I wonder: Do mountain men love Florida golf courses?

Though I’ve lived in both Alaska and throughout the Caribbean, I’ve spent the majority of my life in Florida, so I love it when I leave the flatlands to play golf in the mountains.

It may be that mountain golf is so attractive simply because it’s so different. Florida courses can have a sameness to them, even the best ones: flat and featureless with a ton of water.

But, I think there’s more to it than that. Mountain golf has variety inherently built in: you’re hitting up, you’re hitting down, you’re hitting from all sorts of different lies.

The views, of course, are outstanding. I played seven courses in east Tennessee recently, and every single one of them had great views. More than that, they were a blast to play, even the lesser ones.

By the way, if you want cheap, mountain golf, I couldn’t recommend a better place than east Tennessee, with the Great Smoky Mountains in view practically all the time.

Look for the full reviews on these courses, which include the excellent Patriot Hills and Gatlinburg Municipal Golf Course, coming soon.