Cherokee Country Club
A History Celebrating 100 Years
~ Walter T. Pulliam

If Cherokee Country Club's two hundred charter members were to visit the Club today, they would be amazed at the institution they helped found. When Cherokee Country Club began in 1907, it was located four miles outside the city of Knoxville and two narrow, graveled, hole-pocked pikes lead to it. Today, one hundred years later, the Club is surrounded by the city, and those two roads - Kingston Pike and Lyons View Drive - are among the area's most traveleld thoroughfares.
As it celebrates its centennial, Cherokee Country Club is recognized as one of Knoxville's greatest assets, featuring a classic, elegant Clubhouse, top-quality athletic and social activities; and a golf course designed by the legendary Donald Ross.
In the century since its start, Cherokee has been the recreational home for generations of families. It has seen hard times, near bankrupcy, police raids, and notoriety. It has also nurtured talented athletes, welcomed celebrities and leaders, experienced growth, expanded its facilities, and adapted with changing times. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the physical facilities enjoyed by Cherokee members and their families. Over the decades, the Clubhouse has been renovated, updated, and amenities added, with the latest improvements coinciding with the Club's centennial celebration. Athletic facilities have been added and improved, new activities launched, and parking expanded.
But as any member, family, or staffer would tell you, Cherokee's story is about more than bricks and mortar; about more than golf, swimming, bowling, and tennis; and about more than bridge, music, and social events. As this meticulously researched and engagingly written history reveals, Cherokee Country Club's story is about the hard work and hearts of generations of people, people who stand together, play together, and work together - the latest generation of whom are now leading Cherokee Country Club into its second century.