Bear Trace at Harrison Bay

The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay is a Jack Nicklaus signature design, the second of five Nicklaus-designed Bear Trace courses commissioned by the state of Tennessee. Opened in 1999, the course sits on a peninsula jutting into Chickamauga Lake in Harrison, Tennessee, 20 minutes north of downtown Chattanooga, with water surrounding the property on three sides. Nicklaus routed the course so that 12 holes touch water while remaining playable for all skill levels. Only hole 14 features a forced carry, a 175-yard par-3 over a finger of Hide Out Slough to the green. The rest of the routing relies on the natural Tennessee hardwood and pine tree lines for strategic defense, with wide fairways and open green-entry angles that reward running approaches. Champion Bermuda greens and 419 Bermuda fairways hold up through the hot Tennessee summer. The 18th finishes alongside Hide Out Slough for a scenic closer. For a Chattanooga-area golf trip, Harrison Bay is the state-park round that pairs with Bear Trace Cumberland Mountain (90 minutes north) for a two-course Tennessee Bear Trace itinerary, both Nicklaus signatures, both at state-park pricing.