Looking back at my history of rounds in Georgia, I’ve only played at Heron Bay in Locust Grove, GA once a year since first visiting in 2011.  I really should play here more often as it’s a great course.  The Cole Reservoir behind the 4th and 12th greens makes for spectacular views at any time of year.  The sculptured bunkers around the greens are a common design feature along with the creeks that cross fairways in front of greens to keep things interesting especially on the longer par 4’s.

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Georgia National is a beautiful parkland course in McDonough, GA and one I’ve always found to be very challenging.  It’s a long course with a great variety of holes that make you think.  Elevation change, fairway bunkers that are well positioned and several greens with false fronts. Get your drive out of position and a layup may be the best strategy.

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This was originally Griffin Country Club which unfortunately went bankrupt and closed in January 2013 before being bought on the courthouse steps in May 2013.  It was closed for some time while the new owners made improvements to the course before re-opening as The Club at Shoal Creek.  Improvements included work on the bunkers and the installation of new mini verde greens. During the time that the course was closed it was used as a location for filming the popular TV series The Walking Dead.

The new owners are committed to making further improvements to the property.  Although this work is still in progress I found the tee boxes and fairways were well maintained and the new greens were in excellent condition.  Many of the cart paths still need some repair work.  The sponsored granite tee markers at each hole look to be a recent addition.    Continue reading “The Club at Shoal Creek” →

Sun City Peachtree Golf Club is a ClubCorp owned golf course situated within the Del Webb active adult retirement community in Griffin, GA about 40 miles south east of Atlanta.  It’s not too far from the Atlanta Motor Speedway which hosts a NASCAR race early in the season.  Sun City is linked to the other nearby ClubCorp courses in this membership cluster – Heron Bay and Georgia National.  As a ClubCorp member these are courses I play quite often.

After checking in at the main gate follow the road through the community to the golf club.  The golf clubhouse has a large lounge/ dining room area to relax in. The pro shop and small locker room are also in the same building.  Behind the clubhouse is a large driving range and short game practice area.  When the course first opened the starters box was in a trailer but this was soon replaced with the current golf clubhouse which looks big but is dwarfed by the enormous community clubhouse behind the 16th green.   Continue reading “Sun City Peachtree – Fun in the Sun” →

If you are a member of a club in Georgia and keep a  handicap with the Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) then a fun way to gain access to some great private courses is to play in the GSGA Member Play Days.  There are 21 events in 2016 starting in April at the Legends course at Chateau Elan and finishing in November with the season finale event at the Idle Hour Club in Macon. These are not tournaments but are organized like the real deal and played on days when these private clubs are normally closed for maintenance. Continue reading “GSGA Member Play Day at Brickyard Golf Club” →