1100 Hawks Club Drive, Ball Ground

770-205-6886; www.hawksridge.com

STAFF: Chuck Knebels is the PGA Director of Golf; Jim Dusch is the superintendent.

PAR/YARDAGE: Hawks Ridge plays to a par 72 with four sets of tees: Black (7,235 yards); Gold (6,781); Blue (6,036) and Red (5,120). There is also a combo White set (6,601).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 76.2/149 (Black); 73.9/144 (Gold); 72.6/141 (White); 70.1/135 (White); 71.6/137 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Among the state’s most memorable, well-conditioned layouts, the Bob Cupp design has drawn raves since its debut a little over a decade ago. The course is immensely enjoyable but a serious challenge, with all aspects of your game tested in a scenic and immaculately kept setting. Membership is no longer invitation only, and like a lot of upscale private clubs, Hawks Ridge is actively seeking new members. Its lure is Cupp’s superb layout and the quality conditioning, with the club maintaining a comfortable atmosphere considering its exclusivity. Hawks Ridge was constructed on some hilly terrain, and Cupp makes excellent use of the elevation changes to create a number of holes that provide great rewards with considerable risks, along with some splendid views from elevated tees. Right off the bat, Cupp presents you with some of the most perilous holes on the course, beginning with the lengthy, water-guarded par-4 second hole, with a hazard along the right side of the fairway and guarding the green short and right. The short, par-3 third requires a carry over water to a tiny target with the par-5 fourth and drivable par-4 sixth both featuring sharply downhill risk/reward shots. Those are among a number of holes where you have to make a strategic decision and follow with a quality shot, even if you’re only laying up. Hawks Ridge is a big course with mostly ample landing areas, but there are enough creeks lining fairways to keep you from getting too comfortable on the tee, along with a few serious carries for shorter hitters. The back nine includes another terrific but testy short par 4 that will truly test your nerves and distance control ability, as well as a dramatic par-5 finishing hole with a sizeable descent from tee to fairway and plenty of water and sand along the way. There is a tremendous amount of variety to Cupp’s layout, with the greens complexes appropriate to the length of the holes, while giving your short game and putting touch all the test you want thanks to the surrounding terrain, considerable undulation and the quickness of the surfaces.

5445 Frederica Rd., St. Simons Island

912-638-9041; www.seapalms.com

STAFF: Rick Irwin is the PGA Golf Professional; Scott Lomis is the Superintendent.

PAR/YARDAGE: Sea Palms’ original 18 plays to a par of 71 with four sets of tees: Blue (6,477 yards); White (6,092); Green (5,714) and Red (5,102).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 70.9/130 (Blue); 69.1/126 (White); 67.5/122 (Green); 69.5/118 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Although it may be overshadowed a bit by the other courses on the island, Sea Palms remains a thoroughly enjoyable resort-style layout that offers a sufficient challenge along with a healthy dose of coastal charm and aesthetic appeal. The excellent George Cobb design has held up well over the years, with the course undergoing one change of note during the past decade, when the par-4 ninth was re-worked into a semi-island green par 3. As a result, the course lost about 225 yards on the scorecard and now plays to a par 71, with five par 3s. Length was never a serious concern at Sea Palms, although the back nine is not short by any means, measuring 3,435 from the blue tees and 3,240 from the whites. The key is keeping the ball between the tight tree lines, which include a number of overhanging limbs and moss that will definitely make their presence felt if you stray off the tee. Recovery from the tree lines is possible, but requires some skill to successfully negotiate and prevent a big number. As you would expect from a resort, Sea Palms has a fair amount of water in play. While no heroics are required to carry any of the hazards, quite a few will not treat miss-hits very kindly, with a few of the more inviting holes also among the most perilous. With two par 5s under 500 yards from the blues and a trio of relatively inviting par 3s, the front nine offers an excellent opportunity for some quality scoring, but the back nine includes some deceptively difficult short-ish par 4s and two stout par 5s, the second of which begins a tough finishing trio of holes. The greens complexes are on the gentle side, but Cobb surrounds them with enough bunkers to place some pressure on your iron game. Sea Palms also has a short, par-34 West nine that has elements of both a regulation and executive layouts, with plenty of water in play.

