The short answer
Highlands and Cashiers are mountain towns on a high plateau in western North Carolina, known for cool summers and private clubs. Tennessee National is a private, gated lake and golf community on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee, about 30 minutes from Knoxville. The plateau suits a cool-summer mountain home. Tennessee National suits one home for all four seasons, with a lake, a marina and a city close by.
Key facts
- Highlands and Cashiers are mountain towns in western North Carolina, in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
- Tennessee National is a private, gated lake and golf community on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee.
- Tennessee National has one Greg Norman Signature golf course: 18 holes, 7,393 yards, par 72.
- Tennessee National has a full-service marina with 140+ boat slips on Watts Bar Lake.
- Knoxville is about 30 minutes from Tennessee National. McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) is about 35 minutes.
- Tennessee has no state income tax.
If you have spent summers around Highlands and Cashiers, you know the pull. Cool July air. Mountain golf. A club tradition that goes back a long way.
You also know the trade-offs, because you have driven them. This is a plain look at a different shape of club life: Tennessee National, a lake and golf community in East Tennessee.
What is the main difference?
Highlands and Cashiers are built around altitude, and Tennessee National is built around water.
Highlands and Cashiers sit high in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. Elevation is what you are buying. Summers are cool, the views are long and the towns are small.
Tennessee National sits low, on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee. It is 1,492 gated acres with a Greg Norman Signature golf course, a full-service marina, a clubhouse with Kendall's restaurant, a pool, a fitness center, pickleball, tennis and walking trails. Knoxville is about 30 minutes away.
| What you are comparing | Highlands and Cashiers, North Carolina | Tennessee National |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | A high mountain plateau | A TVA lake in the Tennessee River valley |
| Known for | Cool summers and mountain views | Lake days, golf and a full social calendar |
| Seasons | Ask what stays open in winter | Four seasons, mild winters |
| Golf | Private clubs, each with its own rules. Ask each club | One Greg Norman Signature course inside the gates |
| Water | Mountain lakes, streams and waterfalls | More than 39,000 acres of lake and a marina with 140+ boat slips |
| City and airport | A mountain drive. Time it yourself | Knoxville about 30 minutes, the airport about 35 |
| How you own | Varies by club and neighborhood. Ask each one | Five ways to own, no deadline to build |
| State income tax | Ask a CPA about North Carolina | Tennessee has none |
How do the seasons compare?
The plateau is known for summer and fall, and Tennessee National is lived in all year.
High elevation is why July feels so good in Highlands and Cashiers. The same elevation makes winter a real season. Many people treat the plateau as a summer and fall home and spend winter somewhere else. If that is your plan, it is a feature. Ask which clubs, shops and restaurants stay open in the cold months.
Tennessee National has four seasons with mild winters. The honest flip side is July. Summer on Watts Bar Lake is warm. That is what the boat and the pool are for. Read four seasons at Tennessee National for more.
If you want one home instead of a summer place and a winter place, this section matters more than any amenity.
How does the golf compare?
The plateau offers a choice of private mountain clubs, and Tennessee National offers one course inside the gates.
The Highlands and Cashiers area is known for its private clubs. Each one sets its own membership process, so ask each club how joining works and what it requires.
Tennessee National has one Greg Norman Signature course: 18 holes, 7,393 yards, par 72. It is a golf cart ride from home. It is one course, not a cluster, and it sits beside a lake, not on a mountainside. Membership questions go to the club. See golf.
Ask yourself which you would use more: several clubs you visit now and then, or one course you can reach before breakfast.
What about the water?
Mountain water and lake water are different pleasures. The plateau has mountain lakes, trout streams and waterfalls.
Watts Bar Lake is a big river lake. It is a TVA reservoir on the Tennessee River with more than 39,000 acres of water and 722 miles of shoreline. Locks connect it to the rest of the river system. Tennessee National has a full-service marina with 140+ boat slips. Pontoon cruises, kayaks and sunset runs are part of an ordinary week. See marina and lake life.
How far is a city, an airport and a hospital?
From Tennessee National, Knoxville is about 30 minutes away and McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) is about 35. Knoxville has the university and large hospital systems. Farragut and Turkey Creek shopping are about 20 minutes away. I-75 is about 10 minutes from the gate.
Highlands and Cashiers are reached by mountain roads, and that remoteness is part of their charm. Before you buy there, time the drive to the airport and the hospital you would use, in good weather and bad. Then do the same from Loudon.
What about taxes and how you buy?
Tennessee has no state income tax. How much that matters depends on your income, so ask a CPA to compare North Carolina and Tennessee for you.
Buying is different too. On the plateau, each club and neighborhood has its own prices, rules and process. Ask each one directly.
At Tennessee National there are five ways to own: The Timbers wooded homesites, lake homesites, waterfront homesites, Land & Home packages and townhomes. There is no deadline to build after you buy a homesite. Homes are custom built and go through design review. Pricing is in the info pack.
The honest trade-off
Tennessee National cannot give you a cool mountaintop in July. Highlands and Cashiers can. If mountain summers are the whole point, stay with the mountains.
What Tennessee National gives you is the rest of the year. One home, a lake, a course, 22 social clubs, 180+ events a year and a city about 30 minutes away. You may decide the mountains make a better trip than an address. The Great Smoky Mountains are about an hour from the gate.
Do both drives before you choose. Confirm current details about Highlands and Cashiers with each club, town and county, since memberships, rules and taxes change.
Frequently asked questions
Are Highlands and Cashiers near Tennessee National?
No. Highlands and Cashiers are mountain towns in western North Carolina. Tennessee National is in Loudon, Tennessee, on Watts Bar Lake, about 30 minutes from Knoxville. The two are in different states with mountains between them, so plan separate visits.
Does Tennessee National have cool summers like Highlands and Cashiers?
No. Highlands and Cashiers sit at high elevation and are known for cool summers. Tennessee National sits on Watts Bar Lake in the Tennessee River valley, where summers are warm and winters are mild. Tennessee National is a four-season community.
What golf does Tennessee National have?
Tennessee National has one Greg Norman Signature golf course inside the gates: 18 holes, 7,393 yards, par 72. Golf membership questions go to the club at Tennessee National. Clubs in the Highlands and Cashiers area each set their own membership rules, so ask each club directly.
Can you live at Tennessee National all year?
Yes. Tennessee National is a four-season community with mild winters. Knoxville is about 30 minutes from Tennessee National and McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) is about 35 minutes, so everyday needs and travel stay close in every season.
Does Tennessee have a state income tax?
No. Tennessee has no state income tax. For a buyer comparing Tennessee National with a home in Highlands or Cashiers, North Carolina, the effect depends on residency and income sources, so ask a CPA to compare North Carolina and Tennessee.
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.