Alpharetta Athletic Club West (Private)

1785 Dinsmore Rd., Milton
770-410-9369; www.alpharettaac.com

STAFF: Tom Ridge is the General Manager; Kyle Cartledge is the Golf Professional.

PAR/YARDAGE: Alpharetta AC East plays to a par 70 with three sets of tees: Blue (6,103 yards); White (5,524) and Red (5,061).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 68.3/129 (Blue); 65.8/124 (White); 68.2/124 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Over the years, the club has undergone name and ownership changes and the course that currently exists was built in two distinct stages, with the original nine holes standing by themselves for a number of years before a second nine was added. The club was acquired by Affiniti Golf about three years ago, and has undergone a recent name change after the company also acquired Crooked Creek and placed the two under the same membership plan. Originally known as the Country Club of North Fulton and later Alpharetta Country Club, it is now Alpharetta Athletic Club West. The course plays to a par of 70 with five par 3s and only three par 5s, and is among the shortest private club courses in the metro area at just 6,100 yards from the back tees and 5,525 from the next set. The original nine, which consists of holes 1-4 and 14-18, is 3,315 yards from the back tees, while the newer nine holes (5-13) is a modest 2,788 yards with three par 3s and just one par 5.

The middle of the course was built on terrain that has considerably more roll than the original nine holes, and with its absence of length, offers a number of excellent scoring opportunities, providing you can avoid the ever-present tight tree lines. The original holes offer more width, but also include most of the strongest holes on the course. Among them is a stout trio of holes beginning at the second, consisting of a lengthy par 4 with a second shot over water, a twisting par 5 with ample length and plenty of sand and a mid-length par three with a green bordered by water. The newer nine holes begin with a slightly quirky par that places a high premium on accuracy, followed by some short par 4s that are inviting if you hit it straight and can be very frustrating if you don’t. The final five holes feature a reachable dogleg right par 5 with an evil-looking bunker lurking from the tee and a short, strategic par that requires a well-placed lay-up and a precise short second over a ravine. The greens complexes are mainly on the tame side, with the course definitely on the friendly side when it comes to scoring, but not quite the pushover the yardage may lead you to believe.