Tellico Village: It’s better at Tellico Village
It’s no secret, living in Tennessee has become increasingly popular over the past few years. Tennessee has become known as a great place to raise a family or retire. Between the low cost of living, the excellent job market, the mild climate, and the culturally rich cities that promise tons of entertainment, people from all over America are moving to The Volunteer State!
For active adults, Tellico Village, located about 30 minutes from Knoxville, is a great place to consider when looking for the best places to live in Tennessee. Nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains along the west shore of 16,000-acre Tellico Lake, Tellico Village is an active adult retirement community and is not age restricted.
Since 1987, Tellico Village has been recognized as the premier destination for active senior living, where its residents enjoy access to scenic waterfront living, world-class golf courses, an array of active-living amenities, and much more.
You won’t find high amenity fees or expensive golf club memberships here. You will find lakefront and golf course homes of all sizes and styles and affordable amenity fees. Tellico Village offers pay-as-you-play packages at the three championship golf courses. A round of golf is under fifty dollars, including the cart.
Tellico Village: A Piece of Heaven
Serenity and warm friendships are a part of everyday life. A seemingly unlimited list of social clubs is available, such as Cruising Club, Art Guild of Tellico Village, Tellico Village Ladies Golf Association 9-Hole League, Mah Jongg, Crafting, Ladies Duplicate Bridge, Friends of the Library, Tellico Community Players, General Federation of Women’s Club Tellico Village, and Footloose in Tellico Line Dancing Club. The Pickleball Club is the fastest-growing organization in the community. In fact, if you can think of a social group, they probably already have it; if not, they will help you start it.
If you ask residents what makes Tellico Village so special, you will hear the same answer over and over…it’s the friendships. People at Tellico Village all act like they have known each other all of their life and have a true sense of community. Always willing to provide a helping hand to each other or to the village.
A prime example is that after the clubhouse at Tanasi burned down, the course was open for play less than 48 hours later. This would not have happened if the villagers hadn’t stepped up and volunteered to help shuttle golf carts twice a day from a mile away. Some of them didn’t even play golf but made this chore an opportunity to get to know one another.
The line from the Cheers television sitcom theme song could have been written about Tellico Village…
Sometimes you want to go, Where everybody knows your name.
And they’re always glad you came.
Tellico Village Golf
With three of the area’s most awesome golf courses, it’s easy to understand why golf is one of the main attractions at Tellico Village. All three courses were designed by Ault, Clark & Associates. These three championship golf courses have hosted many state and national championship events, including the Tennessee Golf Association’s Junior Amateur Qualifier, Women’s and Men’s Senior Amateur Championships, Four-Ball, and Senior Four-Ball Championships, as well as the PGA Tour Nationwide Knoxville Open Qualifier.
The Links at Kahite Golf Club
The Links at Kahite Golf Club is Tellico Village’s newest 18-hole championship course (opened in the fall of 2002) and is a links course with unusual design characteristics. Kahite has scenic views of Tellico Lake and the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. The course meanders through a beautiful natural setting and offers spectacular panoramic views of the Great Smoky Mountains. It has six sets of tees that play from 7,170 yards to 4,435 yards. It features a driving range facility and practice putting green. Kahite’s clubhouse, with its activity center, pool, and tennis courts, has proven popular with the property owners in the Village’s newest neighborhood.
The tall fescue lining some of the fairways provides for outstanding shot framing and plenty of penalty for the wayward drive.
Perhaps the most notable characteristic of Kahite is the 808-yard (back tees) par 6, 9th hole. Although it’s a long – OK, really long – hole, it’s fairly straightforward. If you can keep it in play for four straight shots and hit it straight, you can score well.
Tanasi Golf Club
The Tanasi Golf Club opened in 1996 and was the second of the three courses built in Tellico Village. The 18-hole layout incorporates Tellico Lake to enhance the beauty of the facility and features Crenshaw Bentgrass greens and Bermuda fairways. Tanasi is much different than the other Village courses in its design. It is more open and has much bigger greens.
Two of the holes that bring the lake into play are Numbers 9 and 10, which happen to be the #1 and #2 handicaps. Number 9 is a 369-yard par 4 dogleg left that requires both accuracy and distance control off the tee. Not putting your tee shot in the right place can leave an awkward lie. It’s a three-tiered, downward-sloping fairway so pray for a flat lie! A good drive will leave around a 140-yard approach shot over the lake into a green that is a lot wider than it is deep. It’s one of the most challenging holes on the course.
Number 10 is a 389-yard dogleg left around Tellico Lake. It’s all risk/reward off the tee but to me, the risk greatly outweighs the reward. A tee shot down the right side with a slight draw works well and leaves a mid-iron into a slightly elevated and well-undulated green. Hit two good shots in a row and reap the reward!
Toqua Golf Club
The Toqua Championship Golf Club opened in 1987 and was renovated in 2008. The course features a classic design built into an exquisite natural setting with several holes playing alongside Tellico Lake and others winding through hills and valleys.
Toqua is a beautiful golf course cut through a forest on Tellico Lake. You have everything from tree-lined holes to a links setting on the lake. The genius of the course is that it is playable for all levels of golfers, whether you are a scratch golfer or a beginner. It is a championship-level golf course that approaches 7,000 yards from the tips and can play as short as 4,200 yards from the “play it forward” tees.
Memories of the 14th hole will last a while. It’s fairly short as par 4s go and long-ball hitters will find it drivable. You play your tee shot over a small finger of Tellico Lake, with the lake also making up the left side of the fairway. The green is well-protected with bunkers, so unless you’re going for the green, hit something that will leave you short of them. Hit a good pitch shot and make birdie that way. It’s a fun hole.
The Toqua course offers a driving range, short-game practice area, and practice putting green. Its clubhouse offers the Village’s newest dining location. The 6,800 square-foot clubhouse, which opened in November 2019, features a restaurant done in a sports bar motif. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it is popular for casual dining and provides a spacious veranda for post-play food and refreshments.
The most difficult decision about playing at Tellico is which course you should play. Each has character and challenges that will make you want to play it again.
Final Thoughts on Tellico Village
Playing at Tellico Village is special. Once you’ve experienced life or golf at Tellico, you will start thinking; this really is a place I would like to live. If you decide to move there, you won’t be sorry, and you will have lifelong friends on the first day.
Close to everything, but far enough away from the noise and traffic of city life – that’s Tellico Village. One visit to Tellico Village and you will understand why “It’s better at Tellico Village.”
Tellico Village is a special place…it’s like Heaven on Earth.
I’m ready to go back!
