Spring Meeting Reflection: The Lessons Sweetens Cove Teaches Us
We’ve all heard about it and we’ve all certainly seen pictures of it, but for those of us who were fortunate enough to make the trip to Sweetens for the annual Spring Meeting in mid-April, we know “it.” “It” obviously being Sweetens Cove, golf’s version of a Smashing Pumpkin’s concert packed into 72 acres in South Pittsburg, Tennessee.
But what is it about Sweetens Cove Golf Club that resonates with so many people? Depending on who you ask, you will always get different answers. All the short grass? The seemingly endless strategy and options that are packed into each hole? The views?
For me, it’s all of the above; but each time I make the trip to Sweetens, I mostly find myself thinking about all the lessons that the place teaches us. Particularly, it’s one lesson that I think each one of us would be better off for learning.
But, first, that begs the question: can you “learn” something from a golf course? In my opinion, the answer is yes! Sweetens can teach us a lot. For example, Sweetens teaches us that a lack of conventional rough doesn’t make things “easier.” More width at Sweetens also teaches us that angles, strategy and variety makes almost every golf hole better … all lessons that I wish more people would learn *cough* USGA *cough*.
But perhaps the most important thing Sweetens teaches us is that golf doesn’t have to be a game played against “par.” I’m sure like many of you, I’ve played the game for the bulk of my life for a score. You also probably play from roughly the same yardage everywhere you go, you mark down every shot, and you always play with 14 clubs. Most of us do! Unfortunately, golf in the US has seemingly been geared for one measurement: your proximity to par. It doesn’t take too long at Sweetens to discover that the course wasn’t built for this conventional measurement. Instead, the course excels at making us get out of our typical routines and play alternative formats: alternate shot, best ball, match play, 5-or-7 club matches, and my personal favorite: the 12-person shootout.
What makes our Spring Meeting so fun is that we do exactly that at Sweetens. We pair up, we play alternative formats, and we have fun celebrating the good shots (as well as the bad ones). Inevitably, we are all trying our best to not get ejected by the King-Collins radical green contours out there. Sweetens makes us think outside the box in almost every way. I’m so fortunate that I found a group like NewClub that embraces this approach and tries its best to highlight the aspects and formats of golf that go overlooked by so many.
At its core, golf, after all, was constructed with match play in mind. Sweetens, to me, is a reminder of that not each round we play has to be measured by a score relative to par.
At the end of each golf-year, as the snowflakes start to fly in Illinois, I always try to reflect on the experiences that I had. Looking back, the days that really stick with me are the ones spent playing a match, or alternate shot; basically anything but tired, old stroke-play. Each time I leave Sweetens, I am reminded that golf is a game to be enjoyed in a variety of ways, not in a singular way that so many of us are accustomed to. Think about how much more we would enjoy the game if we made a conscious decision to play 10%, 20%, even 50% more of our rounds in a different format. How much more interesting and fun could we make the game if we introduced variety into our rounds?
Sweetens means a lot of things to a lot of people. To me, Sweetens is a simple reminder that it’s okay to play golf outside of your normal comfort zone and okay to enjoy the game in different ways. Next time you head out to play—even at regular course with your regular group—make a conscious decision to play something other than normal stroke-play; play from a different set of tees, pair up or play skins, or play with a half-set of clubs. I am certain you’ll find more enjoyment out there, and a new way to enjoy the game.
Andrew Canfield is a lifelong resident of Oregon, Illinois and a NewClub member since 2019. When not working in finance, he’s scouring the golf landscape for architecturally interesting courses.