Long before the modern-day phenomenon known as Sweetens Cove Golf Club entered the sphere of Jared Lucero’s golfing life, there was Dinaland Golf Course.
Tucked away in the northeast corner of Utah in the quaint town of Vernal not far from where Colorado and Wyoming connect, the region is known more for its abundance of natural wonders and outdoor activities than it is for Dinaland.
But the public golf course holds a special place in the heart of Lucero, the CEO of Reef Capital Partners, the driving force behind two of Utah’s newest emerging forces on the golf scene in Black Desert and Marcella Club. It was at Dinaland where Lucero and golf were first introduced years ago, a marriage that will continue to flourish clear across the country in the unlikely hamlet of South Pittsburg, Tennessee, home to Sweetens Cove.
Reef recently announced a collaboration with Sweetens Cove to expand the menu of fun at the nine-hole wonderland, with plans to develop a lighted par-3 short course, stay-and-play cabins, a restaurant and distillery, a winding putting green, fishing dock and skeet shooting range to elevate the experience for patrons while preserving its iconic charm.
“Sweetens Cove grabs you the moment you step onto the course,” Lucero said. “There’s an energy there that you won’t find anywhere else. It’s not just about golf; it’s about the experience, the people and the simplicity of spending a day with friends. We aim to preserve that unique charm while adding a place to stay, a bit more to do – including ‘Sweetens at Night’ – and some amazing food and drinks. Those things will only make every visit even more memorable, whether you’re playing the course for the first time or the hundredth."
Located 30 miles west of Chattanooga, South Pittsburg is a hardscrabble working-class town of 3,000 residents known for decades for its powerhouse high school football dynasty, manufacturing of Lodge cast iron skillets and its annual Cornbread Festival. Around a decade ago, the town’s identity began to experience an unforeseen shift.
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