100 Willow Run, Roswell; 770-993-9230; www.brookfieldcountryclub.com

STAFF: Carlen Webb is the PGA Director of Golf; Jerry Matthews is the Superintendent.

PAR/YARDAGE: Brookfield is a par 72 with five sets of tees – Gold (6,801 yards); Blue (6,354); White (5,818); Green (5,196) and Silver (4,998).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 72.1/138 (Gold) 70.8/133 (Blue)l 68.6/128 (White); 70.3/125 (Green): 69.3/123 (Silver).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Brookfield was extensively renovated almost a decade ago by Atlanta-based designer Mike Riley, who did not significantly alter Joe Lee’s deceptively demanding layout, but did make the greens complexes more challenging. Only the first and 18^th holes were changed appreciably, with most of Riley’s tee-to-green work consisting of leveling some fairways a bit, although many of them still have a considerable amount of slope. Keeping the ball in the short grass is a real challenge, especially on the front line where OB lurks down the left side on more than half the holes. The back nine is a bit more forgiving off the tee, but hazards are seriously in play on most of the holes on that side, including an intimidating over-water tee shot on the par-5 14^th and the dangerous par-3 15^th with water just off the left edge of the green and long. Even if you hit it straight and avoid the trouble, the renovated greens still await, with plenty of movement and speed and some pin placements uncomfortably close to ridges that can quickly turn potential birdies or pars into bogeys or doubles. The constantly changing terrain is a major element of Brookfield’s challenge, along with the presence of hazards that have to be negotiated, beginning with a pair of very testy par 4s on the opening nine (2 and 7). Because of the changes to 1 and 18, the outgoing nine is now a par 35 with only one par 5, while the back plays to a par of 37 with three of the last five holes par 5s and the punishing 17^th a virtual par 5 for all but the longest hitters. There is plenty of opportunity to find trouble coming in once you move past the 10^th, a short, inviting par 4, but the bunker-laden par-5 finishing hole offers the hope of a good finish if you can avoid the sand and find the right level of the multi-tier green. An enjoyable but sometimes perplexing layout that requires some thought and patience to solve, and remains an interesting challenge for its membership.

656 Providence Club Drive, Monroe; 770-207-4332

STAFF: Dave Ayers is the PGA Head Professional; Ande McKenzie is the Superintendent.

PAR/YARDAGE: Providence is a par 72 with four sets of tees – Gold (6,576 yards); Blue (6,159); White (5,727) and Red (5,048).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 70.7/128 (Gold); 68.9/122 (Blue); 66.5/117 (White); 68.1/115 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Originally part of the new-defunct Eagle Greens family of courses, Providence GC has had new ownership for the past two years, and has maintained its status as one of the most enjoyable courses on metro Atlanta’s east side. The course is located about five miles off 316 between Monroe and Winder, and is easily accessible for golfers in the Gwinnett-to-Athens corridor. As evidenced by the absence of serious length and the modest Course Rating/Slope numbers, Providence Club is not an overly demanding layout, but is by no means a pushover, with sufficient challenge to keep lower handicappers from going too low. The greens, which have a decent amount of undulation, provide much of the challenge, with some trees that were left in spots where they can wield considerable influence also a vital factor. Providence is reasonably open in nature, and with all but a handful of holes in the short-to-medium range, the possibility is there to post a score that will bring a smile to your face. First, however, you have to get through a strong opening quartet of holes, beginning with a short par 5 that includes a hazard down the right side that is not easily discernible. The hole is followed by two of the longest par 4s on the course, with a slightly quirky par 3 in between. The par-3 third includes two trees just in front of the tees that can greatly impact how you play the hole, which has a wide, shallow green fronted by a pond, with some pin positions that can be hard to find because of the trees and their relation to the tee boxes. Water down the left side of the 4^th invites you to cut off as much of it as you dare and is also in play on the second shot, making it a very tough hole if you don’t hit it solidly off the tee. Things ease up a bit after that tee to green, although the rolling putting surfaces continue to present plenty of challenge. The downhill, water-guarded par-3 7^th is one the area’s most scenic holes, with the short, uphill, par-5 9^th a potential birdie hole if you handle the wild putting surface. The back nine features several short, vulnerable par 4s, but a strong par-4, par-5 finish will make you earn a potentially excellent score.

