One of the best golf experiences I ever had was playing a round of golf at The Honors Course located in Ooltewah, Tennessee just a short drive outside of Chattanooga. I had volunteered at the 2016 US Junior Amateur Championship tournament at The Honors Course and was given the opportunity to play in return for my volunteered time. What a delight and beautiful course. It is a challenging course that offers beautiful scenery and an abundance of wildlife. My brother and I were so mesmerized that we still couldn’t believe we were on the links at such a facility that prides itself on more than 30 years of tradition. The Honors Course takes “pride in the exceptional golf experience, services and facilities” as stated on their welcome page of their website. Their website includes the history of how The Honors Course came to be. If you’re ever given the opportunity to play this course, please do. It’ll be a great experience.
Also in Ooltewah not far from The Honors Course, there is a place called Cambridge Square. It’s a neighborhood with locally-owned restaurants and retailers. Local bands play on Friday and Saturday evenings while families bring their lawn chairs to enjoy music and food on the square. My family has slowly been making our way around the square to enjoy all of the dining that is offered. Here are a few of our favorite stops and dishes.
1885 Grill is a Southern Coastal restaurant with pimento cheese and fried okra is our starter of choice. You can’t go wrong with their Award Winning Wings either. The Scottish Salmon or the Fried Flounder along with green beans was a tasty entree. The rainbow trout was a lighter dish and they also have some great sandwiches ( my personal favorite is the Filet Cheesesteak). The bar is well stocked and don’t forget they have dessert too!
Eat. Drink. Wine Down. Wine Down was suggested to me so I thought I’d give it a try. I tried the WDO Burger which is a burger made of wagyu beef along with a side Truffle fries. What a great combo! The Grown Up Grilled Cheese was a big sandwich in taste and stature. Planning on getting back there soon to try other items on the menu .
Il Primo is an Italian restaurant where we tried the lasagna (awesome), Faroe Island Salmon (delicious) and the Chicken Picatta. We saved room for dessert by going to Tasty Doughnuts which happened to be just a few steps from Il Primo. We’ve eaten at Shane’s Rib Shack which specializes in southern comfort food. The food is saucy, filling (very generous portions) and affordable.
I’ve saved Davis Wayne’s for last on purpose. It’s a great secret that needs to be shared far and wide. We started off at the bar while waiting for the rest of our party. My wife had the Unicorn Punch which consisted of 7 different vodkas and 3 different fruit juices. I had the DW Peach Tea. Both set the mood for the rest of the evening. I had the Jerk Flounder with sweet potato casserole and brussel sprouts while my wife enjoyed a vegetable plate. Other members of our party enjoyed wings, filet mignon and slow cooked pot roast. We finished the night with a slice of key lime pie. The staff was amazingly friendly and made us feel like family.
We have several more places to visit in the square. Hope to see you all there!
Be blessed and safe travels!!!
