With Georgia on our thoughts and an itch to tee it up, we’re taking you on a journey by way of a number of the greatest golf programs within the Peach State. Whereas Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership could also be a lofty purpose for us mere mortals, there’s a complete world of {golfing} wonders past Magnolia Lane. Georgia’s various topography means there’s a course for each style, from coastal gems to Blue Ridge mountain marvels.
However with such an array of remarkable programs, selecting the proper one (or ten) on your Georgia golf journey will be overwhelming. However concern not! We’re right here to be your guiding gentle, with a curated checklist of the most effective golf programs in Georgia that showcase all of the state has to supply.
The Finest Golf Programs in Georgia
1. Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership
Augusta
The official host of the annual Masters Event, Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership is undoubtedly essentially the most well-known golf course within the U.S. and doubtless essentially the most not possible tee time to get within the nation. The ultra-exclusive, non-public membership is infamous for its impeccably groomed fairways and greens, beautiful azaleas, and a historical past not like every other. Augusta’s legacy isn’t just in its pristine course but additionally in its evolution over time.
From its inception in 1933, the course has undergone quite a few modifications to maintain up with the calls for of recent golf. These adjustments, guided by famend architects and designers, have contributed to Augusta’s attract and its standing as among the best golf programs in Georgia (and past).
2. Atlanta Athletic Membership: Highlands
Johns Creek
Atlanta Athletic Membership isn’t only a place for an off-the-cuff spherical of golf. It’s one of the crucial prestigious golf equipment within the nation. It boasts 36 holes of unbelievable golf, plus a captivating par three course. As if that weren’t sufficient, it additionally provides one of many most interesting athletic amenities within the nation, making it a hotspot for the energetic and sports-minded.
Amongst its two programs, the Highlands course, a mix of RTJ and Joe Finger’s designs, is among the greatest golf programs in Georgia. And it’s no stranger to skilled golf, having hosted the PGA Championship thrice, the Ryder Cup, a number of newbie occasions, and extra.
3. Frederica Golf Membership
St. Simons Island
Frederica’s Tom Fazio-designed course is a surprising mix of pure magnificence and strategic design. Spanning over 300 acres, Frederica is a Low-country masterpiece, created in collaboration with Sir Michael Bonallack of the Royal and Historic Golf Membership of St. Andrews. This engineering marvel required transferring seven million cubic yards of sandy soil to create Glynn County’s highest ridge and transplanting greater than 1,100 dwell oaks.
4. Ohoopee Match Membership
Cobbtown
Gil Hanse is rumored to have first scouted the potential web site of Ohoopee Match Membership in 2006, a decade earlier than its eventual opening in 2018. The terrain’s light undulations and sandy soil proved excellent for each golf and onion cultivation, for which the realm is famend. In reality, the membership’s brand options an onion with intertwined roots resembling snakes – maybe a nod to the challenges of match play.
Visually, Ohoopee bears resemblance to the sandbelt programs additional east, like Pinehurst and Tobacco Street, but it retains a one-of-a-kind character.
Opposite to expectations of a course designed for match play (ie punishing hazards, smaller targets), Hanse’s 7,325-yard championship course at Ohoopee surprises. Vast fairways and minimal fairway bunkers invite daring play off the tee and create a number of alternatives for birdies and eagles. Ohoopee’s unconventional design additionally contains holes listed at par 4½ and 3½, reflecting its match-play focus the place par actually doesn’t matter.
5. East Lake Golf Membership
Atlanta
East Lake Golf Membership, steeped in historical past and status, is the oldest golf course in Atlanta. This iconic course holds a particular place in golf historical past as the house course of legendary golfer Bobby Jones. Past its historic significance, East Lake is famend for internet hosting the distinguished TOUR Championship, the culminating occasion of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Its proximity to downtown Atlanta makes it a handy and must-visit vacation spot for any golf fanatic touring Georgia.
