Belle Meade Country Club has played a special role in the lives of its members and the city of Nashville, from its origins at the turn of the 20th century to its current status as a premier Country Club in the nation. Belle Meade Country Club began as the Nashville Golf and Country Club in 1901, then located on Harding Pike. Men’s and Women’s golf tournaments began immediately and were accompanied by lavish dances and parties, establishing a thriving social scene. At the annual meeting on November 13, 1911, club president Frank O. Watts recommended relocating the club to Belle Meade in order to “have the biggest and best golf and country club in the South,” and noted that this would be the most important step in the club’s history. Later that evening, the move was unanimously approved. In 1916, the club was relocated to its current home on Belle Meade Boulevard. These new grounds were once part of the Belle Meade Plantation, a prominent thoroughbred horse farm of 2,500 acres which surrounded a spectacular antebellum mansion. The limestone rock face to the left of the Hole #4 tee box was once the plantation’s quarry. The Club’s fairways then served as grazing pastures for the famed Iroquois racehorse and other top thoroughbreds raised on the property. Richland Creek, which runs through the course, once provided hydropower for the plantation’s grist and saw mills. On June 7, 1921, club president Walter Keith and the directors voted to change the name from Nashville Golf and Country Club to Belle Meade Country Club to reflect the new location on the former plantation and celebrated stud farm. Throughout the years, Belle Meade Country Club has gradually adapted to stay attuned to the changing times while maintaining its modest and historic foundation. Not only does this club take pride in being one of the premier private clubs in America, it takes pride in continuing to nurture multigenerational friendships and serve as the social and recreational epicenter in our members’ lives.
Electronic Devices Policy – Talking on cell phone prohibited. Texting, checking e-mails, viewing pictures, watching videos (ear plugs only), video games (no sound) are acceptable. Electronic devices must be set on silent or vibrate. Smoking is prohibited throughout the Clubhouse. Except as otherwise provided in the Clubhouse section, blue jeans and denim are not appropriate in the Clubhouse except when in transit to or from the locker rooms. Spandex bottoms or leggings are inappropriate unless worn under skirts, skorts, or dresses. Fitness attire may only be worn in or while in transit to the Wellness Center and locker rooms. For gentlemen, shirts should have a traditional collar and are to be tucked in. Gentlemen should remove hats before entering the Clubhouse. Ripped or frayed attire and baseball or stocking caps are considered inappropriate in all areas of the Clubhouse. For special dining events like Easter, Mother's Day, and Thanksgiving, we require gentlemen aged 12 and over to wear a jacket. Unless otherwise specified, children under 18 are welcome in the Clubhouse if accompanied by an adult. Members are responsible for ensuring that children are respectful of the needs of those around them and refrain from running, yelling, or creating distracting behavior.
Since 1901, Belle Meade Country Club has been one of the finest and most esteemed clubs in the United States. The Club has thrived for over a century thanks in large part to the respect and decorum demonstrated by members and their families toward other members, the administration, and the staff. This respect and decorum is a hallmark of Belle Meade Country Club. The Club has evolved over the years into a multi-generational family club that offers first-class dining, engaging programming and events, and a multitude of sporting activities. As the Club has grown, its operations have become more complex, and the interests of its members more varied and diverse. For the Club to continue to thrive, it is therefore incumbent on each member to act in accordance with the longstanding standards and expectations of our shared community, the foremost of which is to treat Club members, guests, employees and staff with grace and respect. At heart, this means that all members and their families and guests are expected to dress and behave in a manner that embodies the community of respect and decorum that has been a hallmark of our Club since its founding. While we cannot prescribe specific rules of decorum for all situations, the following sets forth certain specific expectations of dress, behavior and decorum at the Club.