STAFF: Brian Conley is the PGA Director of Golf; Ryan Keylon is the Superintendent
PAR/YARDAGE: Legacy on Lanier is a par 72 with four sets of tees: Black (6,580 yards); Blue (6,193); White (5,706) and Red (4,852).
COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 72.7/141 (Black); 71.0/137 (Blue); 68.8/130 (White); 69.7/128 (Red)

ABOUT THE COURSE: The course has changed names twice and undergone a renovation a few years ago, but retains its most obvious asset – the body of water that is part of the name. Lake Lanier is a visual presence and playing factor throughout the round, with only seven holes not impacted by the lake, the new par-3 10th among them. Don’t be deceived by the overall absence of length. The surprisingly stout slope numbers are a more accurate reflection of the challenge the layout presents, with a sizeable number of shots that have to negotiate the course’s scenic but sometimes intimidating
hazard. Legacy on Lanier is a relatively demanding course off the tee, with some narrow tree lines a factor along with the occasional presence of the lake. Several holes require forced carries over water, beginning with the perplexing third that will tempt big hitters and intimidate short knockers. The renovation added a decent amount of yardage to the course, but length is a serious factor on only a handful of holes. Holes 6 and 11 are now fairly lengthy par 5s, with accuracy still very much a factor from tee to green, as is the case on the inviting but dangerous opening hole, the first of the three par 5s that offer both scoring opportunities and plenty of trouble. There are a number of par 4s that present chances to hit short iron approaches, but on a few of them you may not get that chance of your tee shot is not well struck and well placed. The 12th hole, a similar but more benign version of the 3rd, begins a stretch of holes where the lake will swallow miss-hits or shots that drift a little too far right, with the long and perilous par-4 14th ranking with the most demanding holes you’ll encounter. The conditions are excellent, the views are picturesque and the entertainment value is extremely high, but your scorecard may not produce numbers to match the otherwise splendid experience.

ABOUT THE COURSE: West Pines Golf Club has been a fixture in the west metro Atlanta area for decades, but a major renovation in 2005 has elevated the status of the course, while also making it more of a challenge for its growing base of players. The renovation was handled by former tour player and club professional Bill Bergin, an Atlanta native, and the changes are not mere tweaks. There are several new holes and others that have been significantly altered, and the routing of the course has been completely changed with a relocation of the clubhouse. Bergin eliminated or reduced the blind shots and severely sloping fairways that defined the original design, and the new and improved West Pines is much more playable, although it has added a considerable amount of length. The blue tees are similar in yardage to the original back tees, but are very comfortable for players accustomed to playing from those tees. The whites are a nice fit for seniors and the distance challenged, taking some of the edge off a few forced carries. The renovated layout retains its rolling nature, with a varied mix of uphill and downhill shots. The landing areas are typically generous with most of the approach angles to the green open. But there is enough length and moderately hilly terrain to provide West Pines with sufficient challenge. The bent grass greens are excellent with a minimal amount of bunkering and modest slopes, but the bordering terrain will result in some testy short game shots. With the change in routing, West Pines begins with a solid group of holes, including a trio of stout, fairly lengthy par 4s and the first of an interesting and diverse group of par 5s. Things start to get interesting at the 8th, the second of the inviting but perilous par 5s, with hazards very much in play on all but one of the next six holes. The 13th concludes that stretch with an imposing lake not as much a concern as it appears. A few strong par 4s follow, along with a fairly hefty par-3 finishing hole that is the toughest of a mostly friendly group of one-shotters. Course
conditions are good and getting better, and the friendly atmosphere and affordable rates make West Pines one of the metro area’s best and most enjoyable values.

STAFF: Mitch Cook is the PGA Golf Professional; Cody Barden is the PGA Instructor
PAR/YARDAGE: White Columns plays to a par of 72 with four sets of tees: Gold (7,063 yards); Blue (6,517); White (6,015) and Red (5,087).
COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 74.0/140 (Gold); 71.5/132 (Blue); 68.8/125 (White); 70.4/124 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Once considered the premier daily fee course in metro Atlanta, White Columns converted to private status almost a decade ago, and compares very favorably to the metro area’s sizeable number of outstanding private courses. The superb Tom Fazio design provides all the elements you expect from one of his creations: ample fairways, well-positioned fairway bunkers best avoided, and large, undulating greens that will give your putter a real workout. With quite a few elevated tees, White Columns does not play its yardage, with length rarely a serious factor. The generous landing areas enable longer hitters to pull the driver on all but a handful of holes, but the fairway bunkers and occasionally tight tree lines will not treat off-target tee shots kindly. The real action begins with the approach shots, with the size and configuration of the putting surfaces requiring some precision to avoid long and difficult putts. By his
standards, Fazio’s green-side bunkering is relatively modest, with only a few carries over sand to the putting surfaces, which have lost a little of their contour since the course opened in the ‘90s, but are still a major part of White Columns’ manageable challenge. Fazio’s thoughtful and enjoyable design is a solid test for pros and low handicappers from the tips, but is definitely capable of yielding some quality score to both the scratch golfer as well as those whose average score is closer to 90. The key is avoiding big numbers on the handful of holes that have some length, trouble or both. Plenty of
scoring opportunities await, including two short and inviting par 5s (6 and 16), a very friendly and scenic par 3 (8) and a host of par 4s that measure under 400 yards from the tips. Holes 7 and 15 are a wonderful pair of short par 4s that offer completely different looks and challenges, but are balanced by several testy two-shotters, two of which are encountered late in the round (14 and 18). A gorgeous but demanding long, downhill par 3 (17) is part of one of the most entertaining finishing stretches of holes around.

