Knoxville Plans Knoxville Municipal Golf Course Overhaul
The Sports Authority is seeking public feedback on a draft plan to convert part of the municipal course into turf fields.
Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Golf
Live Poll
Do you support converting city-owned golf courses into multi-use sports facilities in your community?
The Knoxville-Knox County Sports Authority has unveiled a tentative timeline for redeveloping the 156-acre Knoxville Municipal Golf Course. The initiative aims to address the city's sports facility needs by exploring the conversion of nine golf holes into new turf fields.
Why it matters
City officials hope that creating a complex for youth sports tournaments could generate up to $18 million in annual visitor spending. The project reflects a shift in city strategy to prioritize versatile athletic venues while maintaining other municipal golf options.
Converting nine holes of the 156-acre municipal property into turf fields is estimated to cost upwards of $20 million. This proposal coincides with the city’s continued operation of the Whittle Springs and Williams Creek courses.
The players
Knoxville-Knox County Sports Authority
This local government body is responsible for evaluating redevelopment options and overseeing the solicitation of proposals for city-owned sports properties.
Knoxville City Council
This is the legislative body of the city that approves land use agreements and municipal project funding.
The details
The Knoxville City Council approved an agreement in August 2026 for the Sports Authority to evaluate redevelopment options for the site at 3925 Schaad Road. The authority is now soliciting public feedback through November 2, 2026, before issuing a final request for redevelopment proposals.
Timeline
August 2026: City Council approved the evaluation agreement.
October 22, 2026: Community discussion and listening session.
October 27, 2026: Public hearing on draft Request for Proposals.
November 2, 2026: Deadline for public feedback on draft.
January 22, 2027: Deadline for redevelopment proposals.
Season Trajectory
The potential repurposing of the municipal course aligns with a regional pivot toward expanding facilities for youth tournament sports. This transition could fundamentally alter the competitive landscape for local sports programming by adding significant capacity for non-golf athletic events.
The potential conversion of nine holes would necessitate significant changes to local tee time availability and course routing for regular players. Residents should note that the deadline to submit formal feedback on the current draft plan is November 2, 2026.
The takeaway
Communities often weigh the long-term economic gains of specialized sports tourism against the recreational value of existing municipal land. Residents should attend the October 27 public hearing to voice concerns before the project reaches the final bid stage in early 2027.
What happens next
The Sports Authority expects to issue a final Request for Proposals by the end of November 2026, followed by a shortlist of bids in late February 2027 and public presentations in early March 2027.
Further reading
For additional context on the project, visit the Golf section.
More information
Review the Project documents and timeline to learn more about the proposal process.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WATE 6 On Your Side.
Live Poll
Do you support converting city-owned golf courses into multi-use sports facilities in your community?