1031 Cottage Rd., Greensboro

706-467-1566; www.reynoldslanding.com

STAFF: Bob Mauragas is the PGA Director of Golf; Seth Justman is the PGA Golf Professional.

PAR/YARDAGE: The Landing is a par 72 with four sets of numbered tees: 1 (7,021 yards); 2 (6,373); 3 (5,940); 4 (5,244)

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 74.4/138 (1); 71.4/131 (2); 69.4/126 (3); 71.0/129 (4).

ABOUT THE COURSE: One of the two original Lake Oconee courses, The Landing at Reynolds Plantation has changed names a time or two, but the quality of its exceptional Bob Cupp layout has never wavered. The club, originally known as Port Armor, joined the Reynolds Plantation family several years ago, and was fully merged with the other Reynolds communities last year. The course is among the strongest in the Lake Oconee area, and has served as host for both the Georgia Open and the 2008 PGA Professional National Championship. This year, the course will be the site of the state Class AAAAA high school boys championship. The Landing is a playable but demanding layout, with its difficulty increasing appreciably when the wind is gusting off Lake Oconee. The lake borders much of the opening nine as well as the appealing finishing hole, where the green has been moved to the right and flipped to make it a mirror image of its former self. The course is relatively open and not especially long by modern standards, although there are several stout par 4s where it is a definite advantage to thump it off the tee. Cupp’s greens complexes are among the strengths of The Landing, with the putting surfaces on the small side with plenty of slope. A number of the greens have multiple tiers, and you can expect some perplexing putts and demanding short game shots if you’re off by just a bit on your approaches. Be ready to play from your opening tee shot, as the lake makes an early appearance after a strong but dry opening hole. The short par-5 second offers a risk/reward option for longer hitters, with the green fronted by a finger of the lake, which also must be carried on the short, par-3 second. The lake borders the entire left side of the stout par 4-fourth, and protects the green at the fifth short and left, with a particularly evil bunker on the right making for some extremely intimidating sand shots. The inland holes are not quite as penal, but there are few soft touches along the way, as Cupp provides a terrific mix of holes that require some thought and precision to successfully handle.

Forest Hills Golf Club (Public)

1500 Comfort Rd., Augusta

706-733-0001; www.theforesthillsgolfcourse.com

STAFF: Bill Robinson is the PGA General Manager/Golf Professional; Darren Davenport is the Superintendent.

PAR/YARDAGE: Forest Hills is a par 72 with five sets of tees: Black (7,231 yards); Blue (6,886); White (6,335); Gold (5,529); Green (5,053).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 74.5/138 (Black); 73.1/129 (Blue); 70.5/126 (White); 67.1/121 (Gold); 69.5/118 (Green).

ABOUT THE COURSE: An original Donald Ross design from the mid-1920s, Forest Hills has undergone numerous changes over the years, with several major modern renovations beginning in the 1980s. The course, one of the state’s most prominent in its early days before a long stretch as a military facility, was taken over by Augusta College in the late 1970s, with the college’s expansion leading to the first major renovation in the mid 1980s. Several holes were completely altered to make room for new dormitories, and those holes, plus others on the course, have undergone a facelift since then. A number of the holes have not changed a great deal in design, but many of the greens complexes have been significantly re-worked, with the putting surfaces featuring considerably more contour than in the past. As the home of the Augusta State golf team, Forest Hills has taken on a more modern feel, with new back tees adding some 500 yards to the layout. The blue tees are a little longer than the former back tees, with the whites comparable in length to the men’s tees prior to the new tournament tees. The biggest changes are found early in the round, with the nines reversed from its pre-college days. Holes 2-6 are either completely new or vastly different from their predecessors, with 3 and 5 a pair of lengthy par 4s and the 6^th changed from a par 4 to a par 5. The final three holes on the nine are longer with much more movement on the greens, but are not a great deal different from their previous design, as is much of the back nine. The big changes on the former front nine are the par-4 12^th and par-3 13^th, among the handful of holes with water in play and among the most scenic on the course. From there in, the changes are confined mainly to the greens, with the drivable par-4 18^th remaining one of the more entertaining closing holes around. Forest Hills remains a relatively tight course off the tee, with a number of elevated tees effectively reducing the yardage a bit. The renovated greens complexes provide much of the challenge, and while they will give your short game a complete test, you don’t have to be a college golf team caliber player to earn a passing grade.