ABOUT THE COURSE: Seaside, one of three exceptional courses of the Sea Island Golf Club, will host the PGA Tour McGladrey Classic for the second time this month, and was extremely well received by the tour pros who competed in the event last year. By tour standards, Seaside is not especially long, adding 50 yards since last year’s tournament to play 7,055 yards. Only a handful of the par 4s require the tour players to hit more than a short iron approach, and as a result, scores were on the low side even though the course has only two par 5s. More than half the holes played under par for the tournament, with the average score a shade over 69.3. With mostly generous fairways, superb course conditions and smooth Bermuda putting surfaces, Seaside is a comfortable course for the tour players, but is considerably more of a challenge for the club’s members and resort guests. The only concern for the tour players is the wind coming in off the ocean, which borders part of the course. Last year’s conditions were quite calm, which also was a factor in the low scoring. The ocean marshes, which are present on a majority of holes, and ever-present sand dunes give Seaside a wonderful
natural feel, but are mostly out of play for the tour pros, who are more concerned with the deep green-side bunkers, as well as Tom Fazio’s typically strategic fairway bunkering. Fazio extensively renovated Seaside a little over a decade ago, combining one of the original Colt & Allison nines from the late 1920s with Joe Lee’s Marshside nine from the early 1970s. The two mesh together beautifully, offering some scoring opportunities on the latter holes on the front side, with much of Seaside’s challenge found on the incoming nine, including three of the toughest par 4s among the last five holes, along with the more vulnerable of the two par 5s for a little breather. A visually spectacular course that is a treasure to play for those of modest ability, and a pleasure to walk for tournament spectators thanks to its compact, level nature.

STAFF: Nathan DeVictor is the PGA Golf Professional; Brett Gratz is the Superintendent

PAR/YARDAGE: Fairways of Canton is a par 70 with four sets of tees: Black (6,500 yards); Blue (6,000); White (5,400) and Green (4,600).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 72.3/135 (Black); 69.7/129 (Blue); 67.0/121 (White); 67.9/119 (Green).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Fairways of Canton opened in 2007 but shut down in less than three years, as its overly demanding layout did not meet with public approval and other aspects of the facility left much to be desired. Rocky Roquemore, who helped design many of the newer Canongate courses, had done plenty of good work in the Atlanta area,
but Fairways of Canton was not well received. Atlanta-based designer D.J. DeVictor, part of the company that has taken over operations of the club, handled the renovations of the course, which recently re-opened after being out of commission for a year. DeVictor has made it a much more playable layout, removing bunkers and trees to widen the course and make it more forgiving around the greens, although plenty of trouble still remains, especially off the tee. DeVictor has done an admirable job, but several holes remain extremely challenging and may require another tweak. Apart from a handful of
par 4s, the layout is very playable, and a few of those holes may not be par 4s for much longer. The boomerang-shaped 15 and perilous downhill 7th are listed as par 4s, but will play as par 5s for all but the lowest handicappers, with the 7th offering a small target over a wetlands area with little bailout room and trouble behind. Other than those two holes and the 3rd, another treacherous par 4 with water seriously in play off the tee and on the approach, DeVictor has made Fairways of Canton a reasonable test, but one that is likely more of a challenge than the modest Course Rating/Slope numbers would indicate. There are a number of short and inviting par 4s and a scenic and reachable risk/reward par-5 18th, with the par 3s a fairly strong group. Some interesting greens complexes remain, and the new mini-verde Bermuda surfaces have some growing in to do along with the fairways, but the course is headed in a positive direction after its early struggles.

