Murfreesboro, Tenn. – As summer winds down in Murfreesboro, let’s not forget the small oasis in the middle of town unnoticeable from the Stones River/train track overpass on the Medical Center Blvd. (where Walter Hale Ct. sharply juts off down the hill, when driving), and even less noticeable walking down from the Murfreesboro Greenway’s Fortress Rosecrans Trailhead (then right at the fork-in-the-bridge, and left through the gate at the bottom the metal railing). Either way, Old Fort Golf Club’s Bloomfield Links, a 6-hole, par-3 short course built as an extension of Old Fort Golf Club in 2014 still sits a good lie all day/every day, ready for a beautifully relaxing punch-round of golf with minimal interaction, whenever you can.

Named for Bloomfield Dairies, “the course is open to the public year-round. (weather dependent) and boasts some of the most affordable golf in America.  Daily fees can be paid, and Bloomfield also offers yearly fees that are amazingly affordable for both individuals and for families,” according to About Bloomfield Links | Old Fort Golf Club.

“I’d say it’s a fairly easy-to-walk, beginner-friendly course,” says Trey Adams, City of Murfreesboro’s current Director of Golf at Old Fort Golf Club.

“[The Christy-Houston Foundation, Inc.], along with the Wadsworth Golf Foundation […] donated some money, [and] the land already belonged to the city. It was an old landfill that they had covered, so with pretty much minimal funding [and] with the help of the architect that helped re-do the [Old Fort Golf] course [in the early 2000’s], he went out there with a bulldozer, shaped some greens up, and they, y’know, built it in 2014,” continued Adams.

“It’s open from eight am and the same turf care team, basically, will come over [to Old Fort Golf Course]; they’ll get here early; they’ll get this golf course ready, and then they’ll take care of [the Bloomfield Links] course, as well. They’ll try to have the gates open by eight am. Then it closes 30 minutes before sunset just because that’s when the Greenway closes. We’ll get people [walk back over] [to Old Fort Golf Course where they parked], or, obviously, you know you can drive over, and so it closes thirty minutes before sunset, seven days a week. [It’s] eight dollars for adults, five dollars if you’re an adult and play with a kid, and then we have a Kids-play-free program, so if you’re under 17, thanks to Scott Stallings and Tennessee Golf Foundation they’ve got it to where kids under 17 [play] […] free of cost, no clubs or experience needed.”

Scheduled every year, “there’s a spring and a fall Linksters.  There’s, like, three or four afternoon practices where they’re really just using the short game area, practice areas there, so the course is still open for play, but they’ll have it Saturday morning for a couple of months, about six weeks, about two different times a year from about 8:00 to about 12:30 on Saturdays, but other than that, we’ll have an occasional middle school match in the spring. I try to post things on there once we have dates and names. Right now, it’s just linksters on Saturday. Other than that, it’s just open for play,” said Adams.

“It’s first come, first serve, so you can just walk up. If you pay cash, you gotta come over here, and if you don’t mind paying with a card, you can just go over there, and they’ll be someone with an iPad to swipe the card over there.”

As stated, Bloomfield Links is open seven days a week from 7 am to 30 minutes before sunset with easier rates running $8 for adults, $5 for Seniors (55+) and Adults playing with a Jr. golfer.  Juniors (17 and under) play free with the course’s Kids Play Free Program.  Yearly Memberships are fully coverable anytime at $175 for an Adult Membership and $125 for a Senior (55+) Membership, January 2023 – December 2023.

Directions/For access, “Pay at Old Fort Golf Shop and walk over.  It’s a short walk on the green way to Bloomfield Links,” or “drive to Bloomfield Links, which is located just off of Medical Center Parkway at 1207 Walter Hale Court.  You may call the Old Fort Golf Shop at 615-896-2448 and pay the daily fee over the phone by card.  The golf shop staff will then notify the attendant via radio.”

Cheap clubs, even if just a few, can be found a couple more miles up Medical Center Blvd. at Play It Again Sports at 520 N Thompson Lane, at the Med. Center and Thompson intersection.

For more information, visit Websites: www.murfreesborotn.gov/golf, Bloomfield Links Feature – YouTube, or contact Trey Adams with any questions at radams@murfreesborotn.gov.

“We want to be able to give support from the community, to try and make the program as broad as it could be, and introduce as many kids as we can, and keep the price down where everybody can be able to afford it. This is not meant in any way to be a money making project. This is something that is a recreational site […] and just get participation, is what we’re looking for,” said Tracy Wilkins, previous Murfreesboro Director of Golf in 2014.

(“If we did some type of instructional program, or [tournament event], it’d come through [Old Fort Golf Course office building] to get set up,” said Adams, for any groups or clinics looking to schedule).