600 East Highway 16, Newnan

770-251-5683; www.orchardhills.com

STAFF: Wyatt Detmer is the PGA Director of Golf; Craig Ketelson is the Superintendent.

PAR/YARDAGE: Orchard Hills is a 27-hole layout, with each nine playing to a par of 36. The original 18 (Orchard/Logo nines) measures 7,037 yards (Gold tees); 6,553 (Blue); 5,952 (White) and 5,153 (Red). Combinations involving the Rock Garden 9 are comparable.

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: (For Orchard/Logo) 73.5/131 (Gold); 71.4/127 (Blue); 68.9/121 (White); 70.1/121 (Red). Combinations including Rock Garden are comparable.

ABOUT THE COURSE:  One of the metro area’s most enjoyable and most popular facilities, featuring an easily accessible location bordering I-85. The links-style layout of the original 18 has accounted for much of its appeal, along with its large and consistently well-conditioned greens. The newer Rock Garden nine is a bit tighter than the original 18, which features fewer tree lines and doglegs than the more typically American Rock Garden design. Some well-placed fairway bunkers and native grasses will keep those playing the Orchard/Logo layout from getting too comfortable on the tee, but most will be able to take a rip with the driver on just about every hole. A few downhill tee shots help reduce the listed yardage a bit, and the overall open nature of the layout will not tax the abilities of shorter hitters on the longer par 4s. There is not a great deal of water in play with the exception of the par 3s, which require forced carries on five of the six. The downhill 4^th and short 8^th on the Logo 9 are among the standouts, with the shallow green and surrounding drop-offs on the former making it one of the testiest among the potentially penal group of par 3s. For those beginning on the Orchard 9, one of the best par 4s they will encounter on the day is the first one they will play. Water surrounds the green on three sides on the short-ish, downhill hole, and when then pin is cut back left on the expansive green, it takes some nerve to attack the pin to avoid an extremely lengthy birdie putt. Although the terrain is on the gentle side, there are enough holes with some modest elevation changes to keep things interesting, with the greens complexes typically modestly bunkered without a great deal of movement at the edges.

Jones Creek Golf Club (Semi-Private)

777 Jones Creek Drive, Evans

706-860-4228; www.jonescreekgolfclub.com

STAFF: Gregg Hemann is the PGA Director of Golf; Drew Belt is the PGA Golf Professional.

PAR/YARDAGE: Jones Creek is a par 72 with five sets of tees: Black (6,894 yards); Blue (6,631); White (6,276); Yellow (5,743); Red (5,354).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 73.4/139 (Black); 72,1/136 (Blue); 70.6/132 (White); 68.2/122 (Yellow); 71.8/126 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: The first solo design by acclaimed course architect Rees Jones, Jones Creek opened in the mid-1980s and has long held the reputation as one of the state’s top layouts. The club has undergone some ups and downs over the years, but has made a strong comeback under local ownership and management, which has significantly increased its membership base. The course remains open for daily fee play, and is typically one of the busiest of the Augusta area courses during Masters week. Tom Fazio consulted on course renovations in 2003, with a considerable amount of work done on the greens complexes as well as some other changes, most notably on the 16^th hole, which was flattened and shortened to improve its playability. Although Jones Creek has softened somewhat over the years, it remains one of the strongest courses in the Augusta area, with the recent addition of a 5^th set of tees providing multiple options for golfers who shoot anywhere from the high 70s to the low 90s. Jones Creek offers a complete test to your game, beginning with tee shots that have to contend with relatively tight tree lines and several doglegs that stress hitting the correct side of the fairway. The greens are not as severe as they were initially, with their slope more subtle and consistent and the bunkering reduced somewhat. Other than the 16^th, the character of the course has not changed a great deal over the years, with Jones Creek offering a splendid variety of holes, including an interesting group of par 5s that require a considerable amount of precision to avoid hazards that are very much in play on three of them. The par 3s include one of the state’s finest over-water one-shotters (No. 2) and the short but pesky 15^th, where your distance control will definitely be put to the test. The diverse group of par 4s features a few where length is a definite asset, but several others that require a fair degree of thought and precision to solve the stiff but fair test Jones’ outstanding layout presents.

