honest,” said three-time PGA Tour winner Scott Stallings of Knoxville. “Play nine holes there, play nine holes at Sewanee (Golf Club), and then drive up and play The Honors (Course).”
Trending Golf CompaniesPhoto by Hobe Brunson
Nowadays, what you wear on the course or the golf accessories you carry matter almost as much as your scores.
Whether it’s trendy ballmarkers to use on the greens or fashion-forward socks and hats, today’s golf shopping extends beyond the walls of the pro shop.
Each year, the annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando is replete with new vendors. Here are a few of the companies trending online and social media.
Tyson Lamb (lambcrafted.com) – If Scotty Cameron is the Michael Jordan of putter design, then Lamb is the Lebron James. The talented clubmaker from Texas has developed a massive following, and his items sell out in a matter of hours online. He’s been featured multiple times on The Golf Channel, and his customizable putters, donut-designed ballmarkers, leather putter covers, and other handcrafted goods demand high dollar.
We Asked the Experts
Golf is a game for all people:short or tall, athletic or non, young or old. All personalities are welcome; the game doesn’t discriminate. But one thing that all golfers have in common is: they all have passionate opinions about the game. Even the most introverted golfer won’t mind intimating his hate for a hole, a brand of ball, or a certain course—be it warranted or not. It’s what makes the game fun to debate and discuss.
We threw a few topics about Knoxville area golf courses at three of the area’s top players: three-time PGA Tour winnerScott Stallings, reigning East Tennessee Amateur championTyler Laneand Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame member and one of the state’s all-time top amateursJeff Golliher.
What’s the toughest par 3 in Knoxville or the surrounding area? The two talked about most seem to be No. 12 at Cherokee Country Club and No. 14 at Holston Hills.
STALLINGS:No. 12 at Cherokee. Nothing comes close. It’s in its own category. Everything else is separate. … There’s nowhere to miss. Right is out-of-bounds. Left is a hazard. And you have a bunker short (of the green). It almost forces you to run it up to the right, if you’re going to try to run it up on the green.
LANE:No. 17 (at The Country Club) in Morristown is very difficult as well, the way it kind of sits on top of a hill and slopes really tough from back to front. It used to be tougher before they put a bunker in, but it’s still a really difficult par 3.
GOLLIHER:I think the hardest has to be 12 at Cherokee. It’s everything. It’s probably 235 yards from the back. Out of bounds just right of the green. Hazard just left of the green. I’m not saying it’s the best hole in Knoxville. I think it would be a great hole at 180 yards. I think it’s too narrow for a hole of that length. When we would play the State Amateur or the U. S. Amateur qualifying there, I laid up. I would lay it up short of the bunker and try to get it up and down (for par). I’d never go for it. So, what kind of par 3 is it when you can’t even go for the green? But it’s by far the hardest hole. It’s not even close.
Is there a course in the area that’s really good that doesn’t get enough credit?
STALLINGS:I like the layout a lot at WindRiver. That’s a place not a lot of people go. It’s off the beaten path a little bit.
LANE:The one that comes to my mind first is WindRiver. From the back tees, WindRiver is a great golf course. It’s challenging. The greens are always in really great shape. It’s a good layout with a lot of variety with slope and contours. It has a really good practice facility. I always look forward to going down to WindRiver. When people ask my top five courses in Knoxville, it’s usually right there.
GOLLIHER:(The Country Club in) Morristown is one of the most underrated golf courses in this area. It was done by a pretty famous designer that you’ve never heard of. I think Morristown has a lot of good golf holes on it. I think it’s fair. I think it separates the field as good or better than any course around.
East Tennessee has its fair share of crazy holes. Some with large elevation drops or rises. What’s the craziest hole in this area?
STALLINGS:No. 11 at Egwani. Without question. Nothing else comes close to that.
LANE:I’d probably say No. 7 at Whittle Springs. It’s not any more odd than 11 at Egwani. But once you get on top of the hill at (No. 11 on) Egwani, it’s a pretty cool hole, off the cliff there. It’s just an awkward tee shot. But on 7 (at Whittle), you can hit all kinds of shots to get down to the bottom (and around the corner of the 90-degree dogleg). I saw a guy hit a cut there one year, and I bet the ball cut 70 yards (to the right), and I’m thinking, ‘He’s just hit a house.’ He picks up the tee like he’s done exactly what he’s tried to do. Sure enough, we get up there and it’s in front of the green.”