STAFF: Phil Wagoner is the PGA Golf Professional; Mike Perpich is the PGA Director of Instruction
PAR/YARDAGE: RiverPines is a par 70 with five sets of tees: Black (6,602 yards); Blue (6,284); White (5,785); Silver (5,193) and Red (4,291).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 71.1/132 (Black); 69.4/127 (Blue); 67.2/119 (White): 69.3/119 (Silver/Ladies); 64/1/105 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: One of the most popular and well-respected daily fee courses in Atlanta for the past two decades, RiverPines offers a consistently enjoyable overall golf experience, beginning with an excellent, well-conditioned Denis Griffiths design. RiverPines also has a fun, 9-hole par 3 that is great for juniors and novice golfers and one of Atlanta’s finest practice facilities, headed up by the highly-regarded Perpich. The staff is friendly and efficient and the fees are affordable, with the course one of the easiest to walk thanks to its compact, non-developed setting. With five sets of tees, there are multiple options for almost every level of player, with the yardages a bit deceptive in both directions. As a par 70 with only two par 5s, the yardages on the scorecard make the course seem more inviting than it is, thanks to several stout par 4s. However, with multiple tee boxes on each hole, some of the holes can play shorter than indicated. Apart from the handful of hefty par 4s, length is not what River Pines is about, with Griffiths’ layout presenting the opportunity to post a score you’ll be happy with as long as you don’t bite off a little more than you can chew. With a mostly tame group of par 3s and only one of the two par 5s much of a threat, the challenge comes from the par 4s, many of which require accuracy off the tee with several testy approach shots. There are quite a few hazards in play, starting with the par 4s that begin each nine, with small wetlands areas protecting both greens. The 10th is one of several short-ish par 4s where club selection and precision are vital from the tee, with errant tee shots on the tighter holes exacting penalties. There are also several challenging approaches to greens protected by hazards, but none on holes of serious length, with the par-5 17th an interesting but perplexing risk/reward short par 5. The greens complexes are gentle and there are plenty of scoring opportunities, but the tougher par 4s will keep you from going too low.

STAFF: Bill Houck is the General Manager; Michael Parrott is the PGA Director of Instruction.
PAR/YARDAGE: Brookfield Country Club 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); 68.6/128 (White); 70.3/125 (Green); 69.3/123 (Silver).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Another Mike Riley renovation of an original Joe Lee design, but not as much of a change from tee to green as at Rivermont. Other than a handful of holes, mainly the 1st and 18th, Riley did not change the tee-to-green nature of Brookfield a great deal, but the bunkering and greens complexes are significantly from those that Lee designed. The course is still relatively short, with the main remaining exception the tour-length par-4 17th. Like Rivermont, Brookfield is on the tight side off the tee, with plenty of problems from start to finish for those who fight a hook, especially on the front nine. Although some of the landing areas have been softened, Brookfield retains some of the most rolling fairways around, and misses in the wrong spots will result in awkward recovery shots. Keep it in the fairway off the tee and Brookfield is not an overly demanding test, although Riley’s re-worked greens complexes have given the course a good deal more bite, with enlarged, deepened bunkers and greens that have added a decent amount of slope. There is a considerable stylistic difference in the two nines, with the front a par 35 with only one par 5 and the biggest concern OB stakes down the left side on six holes. The downhill, dogleg left second features one of the oddest and most difficult second shots you’ll play, although big hitters can take much of the danger out if play. The shorter but more penal seventh is the other danger hole going out, with a precise lay-up required to avoid trouble off both sides and a lengthy second shot having to clear water to reach a rolling, tough-to-hot green. The back nine begins with a short, inviting par that will test your wedge skill, but there isn’t another breather until the short and bunker-laden par-5 18th. In between are plenty of hazards, most notably on a pair of perilous par 5s, a daunting mid-range par 4 (12) with an approach shot that rivals the second, and a water-lined par 3 that does not offer much bailout room. A little quirky in spots, but an entertaining layout for those who don’t need a map to find a fairway.

STAFF: Chris Cupit is the General Manager; Matthew Evans & Roger Keller are the PGA Head Professionals.
PAR/YARDAGE: Rivermont is a par 72 with four sets of tees: Red (7,112 yards); White (6,470); Blue (5,742); Gold (5,003).
COURSE RATING/SLOPE: Red (74.6/139); White (71.6/131); Blue (68.4/123); Gold (69.4/125).

ABOUT THE COURSE: A Mike Riley renovation five years ago has significantly changed the look and nature of the popular but low-key club, which has been around since the early 1970s. Riley took the solid, understated Joe Lee design and gave it a new character and look. Riley’s renovations have enhanced the natural feel of the layout, with native grasses and shallow, brown sand bunkers that give the course more of a retro appearance. Riley’s changes were much more than cosmetic, with the back tees adding a hefty 345 yards and the next set 90 yards longer despite four holes that are a total of 100 yards shorter than pre-renovation. The new greens have considerably more movement than they did originally, with some interesting swales and ridges that will put your putting touch to the test when you have to negotiate them from long range. One thing that has remained the same from Lee’s original design is the need to drive the ball accurately. With creeks lining a large percentage of holes and OB and tree lines also very much in play, errant tee shots will be harshly penalized. Although Rivermont still has its share of bunkers, Riley has altered Lee’s surround-the-greens style, with few approach shots having to clear sand to reach the putting surface. The course features its share of standout holes both visually and strategically, with one of the strongest 1/18 combos around. The par-4 first is one of the toughest openers you’ll encounter, and the first example of the danger that awaits if you stray to either side. Other highlights are a drivable but perilous short par 4 (11), a long, narrow and hazardous par 5 (7) and a dramatic downhill par 3 with a huge green that will make you think you’re in the mountains. With sizeable gaps between tees, there are several combo sets with the senior and forward tees both a good bit shorter than originally. A lot of course from the tips. A lot of fun from the remaining tees, but with ample challenge.

