Best Georgia Courses -Golf Digest 2017

[Browns71213]

Just saw this list on GD.

 

• (1)
  Augusta National G.C.
  (
  12th hole pictured above
  )•
  
  
• (2)
  Peachtree G.C.
  , Atlanta •
  
  
• (3) East Lake G.C., Atlanta ≈
  
  
• (4) Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands), Johns Creek ≈
  
  
• (5) Ocean Forest G.C., Sea Island ≈
  
  
• (7) Sea Island G.C. (Seaside), St. Simons Island ≈^
  
  
• (6) Atlanta C.C., Marietta ≈
  
  
• (9) Hawks Ridge G.C., Ball Ground
  
  
• (8) Atlanta Athletic Club (Riverside), Johns Creek
  
  
• (10) Ansley G.C. (Settindown Creek), Roswell
  
  
• (12) G.C. At Cuscowilla Eatonton ^
  
  
• (13) Augusta C.C.
  
  
• (11) G.C. Of Georgia (Lakeside), Alpharetta
  
  
• (14) Champions Retreat G.C. (Bluff/Island), Evans
  
  
• (15) Great Waters At Reynolds Lake Oconee, Eatonton ^
  
  
• (New) The Ford Plantation Club, Richmond Hill
  
  
• (New) Capital City Club (Crabapple), Alpharettq
  
  
• (16) G.C. Of Georgia (Creekside), Alpharetta
  
  
• (19) The Standard Club, Johns Creek
  
  
• (New) The Oconee At Reynolds Lake Oconee, Eatonton ★
  
  

[jpthreesticks]

The Farm should be on that list.

[OutBackHack]

Did the members at Frederica not let the course reviewers in the front gates?

#4 in my book, 1st 3 is the order I would have them.

[GTgolf]

Capital city that low is comical

[hollabachgt]

Did the members at Frederica not let the course reviewers in the front gates?

#4 in my book, 1st 3 is the order I would have them.

 

A course has to have a set minimum number of reviews for it to appear in the rankings and I presume Frederica just has not had enough raters play. Some places do quietly discourage having their course ranked, but that's a different story.

[OutBackHack]

Did the members at Frederica not let the course reviewers in the front gates?

#4 in my book, 1st 3 is the order I would have them.

 

A course has to have a set minimum number of reviews for it to appear in the rankings and I presume Frederica just has not had enough raters play. Some places do quietly discourage having their course ranked, but that's a different story.

 

Fair enough, good to know. Thanks

[CHuntsman]

I had the privilege of doing some work at Standard Club, with that work came a free round of golf one late afternoon. What a beautiful golf course.

[berrykicker34]

Rivermont in Johns Creek and Arrowhead in Elberton are both gems that were left out.

 

Also, I would have to put Settindown in front of AAC (Riverside) and Great Waters in front of Cuscowilla (even though I love Coore & Crenshaw tracks)

[payerasjl]

for you GA fellas, anything near Sea Island worth driving to?

ill be staying at the Sea Island resort for abuot a week in July, would be willing to drive somewhere to play a great course (thats not too far)

 

thanks

[OutBackHack]

for you GA fellas, anything near Sea Island worth driving to?

ill be staying at the Sea Island resort for abuot a week in July, would be willing to drive somewhere to play a great course (thats not too far)

 

thanks

 

Brunswick CC is just off the island and is fantastic. Ford Plantation is an hour away and really good, both are private, but accessible.

 

Seaside is the only course at the Sea Island Resort that I would play over Brunswick CC.

[jpthreesticks]

Seaside is great. Ocean Forest if you can get on it is worth it. I like both Plantation and Retreat, but they are not "special". Just solid golf courses. Brunswick CC is a fun track to play. Flat as can be, but then the greens are a different story. Ford Plantation is a fun course. Two completely different 9's.

[MyShortGameSucks]

Played #2, 3 and 4 in a trip last year and then went and watched a practice round at Augusta so a pretty special long weekend. Also played an awesome course called Piedmont Driving Course that I thought was right up there.

 

I actually thought EastLake,was over-rated and very corporate - great condition though. Peachtree was something special...

[Cottonseed.]

These kind of rankings never struck me as groundbreaking.

 

When you're comparing courses like these you're splitting hairs.

 

They shouldn't rank tracks like this period.

It's senseless.

[cacophony82]

Frederica, Lookout Mountain, The Farm ..... whoopees! to be fair GA is not as bad as others

[krzeczowskimatt]

Not sure how many of you have played The Currahee Club in Toccoa, GA i feel it should be on this list. One of the top courses i have ever played conditioning was by far some of the best i have ever experienced. It is a very exclusive club only get about 3 to 5 thousand rounds a year so maybe not enough raters have played it. If you ever get the chance do not pass up the opportunity. I have played Augusta CC and East Lake, The Currahee Club in my opinion is in the same caliber as those clubs.

