The Masters is on. The azaleas are blooming in Augusta. And if you are anything like us, you have already watched three hours of practice round coverage before lunch. But here is what most golfers do not realize: you do not need a ticket to Augusta to have a killer golf weekend. Nashville has six public courses, greens fees that will not wreck your wallet, and vacation rentals close enough to the fairway that you can hear the sprinklers at dawn.
We manage a small collection of homes across Nashville, and four of them happen to sit near some of the best municipal golf in the state. No resort markups. No hotel lobby check-ins. Just a real house, your crew, and a short drive (or walk) to the first tee.
Here is the lineup.
Hydrangea: On the 10th Tee at Shelby Golf Course
Let’s start with the one that stops people mid-scroll.
Hydrangea sits directly on the 10th tee at Shelby Golf Course in East Nashville. Not “near” the course. Not “a short drive.” On it. You can see the fairway from the yard.
Shelby Golf Course opened in 1924 as Nashville’s first municipal course. It was designed by Donald Ross, whose name serious golfers recognize from Pinehurst No. 2 and Seminole. The course rolls through Shelby Park with mature trees, Bermuda Tif Dwarf greens (installed in 2006), and a nine-hole par-three layout called VinnyLinks that opened in 2000. It has hosted the School Days Junior Golf Tournament, which is Tennessee’s longest-running junior golf event.
The house itself sleeps 8 guests across 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. There is a covered veranda with a live-edge farm table and rocking chairs, a small deck with a grill off the kitchen, and hardwood floors throughout. It is under 3 miles to downtown and about a mile walk from the heart of East Nashville at Five Points.
If you have ever wanted to roll out of bed and walk to your tee time, this is the only Nashville rental that makes it happen.
Hydrangea
On the 10th tee at Shelby Golf Course. Sleeps 8. 3 bed / 2 bath. Covered veranda, rocking chairs, grill deck. Under 3 miles to downtown.
Book Hydrangea DirectDreamwood: The Golf-Plus-Everything Base Camp
This one is for the group that wants golf AND everything else.
Dreamwood is a mid-century modern home that sits under 2 miles from both Two Rivers Golf Course and Gaylord Springs Golf Links. That is two completely different course experiences within a five-minute drive.
Two Rivers is an 18-hole municipal course where the 8th hole gives you a view of the Nashville skyline. It is solid, well-maintained, and affordable. Gaylord Springs is a step up in terms of prestige. It was designed by US Open champion Larry Nelson and holds a Golf Digest “Best Places to Play” designation. Most visitors only know about it through the Gaylord Opryland Resort stay-and-play packages, which means they are paying resort prices for the same tee time you can get on your own.
Dad plays 18 at Gaylord Springs. The rest of the family hits the water park. Everybody wins.
But here is what makes Dreamwood the standout for families and groups who are not golf-only travelers: the surrounding area is stacked. Within minutes of the house, you have got Wave Country (Nashville’s public water park with a wave pool, flumes, and speed slides), the Metro Nashville Skatepark (22,000 square feet, free admission, open year-round), the 10.2-mile Stones River Greenway for biking and running, and boat ramp access to both the Stones River and Cumberland River for kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing.
Dreamwood sleeps 10 guests with two king bedrooms, a queen bedroom, a king sleeper sofa, and a queen pull-out sectional. The design is a mix of vintage pieces and modern comforts with big windows and natural light. The primary bedroom has its own screened porch, and the backyard has a fire pit and outdoor seating.
Dreamwood
Under 2 miles from Two Rivers Golf Course and Gaylord Springs Golf Links. Sleeps 10. Mid-century modern with fire pit, screened porch, and big windows.
Book Dreamwood DirectThe Honky Tonk Pads: Golf by Day, Broadway by Night
If your golf trip doubles as a “let’s actually do Nashville” trip, this is where you want to be.
The Honky Tonk Party Pads are two adjacent luxury condos rented together in the Broadway/West End corridor. That puts you near McCabe Golf Course, a 27-hole municipal course built in 1942 with three nine-hole layouts (North, Middle, South), a two-level driving range with 27 hitting stations, and PGA professionals available for lessons. McCabe was voted the best place to play by the Nashville Scene, and with good reason. It is well-maintained, the variety of 18-hole combinations keeps things interesting, and the location is hard to beat for a quick round before hitting the town.
Back at the Pads, you are walking into custom wallpaper featuring Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash, handmade crystal lighting, curated vintage furnishings, and hotel-quality finishes. Each condo has its own living room, kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms, so your group gets privacy AND togetherness. Combined, they sleep 12 guests across 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.
The Honky Tonk Party Pads
Two luxury condos near McCabe Golf Course and Broadway. Sleeps 12. 4 bed / 4 bath. Custom wallpaper, crystal lighting, curated vintage style.