GOLLIHER:I think No. 13 at Beaver Brook is awfully weird. You hit like a 6-iron and an 8-iron. It’s a terrible hole. Sevierville has one, maybe No. 12, that goes straight up a hill. That’s pretty bad. Certainly, No. 7 at Whittle Springs. That green needs to be blown up.”Q: What about the par 6 hole at Kahite? GOLLIHER: I think it’s a great golf course, but I would play it as a par 5. It didn’t do much for me when I played it. That’s a really good golf course, but I wasn’t much for the par 6.
When Gatlinburg’s Santa Pat was young, Christmas was very different. There were many small independent Christmas shops, specialty stores, and year-round Christmas shops like his own: Santa’s Claus-et. “Our store here is partly for us because we like Christmas. Mrs. Claus and I, plus the staff that works here, enjoy it year-round. Our visitors come back year after year because they want to experience the feel, the sights, the sounds, the smell of Christmas that big box has trouble replicating and that online cannot. For us, it’s not a price point driven industry,” he says. For the last 10 years, Santa Pat has portrayed Santa at his shop and local events, including visits to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.Cityviewgot Santa Pat to take a brief break to talk about his experiences.
Tell me about your decision to be Santa.We believe that Santa picks those that can best portray the spirit of Christmas. We have other people who mentor us such as Santa schools, Santa get-togethers…Santa just wants to make sure that we’re doing the best we can to enhance the Christmas experience.
What is like being Santa and having this store 365 days a year?I explain to the children that Santa is here on vacation and that I like to vacation in this area because children visit from all over the world, We have a process. We like to chat and talk about what makes someone naughty or nice, and who decides that. By the way, it’s not me or your parents, it’s you!
Each year we also do a Christmas ornament for each child. I tell children to take it home, hang it up, and whenever they see, to remember that you have to be nice to get presents. I tell the older children, when you look at it imagine what it is that you want for Christmas, but also think about what you can do for someone else. And next time I visit with you, I want to know who you did something for.
Does Santa have to keep up with the latest toy trends?Oh yes! For many years, we tried to do it by observation, but technology is now assisting. Sears used to put out a wish book, but it’s gone digital. Amazon recently released their top 20 picks or the holiday season. I’m not sure if that self-fulfilling or if those are really the ones. Everyone wants electronics, but it’s very difficult for the elves to produce that.
Do you wake up every morning in the persona?Of course not, but the persona makes you a better person. I am far more careful about what I’m trying to project because I’m recognized all over town no matter what I’m wearing—even as volunteer in the national park. We try to set a better example, but we’re not perfect.
“A lot of people seem to dislike the holidays because there’s so much to do. Drop something—do something less so that you can enjoy it more.”
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FeatureSEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2018
The Enemy of Good
Story by Keith Norris
By one metric, a best meal might be one you have at a highly-rated restaurant that features a trained chef preparing fresh, East Tennessee ingredients in innovative ways. Or it could be the simple, one-pot family meal you have at home on a November evening: chili with the kids and grandkids, say. In the second instance, the meal is best because it is good, not because it is voted upon. And its goodness isn’t simply a quality of the food but of the experience and the domestic atmosphere of the meal.
In hisPhilosophical Dictionary, the 18th-century writer Voltaire quotes an old Italian proverb: “the best is the enemy of good.” You can get pretty deep with that if you want to, but at its heart is the idea that in the pursuit of an extreme, you can miss what is desirable and has been staring you right in the face. It says that always attempting to be, or get, or achieve, or experience some kind of “best” may keep you from what is good. There is an ironic twist to it, of course, in that what is in front of you and good is often, at the end of the day, the best.
During our Top Chefs event the year before last, I asked each of the chefs about a favorite meal. They each answered with a dish that was “good” and evoked time with family and friends, not with a “best” they could buy.
Voltaire gets a little more involved with the idea inCandide, what I consider the best satire in Western literature. Voltaire satirizes a dominant philosophy at the time: optimism. It is a philosophical theory that was often reduced to the notion that everything happens for the best because a creator has made the best of all possible worlds. What Voltaire then tells is a tale of evil and disaster and war befalling the main character: hardly the best possible world.
By the end of the tale, the main character has realized that rather than constantly pursue the best, humankind should work to maintain the good. We should stay home and nurture what is simple and pure: “we must,” as he says, “cultivate our garden”—the pursuit of the domestic, the pusuit of the good.
Which is home, and family, and the patter of little feet, and the aroma of a home-cooked meal, and the smell of the hair of one you love, and the sound of your favorite music, and driving down the road with the chilly, late autumn wind whipping in the windows and the great sigh of the sun going down on the brittle brown November landscape, with a cloud of leaves airborne in your rearview mirror, scattered by your passing.
These scenes are heaven. They are ours for the taking. While I can enjoy what is “best,” it is far better to embrace the good things I find with those whom I love.
