The Highlands

• Format: 18 holes; par 70; 6,200 yards from the longest set; six par 3s.
• Course character: Rolling hills, mountain streams, freshwater ponds, tree-lined fairways and elevation changes. Five tee sets are available.
• Access: Public daily-fee course with its own booking link.
• Current price: No dependable static public rate was found. Pricing varies by season, course and day; use the live booking page or call the golf shop.
• Facility amenities: Shared full practice operation with range, putting and chipping areas; rentals; golf shop; Mulligan’s restaurant and beverages.
• Policies: Maximum group is four; expected pace is 4:20 and monitored; every player needs clubs; proper golf attire required; outside food and alcohol prohibited.
• Maintenance: The city currently lists fall aeration for both courses on August 24–25, 2026, using a direct method with small holes/no core pulls. Reconfirm before publication because schedules can move.
• Contact/location: 1444 Old Knoxville Highway, Sevierville, TN 37862/37866; 865-429-4223. The city’s own pages show conflicting ZIP codes, so use the booking confirmation for navigation.

GolfPass shows 4.1/5 from 178 Highlands-specific reviews. The broader Sevierville facility signal on 18Birdies is 4.5/5 from 584 reviews, with conditions 4.4 and value 4.2. Current facility-level reviews describe hard golf and fast greens; do not assign that aggregate entirely to Highlands.

Highlands is the shorter Sevierville option, but six par 3s, hills, streams and tight tree lines keep “shorter” from becoming “easy.” This looks like the better choice when the group wants mountain-style shotmaking without signing up for the River’s 7,120-yard water-heavy examination.

It also has a practical buddy-trip advantage: the front side supports nine-hole play, and the shared clubhouse gives everybody somewhere to settle the bets afterward. Just do not show up expecting to turn five guys into one group—the course is very clear about that.

Our Call: WORTH THE DRIVE and a GOOD BUDDY-TRIP STOP. Pick Highlands for variety, elevation and a shorter card that still fights back.

• Smoky Mountain trips and mixed-handicap foursomes
• Players who like par 3s, elevation and tighter target golf
• Groups wanting a nine-hole option or pairing both Sevierville courses

Check the live rate, aeration, tournament closures, cart/walking rules, food hours and the ZIP/address on the reservation. Respect the four-player maximum and outside-alcohol rule.