STAFF: Mark Mongell is the PGA Director of Golf; Matt Klejka is the PGA Golf Professional.
ABOUT THE COURSE: Cherokee Country Club’s North Course is a par 72 with five sets of tees: Black (6,931 yards); Burgundy (6,513); Blue (6.034); White (5,498) and Gold (4,835).
COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 73.5/134 (Black); 71.4/130 (Burgundy); 69.5/126 (Blue); 66.6/132 (White); 68.9/123 (Gold).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Cherokee CC hosts the GSGA’s Amateur Championship this month, with the field taking on a classic, traditional style layout that has been renovated a bit in recent years. The course last hosted the Georgia Amateur in 2001, and the main changes since then is a switch in putting surfaces from bent grass to Champions Bermuda, and the conversion of holes 9 and 18 to par 4s for the tournament. The change to the 18th, which is only 487 from the back tees, was necessary, but the 9th is the longest and strongest of the remaining par 5s. Cherokee is relatively generous in width and not particularly long, although the gently rolling terrain will result in some slightly uneven lies. Those who play the course aggressively from the tee will have the opportunity to hit a lot of short iron second shots. The challenge in the tournament will be the greens complexes, with the new surfaces able to roll at very quick speeds and new chipping areas surrounding them placing a premium on the short game. Short side misses and approaches into the deep greenside bunkers will present definite up-and-down challenges, which should give the state’s mid-amateur contingent a chance to reclaim the title after four straight wins by collegiate players, who have taken six of the last seven State Ams. The two converted par 4s will likely be the toughest holes on the course, with no other par 4s longer than 435. The scenic and excellent group of par 3s includes a few of the over-water variety, with some testy potential pin positions. There are several interesting short-ish par 4s that offer differing options, with the 13th likely to be a drivable hole a day or two during the tournament. The short, tight par-5 15th will be within reach in two for just about the entire field, and will provide eagle opportunities for those who can find the narrow green from the fairway. Conditions will be superb for the championship, as they are consistently for the members, who have a second course to choose from at the club.

STAFF: Dick Schulz is the Director of Golf; Andy Bowman is the PGA Golf Professional.
PAR/YARDAGE: The Oaks is a par 71 with four sets of tees: Black (6,577 yards); Blue (6,265); White (5,833) and Gold (4,451).
COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 70.6/129 (Black); 69.2/126 (Blue); 67.3/118 (White); 66.2/110 (Gold).

ABOUT THE COURSE: A long time Atlanta area favorite on the east side of the metro area, the Oaks has built its reputation on affordability, a welcoming atmosphere and one of the most enjoyable layouts around with Champions Bermuda greens that are consistently among the best of Atlanta’s daily fee facilities. Over the years, the course has gotten a bit more challenging, with the addition of some back tees adding a few hundred yards. The most notable change is the 9th, which has been converted from a par 4 to par 5, and now features an intimidating tee shot through a narrow chute of trees, with trouble looming off both sides of the fairway. The overall yardage is a bit deceiving, as the only truly short holes on the course are an opening pair of sub-350-yard par 4s, the par-4 18th and a par 3 that measures 165 from the tips. Other than the 9th, the Oaks is a mostly forgiving course off the tee, although a creek that winds down the right side of the first fairway and trees and OB right on the second can cause some early problems. Water is in play on about half the holes, most notably on two of the most demanding par 3s in all of Atlanta. The fourth is a stout 217 from the tips with water short and left, with the 11th all carry at 193, with wind a frequent concern. Both holes also feature greens with a decent amount of slope, with the excellent putting surfaces among the Oaks’ primary challenges. The greens complexes are otherwise very gentle, with few bunkers and minimal mounding, the par-4 12th one of the few exceptions in that regard. The dogleg left is among the tougher hazard-free par 4s around, with the wide, shallow elevated green extremely difficult to hit in regulation. The 17th ranks with the 12th in difficulty, with a long second shot over water short of the green, and trees within range for those who pull their approaches. All in all, one of the most entertaining golf experiences you’ll find in Atlanta, especially for those who prefer to tote their bags.