Book The Pads DirectWildflower: The Bachelor Party Sleeper Pick
Every golf trip guide talks about the same three types of groups: couples, families, buddies. Nobody talks about the bachelor party crew that actually wants to play golf, not just drink on a pedal tavern.
Wildflower is for that crew.
This spacious Nashville townhouse sleeps 10 guests across 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, and here is the detail that matters for groups: every single bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom, its own TV, and blackout drapes. No fighting over the shower. No waking up the guy who went too hard on Broadway. It is built for groups who actually want to function the next morning.
Wildflower is near Ted Rhodes Golf Course, and this is a course with a story worth telling. Originally called Cumberland Golf Course when it opened in 1953, it was renamed in 1969 to honor Theodore “Ted” Rhodes, a Nashville-born Black golfer who won over 150 tournaments and helped break golf’s color barrier. The 18-hole links-style layout sits on the banks of the Cumberland River in North Nashville, with lakes, bunkers, and wildlife (turtles, muskrats, even the occasional beaver family). It is an easy course to walk, the greens are large and forgiving, and the setting is unlike anything else in the city.
Wildflower is 3 miles from Broadway, has an attached garage plus street parking, and offers concierge add-ons like grocery stocking, chef dinner parties, and in-home massage.
Wildflower
Near Ted Rhodes Golf Course. Sleeps 10. 3 bed / 3.5 bath. Every bedroom has en-suite bath, TV, and blackout drapes. Concierge add-ons available.
Book Wildflower DirectNashville Golf Courses Worth Your Tee Time
Quick reference for planning your rounds.
Shelby Golf Course
Opened in 1924 as Nashville’s first municipal course. Donald Ross design. 18 holes plus VinnyLinks par-three course. Shelby Park, East Nashville. Nashville.gov
Two Rivers Golf Course
18-hole municipal course with skyline views from the 8th hole. Located at 2235 Two Rivers Parkway in the Donelson area.
Gaylord Springs Golf Links
Designed by US Open champ Larry Nelson. Golf Digest “Best Places to Play.” Near the Gaylord Opryland area. GolfPass
McCabe Golf Course
27 holes, a driving range, and PGA instruction. Built in 1942. Minutes from downtown. Nashville.gov
Ted Rhodes Golf Course
Links-style 18-hole layout on the Cumberland River, named for the Nashville-born golfer who helped break golf’s color barrier. Nashville.gov
Between Rounds: What to Do When You Are Not on the Course
Nashville is not a one-trick town, and your golf trip should not be either.
For food, start with a hot chicken run. Prince’s Hot Chicken is the original, but Hattie B’s and Bolton’s both deliver. If your group wants a sit-down dinner, look at Geist in Germantown for inventive small plates or Skull’s Rainbow Room for dinner and a burlesque show (it is a hidden gem that locals guard). For breakfast before your tee time, Biscuit Love in the Gulch or Barista Parlor in East Nashville will set you right.
For live music, skip the tourist traps and head to The Basement East, The Station Inn for bluegrass, or Robert’s Western World on lower Broadway if you want the real thing without the cover charge. Nashville’s music scene does not shut down at 10 pm. It gets better.
And if anyone in your group brought a rod, the boat ramp access near Dreamwood opens up fishing on both the Stones River and Cumberland River. Kayak and paddleboard rentals are available nearby too.
Why Book Direct Instead of Using Airbnb or Booking.com
Straight talk: when you book through Airbnb or Booking.com, you pay a service fee on top of the nightly rate. That fee typically runs 10-15% of your total. On a four-night golf trip for a group of 10, that is real money you are handing to a platform that does not own the house, clean the house, or answer your questions at midnight.
When you book direct at musiccitymagnolia.com, you skip that fee entirely. You also get direct communication with your host from the second you book, faster response times, and access to concierge services like grocery stocking, chef dinner parties, catering, in-home massage, and private yoga that you will not find through a platform listing.
Same house. Same experience. Less money. Better service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Book Your Nashville Golf Trip
The 2026 Masters runs April 9 through 12 at Augusta National. But the golf season in Nashville runs from March through November, and the best time to book is right now.
All four are available for direct booking at musiccitymagnolia.com. No platform fees. No middleman. Just a real Nashville host who will make sure your golf trip is one for the books.
More Nashville Guides
- Hydrangea — East Nashville cottage near Shelby Golf Course
- Wildflower — Germantown home minutes from Ted Rhodes Golf Course
- Dreamwood — Donelson rental close to Two Rivers and Gaylord Springs Golf
- Nashville Midweek Deals — Golf courses are less crowded midweek — save on your rental too
- Browse All Properties — Find your ideal Nashville golf trip home base