[Roadking2003]

I actually thought EastLake,was over-rated and very corporate - great condition though. Peachtree was something special...

 

I agree. East Lake wouldn't make my top 20. And Augusta CC is nothing special either. There are lots of GA courses much better than those two.

[krzeczowskimatt]

I mean to say East Lake and Augusta CC are nothing special...... What kind of courses are you playing

[jpthreesticks]

I've been fortunate to play all the courses on this list as well as some that have been mentioned that aren't on there. While the #1 and #2 are the clear top two in the state, I would say that I have not seen 18 courses that are better than East Lake or Augusta Country Club. Those are two in the state that if someone had the opportunity to play, I would say don't pass it up.

 

I kind of look at the rankings and would say, if given the opportunity would I rather play A or B. And if you put East Lake or Augusta CC as one of those choices, there aren't too many in the state that I would rather play than those. Obviously, some people have different tastes though.

 

I will say that Georgia is a tough state to get a feel for as from the coast up to the mountains, you can pretty much get any golf experience outside of a desert course. It's gotta be tough to compare an Ocean Forest to Currahee Club to Nonami Plantation!

[hollabachgt]

Not sure how many of you have played The Currahee Club in Toccoa, GA i feel it should be on this list. One of the top courses i have ever played conditioning was by far some of the best i have ever experienced. It is a very exclusive club only get about 3 to 5 thousand rounds a year so maybe not enough raters have played it. If you ever get the chance do not pass up the opportunity. I have played Augusta CC and East Lake, The Currahee Club in my opinion is in the same caliber as those clubs.

 

What criteria do you employ to come to your conclusion? I've heard wonderful things about the Currahee club but I find it hard to comprehend how its on the same level.

[krzeczowskimatt]

To me the Biggest Criteria for how i look at a golf course is 1. Conditioning of the course ( to me there is nothing more important than a golf facilities conditioning of the golf course) and Currahee was top notch, I have played many top 100 golf courses and also was lucky enough to play East Lake the day before they closed for the Tour Championship the conditions were by far the best i have ever experienced but Currahee is right there. 2. Overall Design of the golf course and Routing of the course ( I try to look at each hole and really get a feel for what the course architect was trying to accomplish does he use the natural landscape or did he move a bunch of dirt to create his vision) I am not a fan of "unfair golf holes" or "tricked up" holes 3. Accessibility ( now i know this means nothing when it comes down to, is the golf course itself "One of the best in the state" but for me playing an exclusive club that not many people can access is special and does factor into how i would "rank a course") Lastly and again has very little to do with the actual course itself but how did the staff make the overall experience for your day. Did they make you feel special and welcomed to the course? I guess to me when ranking a course i take some factors in that maybe do not really have anything to do with the physical golf course itself but hey that is what i want in an experience and everyone has their own opinions which is what makes these forums and lists fun!

[OutBackHack]

So I think it's fair to say that no golf course in GA is in perfect condition all year around, but if you play them all when they are in their best condition you cannot possibly argue that East Lake is not in the top 3 or 5 in the state.

I have played it and most on this list, and besides the fact that its a fantastic design, which only reveals itself, in my opinion after many goes around, the greens are as good as I have seen anywhere in the world. They are simply perfect when at their best.

 

The other one that bugs me is Ocean Forest, I've been around it several times, never seen it in good condition, I guess its ok though? I don't get the love for it. I think Seaside is waaay better.

[DoubleorQuits]

I posted below in the 2017 State List thread, before I saw this one:

 

Regarding the Georgia list, Cuscowilla and Augusta CC should be well inside the top 10, possibly top 5. How Lookout Mountain is not even listed is a mystery.

[Boris2016]

I posted below in the 2017 State List thread, before I saw this one:

 

Regarding the Georgia list, Cuscowilla and Augusta CC should be well inside the top 10, possibly top 5. How Lookout Mountain is not even listed is a mystery.

 

I am a member of Lookout Mountain. Have played all over the world, have yet to play a golf club as fun. If anyone wants to play sometime, give me a hollar! I am in Atlanta area, but go up several times a month, really not that bad of a drive!

[bcflyguy1]

On 6/9/2017 at 6:46 AM, jpthreesticks said:

Nonami Plantation!

JP,

Have you played Nonami? Stumbled across it on Google Maps the other day and it looks like great fun.