Sweetens Cove Road Show - The Fields Club - Lagrange, GA

Sweetens Cove, which has garnered a mass following for their different approach to golf, knows how to host an event! Come and play all day, have fun, play in large groups, meet new friends and enjoy the spirit of the game. Respect the course. Located in South Pittsburgh, TN, Sweeten’s Cove has become a desired destination for all the like minded golfers who enjoy golf beyond just making a score. I have not had the chance to play there yet, but I did stop by The Shed and walk the property as we passed through the area after playing at The Course at Sewanee. 

This past winter/spring was a particularly tough one for Sweeten’s Cove where there was a string of sub freezing days which ultimately kill many of the greens and other portions of grassed areas. The course would not be in proper condition for the summer season as a re-grassing project was undertaken to restore course conditions. Matt Adamski, the general manager at Sweeten’s had the idea to bring the Sweeten’s Cove experience on the road to courses that shared a similar ethos to that of Sweetens. 

One of the courses on the Sweetens Cove Road Show tour was The Fields Golf Club in Lagrange, GA. It just so happened that we were scheduled to be in Auburn, AL for the weekend following my trip to Montana, so it worked out nicely to fly into Atlanta and take the short drive from Atlanta to Lagrange to experience Sweetens Cove on the road, at The Fields Club. The event was on a Friday, and Lagragnge is on the way to Auburn from Atlanta. The coordination could not have been more convenient! 

Now owned by the original course architect and his son, The Fields embraces a family atmosphere and is loaded with and passion. Mike Young, the father of Ashley Young, served as the course architect which was his first design project in the 80’s. The duo had the chance to purchase the course several years ago and have worked hard to improve the conditions and experience as an affordable daily rate course. Ashley wears many hats in the day to day operations from greenskeeper to general manager. He can be seen making daily improvements with his sidekick, Ace, who is a very lovable Golden Retriever. As you all know, we love a combination of dogs and golf! 

The Fields Golf Club new logo features a mule with a golf club in its mouth, which was the creation of Seth McWhorter of McWhorter Creative. The mule logo pays tribute to the mules that use to plow the land in its past life as a farm, as well as the mules that assisted in the construction of the course. Seth has been behind some of the best new logos in golf like The Tree Farm, Spey Bay, and of course, The Fields Golf Club. The rebrand of The Fields is another example of some of the incremental steps the Young’s have taken to build an incredible experience. Freshly sprigged, a brand new practice putting course was under development, as another example of the passion and effort the Young’s are providing at The Fields Golf Club.

The Sweetens Cove Road Show event was kicked off as all Sweetens rounds are; with a bourbon toast and some handshakes and introductions to your golf companions, new and old. There were several other guys who traveled solo to the event, so I was paired with them as a team for the tournament. The greens were double pinned. One pin was The Fields Golf Club flag and normal positions, and the other pin was a Sweetens pin that pushed the boundaries a little further in terms of challenge. We played 18 holes in the morning to The Fields Golf Club pins, took a break for lunch and drinks, and then played another 18 holes to the Sweetens pins. There was a team and individual score for each 18 which flighted your team. This made for an action packed day of unique shots, lots of laughs, and more insight to the chicken restaurant industry. Funny enough, the three others guys I was paired with all worked in the food industry. One guy owned several Zaxby’s franchises and the other two guys worked in site selection and construction for Chick-Fil-A. It was fun to hear them compare and contrast trade practices from each restaurant and generally just get to know more about the guys I was paired with. 

The Fields Golf Club relies on natural rain for irrigation of the fairways which provided for firm and fast conditions on a later summer rounds in Georgia. Natural land movement allowed for a lot of roll out paired with the conditions. The greens were in great shape and also played firm. This adds an element of ground game to the round which is always welcomed for an increase in shot variety and playability. The Fields Club is a course that you want to play again soon after your round, and luckily I had the chance to do so with the format of the Road Show event. 

The entry to the event included an awesome gift bag with gear from the event sponsors like Johnnie-O, Slab Cigars, Shooter’s Shoot, Stache Cups, Sweetens Cove Spirits Company and Sweetens themselves. Another one of the gifts was “The Secret Home of Golf” by Jim Hartsell which was a really great book about the creation of Sweetens Cove which almost never was. I love fun merch from the courses I get to play which helps me refine the offerings of Wellington Golf Co. 

All in all, the event provided an awesome day where I was able to meet new friends, experience both The Fields Golf Club as well as some of the magic behind Sweetens Cove, and share the story of Wellington Golf Co. with like-minded golf enthusiasts. 36 holes in the Georgia heat in late August will sufficiently deplete most of your energy, but Hannah can attest to how energized I was as I recounted the day’s events that evening. 

The Road Show went to the following destinations:

Pinehurst in Pinehurst, NC

Tobacco Road in Sanford, NC

The Fields Golf Club in Lagrange, GA

Park Mammoth in Park City, KY

Red Feather in Lubbock, TX