The short answer
No. Nobody has to play golf to live at Tennessee National, a private, gated lake and golf community on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee. Golf is one course among a marina with 140+ boat slips, 22 social clubs, 180+ events a year, a pool, pickleball, tennis and trails. How golf membership works for owners is a question for the club.
Key facts
- Tennessee National has one Greg Norman Signature golf course: 18 holes, 7,393 yards, par 72.
- The full-service marina has 140+ boat slips on Watts Bar Lake.
- Tennessee National has 22 social clubs and 180+ events a year.
- Also inside the gates: a clubhouse with Kendall's restaurant, a pool, a fitness center, pickleball, tennis and walking trails.
- Tennessee National is not age restricted and is about 30 minutes from Knoxville.
- Golf membership questions go to the club.
The question usually comes from the half of the household that does not play. Do you have to golf to live here?
No. You do not.
Tennessee National is a private, gated lake and golf community on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee, about 30 minutes from Knoxville. Golf is in the description. It is not the whole place. Here is what life looks like if the clubs stay in the closet, or if you never buy any.
What is there to do at Tennessee National besides golf?
Plenty, and most of it is on the water or with neighbors.
| If you like | What is here |
|---|---|
| The water | A full-service marina with 140+ boat slips on Watts Bar Lake. Pontoon cruises, kayaks, sunset runs. |
| People | 22 social clubs and 180+ events a year. Trivia, live music, wine tastings, holiday parties. |
| Staying active | A pool, a fitness center, pickleball, tennis and walking trails. |
| A meal out | Kendall's restaurant at the clubhouse. |
| A walk with a view | The lakefront boardwalk in the Marina District. |
The clubs cover wine, books, cycling, tennis and cards, among others. None of those asks for a handicap. The social life page shows how the calendar fills up.
What does the lake offer if you do not golf?
More room than you will ever use. Watts Bar Lake is a TVA reservoir on the Tennessee River, with more than 39,000 acres of water and 722 miles of shoreline. It is freshwater, with no tides and no salt.
You do not need to own a boat to enjoy it. Pontoon cruises, kayaks and sunset runs are part of life on the water here. If you do own a boat, the marina is inside the gates. See marina and lake life for how that works.
What if one of you golfs and one does not?
Then each of you gets your own morning. The golfer has a Greg Norman Signature course: 18 holes, 7,393 yards, par 72. The other has the lake, the courts, the trails or a club meeting. You meet up afterward and compare mornings.
That is the case for a lake and golf community over a golf-only one. Nobody is waiting in the car. The golf page covers the course. If the non-golfer ever wants to try, golf as a couple explains how two people at different levels can share a round.
Do you have to join the golf club to own a home?
That is a question for the club, and it is worth asking before you buy. This post can tell you that nobody will make you play. It cannot tell you the membership terms.
Ask the club four things:
- How does golf membership work for owners?
- Which parts are optional?
- What does each option include?
- Which amenities come with owning a home, and which need a membership? Ask about the pool, the courts, the fitness center and Kendall's by name.
Get the answers in writing and put them next to your other costs. Pricing for homes and homesites is in the info pack.
What does a week without a tee time look like?
Full, if you want it to be. Here is one way it goes.
- A morning on the water. A pontoon cruise, or a kayak before the lake wakes up.
- A game. Pickleball or tennis, then the pool.
- A club. Wine, books, cycling or cards. Pick one and you have a standing date.
- An evening out. Trivia, live music or a wine tasting, depending on the calendar.
- A trip to town. Loudon is about 5 minutes away. Farragut and Turkey Creek shopping are about 20. Knoxville is about 30.
- A walk. The trails, or the boardwalk in the Marina District.
East Tennessee has four seasons and mild winters, so most of that list works most of the year.
Is the golf cart only for golfers?
No. Tennessee National is a golf cart community, and the cart is how plenty of short trips get made inside the gates. It is for a neighbor's porch as much as the first tee. Ask the community which routes are open to carts. Golf cart living at Tennessee National covers what else to ask.
The honest trade-off
This is a golf community, and the course is part of the setting. Some neighbors plan their week around it. You will hear golf talk at dinner. You can join in or let it pass.
If you want no golf anywhere near you, this is the wrong fit, and it is better to know that now. If you want the water first and golf as an option, it fits well.
The way to find out is to spend a day here and skip the course on purpose. Walk the marina and the boardwalk, look at the courts and the trails, and see whether you missed the golf.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to play golf to live at Tennessee National?
No. Nobody has to play golf to live at Tennessee National in Loudon, Tennessee. The community also has a marina with 140+ boat slips on Watts Bar Lake, 22 social clubs, 180+ events a year, a pool, pickleball, tennis and walking trails.
Is golf membership required at Tennessee National?
Golf membership questions go to the club. Before you buy at Tennessee National, ask the club how membership works for owners, which parts are optional and what each option includes. Get the answer in writing.
What can non-golfers do at Tennessee National?
Tennessee National has plenty for non-golfers: pontoon cruises and kayaks on Watts Bar Lake, 22 social clubs, events such as trivia and live music, pickleball, tennis, a pool, walking trails and Kendall's restaurant at the clubhouse. Ask the club which of those come with owning a home and which need a membership.
Is Tennessee National only a golf community?
No. Tennessee National is a private, gated lake and golf community on 1,492 acres on Watts Bar Lake. Golf is one Greg Norman Signature course. The lake, the marina and a calendar of 180+ events a year are the other half of daily life.
Is Tennessee National age restricted?
No. Tennessee National is not age restricted. The community in Loudon, Tennessee is open to buyers of any age, whether or not anyone in the household plays golf.
Facts about Tennessee National come from the community. Lake facts come from TVA. Rules, taxes, loans and insurance change, so confirm anything that affects a purchase with the right office or professional before you buy.