6. Sea Island Resort: Seaside Course
St Simons Island
Georgia’s barrier islands are famend for his or her beautiful golf choices, with Sea Island Resort standing out as a premier vacation spot. Amongst its trio of programs, the Seaside Course shines brightest, yearly internet hosting the PGA Tour’s RSM Traditional. Seaside is persistently ranked among the many nation’s high 100 golf programs and it’s straightforward to see why. From impeccably manicured fairways and rugged dunes, native grasses, and energetic wildflowers, to a wide ranging coastal backdrop accompanied by difficult winds, Seaside is a research in stunning contrasts.
Initially conceived in 1929 by Harry S. Colt and Charles Alison, the course was remodeled beneath Tom Fazio’s skillful hand and is now largely thought to be among the best golf programs in Georgia.
7. Peachtree Golf Membership
Atlanta
Designed by Bobby Jones and Robert Trent Jones, Peachtree Golf Membership was designed in anticipation of the development of golf expertise. So, when the course first opened, it measured greater than 7,200 yards and boasted the longest set of tees within the nation. Close to-perfect fairways and greens usually garner comparisons to Augusta Nationwide.
8. Reynolds Lake Oconee: Nice Waters
Eatonton
Jack Nicklaus, famend for his legendary achievements on the course, showcases his architectural brilliance at Nice Waters, his masterpiece at Reynolds Lake Oconee. Since its debut in 1992, Nice Waters has captivated golfers with its beautiful structure, meandering by way of the serene coves of Lake Oconee.
Acknowledged as one of many high 100 public programs in America by Golf Digest, Nice Waters has lately undergone intensive renovation. The Nicklaus Design staff rebuilt the course from the bottom up, enhancing drainage, irrigation, and bunker designs.
Reynolds Lake is dwelling to 5 different spectacular golf programs, every providing its personal distinctive challenges and beautiful surroundings.
9. Champions Retreat: Bluff/Island
Evans
Nestled simply outdoors Augusta, Georgia, Champions Retreat stands as a novel testomony to {golfing} greatness. It’s the solely membership on this planet that includes three programs designed by the legendary trio of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Participant, making it a really one-of-a-kind vacation spot for golf lovers.
Members at Champions Retreat have the privilege of experiencing three distinct programs—the Island, Bluff, and Creek programs—every providing its personal set of challenges and breathtaking views. The programs wind by way of 375 acres of Georgia’s lush pines, wetlands, and fascinating surroundings, offering a {golfing} expertise like no different.
Champions Retreat’s fame for excellence is additional solidified by its choice because the host course for the primary 36 holes of the Augusta Nationwide Girls’s Beginner, a testomony to its standing as a world-class golf vacation spot.
10. The McLemore Membership: Highlands
Rising Fawn
In the event you’re afraid of heights, the Highlands Course at The McLemore Membership may not be for you. However, we consider the expertise is price overcoming that concern. Perched atop Lookout Mountain at a formidable elevation of two,300 ft, the McLemore Membership takes golf to new heights – actually. It was superbly reimaged by architects Rees Jones and Invoice Bergin, and is now largely thought to be among the best golf programs in Georgia. Plus, it’s dwelling to among the best ending holes on this planet (pictured above).
Past the unbelievable 18th gap and cliff-edge views, the Highlands Course boasts a wide range of gap designs and dramatic landscapes. A variety of holes on the entrance line play alongside the jap fringe of Lookout Mountain, surrounded by deciduous forests and historical boulders. Then, in fact, there are the standard highland holes which can be performed on the plateau of Lookout Mountain, usually described as an island within the sky.
As you intend your Georgia golf journey, let our curated checklist be your information to discovering the most effective that the Peach State has to supply. Every course on our checklist is a testomony to the wealthy {golfing} heritage and pure fantastic thing about Georgia, promising an unforgettable {golfing} expertise for lovers of all ranges.
So, pack your golf equipment, hit the fairways, and immerse your self within the magnificence and problem of the most effective golf programs in Georgia. The one query left is: which course will you conquer first?
