In 2013, I reviewed King’s Creek Golf Club, located in Spring Hill, TN. The two most memorable aspects of the 2005 Arnold Palmer design were the namesake creek and my first (and still only) hole-in-one. Upon returning to the area in 2026, I discovered that King’s Creek, which had closed several years earlier, was re-opened under new ownership and rechristened as the Towhee Club.
Said creek – more like a small river – still runs through the entire layout, influencing play on 13 of the holes. But, to be fair, the new moniker is equally apt, as there were dozens of towhees – lovely little songbirds – flitting amongst the trees, too. Aside from the name change, the new owners, who took over around 6 years ago, redid the greens, resodding them with TifEagle Bermuda, and removed “a bunch” of bunkers from the former collection of 49. Perhaps the most noticeable difference, though, is the brand new, ultra-modern, prairie-style clubhouse and restaurant.
Because the layout, and ever-present, snaking creek, have remained largely the same, however, the past advice to first-time visitors to this 6,783-yard, par-70 course holds: choose your tee boxes wisely. Even from the 5,665-yard white (Member) tees, there is plenty of trouble – and plenty of fun – to be had at Towhee Club.
Playing Towhee Club
So why is it so important to select the proper set of tees for your game? One reason is that the relatively diminutive course yardages tempt players to play farther back than they should. It must be kept in mind, though, that the course is a par 70. There are six par 3s, including four just under or over 200 yards, with the longest stretching to 241 yards from the back tees. If one chooses the tips, the par-5 7th is a monster at 615 yards.
This said, even the “Member” tees bring trouble into play for longer hitting higher handicappers. Also, taking driver off the tee, or even three-wood, often results half-wedges over the omnipresent creek or one of the remaining sand bunkers to greens.
Early in the season, conditions were still spotty, and the new greens were described by several in my group as “crunchy” or “crusty.” Still, they generally rolled true, despite patches on a few that were unplayable due to winter freeze and/or the previous summer’s mold damage. Considering the conditioning issues, the greens fees of around $100 seemed high, to be honest.
Highlight holes include the opener, which is a stout par-4 that requires a long tee shot to the elbow of a dogleg, and a second shot between trees and over that blasted creek to a wide but shallow green. From there, special note should be taken of the aforementioned par-5 7th, with OB all down the left side, and the 430-yard, par-4 11th, which features a pretty tee shot over a small pond, more OB left, and yawning fairway bunkers on the right.
The 15th is arguably Towhee’s “signature” hole. The 195-yard, par-3 is picturesque, with water left, a tee shot over the creek, which you then traverse via a wooden bridge. From there, players with a good round going will need to hang on tight. The par-5 16th and par-4 17th holes are not rated as being very hard, but both tee shots are awkward, with water and trouble on both sides. And the 457-yard, par-4 18th is simply a brute.
Towhee Club: The verdict
Don’t let the relatively short yardage and benign course and slope ratings of Towhee Club fool you. This is an enjoyable layout that plays tougher than the scorecard lets on. Smart, strategic play is rewarded. Thanks to the ever-present creek, even big hitters will have trouble overpowering it, no matter which tees are chosen.
Conditioning was an issue when I visited, but perhaps this could be chalked up to a relatively harsh winter. Still, greens fees felt a bit high – more than double what they were back when the course was named King’s Creek – considering that not much has changed aside from the turf on the greens.
Towhee Club also offers full practice facilities, and the course is perfectly walkable. As mentioned, the most striking upgrade over the original incarnation is the lovely new clubhouse, which frames the 18th green quite nicely and also houses a very good and, by the looks of it, very popular restaurant called Birdsong Social.
Oh, in case you were curious, I did not repeat my 2013 hole-in-one. Sigh…
Midwestern Golf 