One Golf Club Drive, Alpharetta

770-664-8644; www.golfclubofgeorgia.com

STAFF: Jeff Paton is the PGA Director of Golf; Randy Waldron is the Superintendent

PAR/YARDAGE: Creekside plays to a par of 72 with four sets of tees – Gold (6,927 yards); Blue (6,572); White (5,912) and Red (5,004), plus two combination sets.

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 74.6/146 (Gold); 72.5/140 (Blue); 70.0/133 (White); 70.2/126 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: The lesser known of the Golf Club of Georgia’s two standout 18-hole layouts, Creekside is much more of a target-oriented course than Lakeside, which is more traditional in design and serves as the tournament course, in part because Creekside’s ninth hole does not return to the clubhouse. Creekside presented a challenge for famed golf course architect Arthur Hills, who also designed Lakeside’s layout. Creekside features a sizeable number of wetlands along the way, and you will play very few courses which required the construction of more bridges. The wetlands result in several forced carries from the tee, but none are of excessive length. Longer hitters will have the opportunity to take advantage of a short-ish quartet of par 5s, but there is a significant amount of risk involved on two of them, including the famously (or infamously) quirky fifth hole. As a group, Creekside’s par 4s are considerably more penal than those on Lakeside, although there are several vulnerable two-shotters, particularly for longer hitters. The two nines feature disparate yardages, with the back more than 200 yards longer than the front from the back three sets of tees. There are a number of excellent scoring opportunities going out, including a vulnerable par-5 opening hole, two short iron par 3s and a pair of driver-wedge par 4s. But there are also three extremely demanding par 4s, including one of the toughest you’ll encounter in the state – the intimidating 8^th hole. The back nine starts and finishes with several of the tougher holes on the course, with the moderately lengthy (and more traditional) par-4 17^th and 18^th more like Lakeside in design. The incoming nine also includes a pair of stout par 3s, with the 11^th comparable to Lakeside’s hazardous trio in terms of difficulty. Creekside’s greens complexes are a bit tamer than Lakeside’s, but the volume of hazards makes it equally (or more) challenging, particularly for shorter hitters.

Echelon Golf Club (Semi-Private)

501 Founders Drive East, Alpharetta

770-888-4653; www.echelonliving.com

STAFF: Craig Hartle is the PGA General Manager/Director of Golf; Andrew Maronge is the Superintendent

PAR/YARDAGE: Echelon plays to a par of 72 with five sets of tees – Black (7,558 yards); Gold (7.076); Blue (6,552); White (6,025); Red (4,984).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 77.8/154 (Black); 74.9/150 (Gold); 71.9/139 (Blue); 70.0/129 (White); 69.8/125 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: A lot has changed since the club opened three years ago, including a new name, different ownership/management and a shift from private to semi-private status. The only remaining constants are the outstanding Rees Jones design and the presence of veteran Georgia PGA member Craig Hartle as the club’s Director of Golf and General Manager. Echelon, which was known as the Georgia Tech Club when it opened for play in late 2006, is now semi-private, and hopes to fill a niche in the upscale daily fee market created when White Columns went private several years ago. The quality of Jones’ design and the conditions are of private club caliber, but the course is now accessible to non-members. Metro Atlanta golfers looking for a first rate course should not pass up the opportunity to give Echelon a look, but be aware that the challenge Jones’ layout presents matches its quality. The Course Rating/Slope numbers are the highest of any course in the state, but as long as you stay away from the monster Black tees, Echelon is not nearly as intimidating as those numbers might attest. However, there are a few holes, most notably the par-5 11^th, that are as demanding as any you’ll play. The hilly terrain accounts for much of Echelon’s challenge, but a number of elevated tees effectively reduces the yardage sufficiently to make the course playable if you don’t try to bite off more than you can chew. There is an ample amount of trouble in play, but if you hit it reasonably straight and choose the correct tees, most of the hazards are avoidable. A number of the greens were carved out of hillsides, but with a few exceptions are not particularly undulating. They have the capability of rolling at tour-caliber speed and help complete an all-around test of a course that is definitely worth a visit from those in search of a first rate challenge.