What You Need To Know: Bear Trace at Harrison Bay By Brian Weis

What You Need To Know: Bear Trace at Harrison Bay

By Brian Weis

An Insightful Interview With Robin Boyer, Golf Course Manager

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with Robin Boyer who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
Opened in 1999, The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay was designed by Jack Nicklaus and considered to be the best public golf course in the Chattanooga area. This beautiful setting on the Tennessee River offers an amazing layout for the novice as well as low handicap golfer. You are certain to see an abundance of wildlife during your round. This course has very generous landing areas in the fairways and the greens are very receptive for scoring. We have a well stocked selection in the golf shop with men/ladies apparel in addition to hats, visors, gloves and golf balls. This course is home to many corporate and charity outings throughout the year. We have a PGA Member on Staff for professional instruction just in case your golf game could use some assistance. Our friendly staff is ready to assist any of your golfing needs.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
You are certain to enjoy your round of golf at The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay as the scenery is unmatched. Seven (7) of the green surrounds sit on the waters edge. This offers a beautiful setting for your experience. Be sure to have your camera ready.

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
There are no real hidden secrets. What you see is what you get. Each hole is right there in front of you visually so no real surprises.

Any recent changes to the golf course? Or any upcoming changes?
There are no changes planned at this time.

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
Back in 2004 and 2005 The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay was ranked the Number Two (2) golf course in the State of Tennessee. Locals tend to think it should still be in the top five for the State of Tennessee. We would like you to be the judge of that after your round.

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?

We could offer up a number of holes to be the Signature Hole for this course, however Hole #4 has typically been a favorite for our guests. It is a par-3 right on the waters edge, it's an incredible view, camera alert! But we would like to know which was your favorite hole.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?

My favorite hole is number 8, a par-3 that is beautiful yet challenging. This hole is guarded by a very large bunker to the left. Careful not to take on the pin when it is on the left of the green as a par is not guaranteed from this deep bunker. The smart play is just to hit the green and take your chances with a putt.

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?

For the traveling golfer, do you have lodging onsite or partner with any area hotels?
Unfortunately there is no lodging on this park, however there are many hotels that are not far away.

Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
63 is the course record from the back tees that a number of golfers have shot.

Back Tee Stats
Par: 72
Yardage: 7111
Slope: 138
Rating: 73.9

More Information
Bear Trace at Harrison Bay 8919 Harrison Bay Road Harrison, TN, 37341 4233260885
www.tngolftrail.net

More Information »

Revised: 12/20/2022 - Article Viewed 2,924 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.