2008 Preview
Golf all year round in Atlanta
By Mike BlumGolf fans from outside Atlanta are familiar with a number of the metro area's top private clubs from their roles as hosts of televised professional and amateur tournaments, but the city is also home to some outstanding daily fee facilities.
Most of Atlanta's best courses - public and private - are located in the northern suburbs. But no matter what direction you head from downtown, you will find a course well worth the effort to locate it.
West of the city, your best bet is The Frog Golf Club at the Georgian, a standout Tom Fazio design that is among the top handful of daily fee courses in the metro area. The Frog is a typical Fazio layout - ample fairways, sizeable bunkers and large, undulating greens with consistently superb course conditions.
Just east of Atlanta is Stone Mountain GC, part of one of the area's most popular parks. The facility consists of two divergent 18-hole courses - a very strong traditional Robert Trent Jones design (Stonemont) and a friendlier, resort-style layout (Lakemont), with both offering splendid views of the park's famous granite mountain.
There are several quality courses south of Atlanta, with the new Durham Lakes facility quickly moving to the top of the list. Durham Lakes is among the most accessible courses on the south side to visitors staying downtown and its combination of length and number of hazards makes it one of the area's best challenges.
Perhaps the metro area's most popular destination for out-of-town golfers is Bear's Best, which features replica holes from many of the most famous courses designed by Jack Nicklaus. Several of the holes included come from his layouts that host televised events, and the concept works extremely well as a stand-alone entity, with nothing contrived about the routing or superbly-conditioned layout.
Two other top facilities in the northeast suburbs are Chateau Elan and Reunion. Chateau Elan features two first-rate, daily fee designs from Atlanta-based Denis Griffiths, as well as the private Legends course, which hosted the Sarazen World Open during the '90s, and is accessible to resort guests.
Reunion Golf Club is located almost adjacent to Chateau Elan and is among the area's most interesting layouts, with a terrific group of par fives that offers large amounts of risk and reward.
Cobblestone is the premier daily fee course northwest of the city and will dispel any doubts about playing at a municipal course. An intriguing (and very challenging) layout and a wonderful mix of holes make it a must-play for locals and visitors alike.
Other notable courses north of the city include Woodmont, a Trent Jones design that deftly mixes challenge and playability; St. Marlo, an excellent test with some of the area's most distinctive holes, including a great group of par threes; and River Pines, a very popular and user-friendly layout for those looking for an enjoyable afternoon in a development-free setting.
For more information on all these courses, including location and pricing, visit www.golfatlanta.com, the best site for information of golf in Atlanta.
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