Highland Golf Club (Semi-Private)

2271 Flat Shoals Rd., Conyers
770-483-4235; www.highlandgolf.com

STAFF: Jody Stephens is the PGA golf professional; Leroy Reed is the Superintendent

PAR/YARDAGE: Highland GC is a par 72 with 4 sets of tees: Gold (6,817 yards); Blue (6,362); White (5,915) and Red (5,383).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 72.9/129 (Gold); 71.0/125 (Blue); 68.6/121 (White); 71.0/123 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Among the metro Atlanta area’s most time-tested layouts, opening for play in 1961. A long time area favorite, Highland offers a quality layout with excellent course conditions considering the affordable fees. Its mostly level, compact nature makes it an easy course to walk, and you will not find many facilities in all of Atlanta that provide more value for the cost. With only a handful of holes where length is much of a factor, Highland is a comfortable layout for players of modest ability, but it is far from a pushover. The tree-lined, straightforward front nine offers little in the way of serious trouble, at least until you reach the short but potentially perilous par-5 ninth, which includes one of only two hazards in play on the outgoing nine. The par-3 10th comes back to the clubhouse, with the nature of the course changing markedly once you tee it up on 11. The back nine includes a number of challenging and distinctive holes, with the 11th one of the metro area’s stouter par 4s, owing to a pond that protects the front left of a sizeable green with multiple levels and some devilish pin positions.

Coming in, you will encounter a well-placed tree in the fairway (13), one of Atlanta’s finest and most appealing over-water par 3s (15), a lengthier par 5 with water in play (17) and a true road hole (16), where the tee shots have to take into account traffic coming to and from the clubhouse parking lot. The excellent putting surfaces are on the small side and mostly open in nature, and require some precision from the fairway and a deft short game touch to produce a score you would expect from a course with neither significant length nor an abundance of trouble. An enjoyable, modestly challenging layout that is well worth the trip out 1-20 for those who don’t live in Conyers.

Green Island Country Club (Private)

6501 Standing Boy Rd., Columbus
706-324-3706

STAFF: Richard Korytoski is the Director of Golf; Matt Heitmueller is the Golf Professional.

PAR/YARDAGE: Green Island CC is a par 71 with five sets of tees: Blue (6,435 yards); Member (6,215); White (5,968); Ladies Member (5,335) and Red (5,095).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 71.9/136 (Blue); 71.1/133 (Member); 70.0/129 (White); 72.9/132 (Ladies Member); 70.8/129 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Green Island has a proud tradition as a tournament host of both professional and amateur events, including the PGA Tour for more than 20 years (Southern Open, 1970-90) and a Champions Tour event in 2003. The GSGA has played its championship there three times, and will play its second Senior Championship at the club this year. Prolific golf course architect Joe Lee created the original design in 1961, with some renovation work done in the 1990s. Despite its absence of length, Green Island held its own against the Tour players, with the distinctive old-style layout requiring players to handle a variety of uneven lies on the rolling fairways. With a number of short par 4s along the way, scoring opportunities abound, but sound strategic thinking, a healthy dash of accuracy and a deft short game are required to capitalize on them.

Many of the greens are elevated and open up towards the back, usually behind bunkers that can make for some very testy approach shots. Among the most recent design changes was the reduction of some of more severe slopes on the putting surfaces, which made things a little easier on one hand, but has also resulted in some new pin positions that can be difficult to attack. Offsetting the short 4s and one rolling but inviting par 5 are a pair of long par 5s with water in play, as well as two stout, uphill par 3s. A scenic, downhill par 3 with a pond in front will test your distance control and the sloping green will challenge your putting touch. Among the highlights of the unique layout is the par-4 10^th, which played as the opening hole for the tour pros. Starting from a small tee along side a pond, the hole offers all sorts of problems beginning with an angled, uphill tee shot that has to avoid overhanging trees and find the right portion of the fairway to provide an unobstructed approach to a wide green guarded by trees left and a hazard short. Good luck if you miss a shot or get out of position.

Wilmington Island Club (Semi-Private)

501 Wilmington Island Rd., Savannah
912-897-1615

STAFF: Patrick Richardson is the Golf Professional; Don Hemmerle is the Superintendent

PAR/YARDAGE: Wilmington Island plays to a par of 71 with four sets of tees: Blue (6,672 yards); White (6,274); Gold (5,658) and Red (5,152).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 72.5/133 (Blue); 70.7/129 (White); 67.7/120 (Gold); 70.8/129 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: One of the state’s most historic courses, the club has undergone many changes over the years, including its name and several renovations to the layout. Formerly known as the Savannah Inn & CC and later the Sheraton Savannah Resort, it became Wilmington Island Club in the 1990s after the once nationally known resort fell on some lean times. The club has since rebounded with the addition of a first class clubhouse and some major renovation work that has put much of the shine back on the classic Donald Ross layout. The original Ross design dates back to 1927, with Willard Byrd overseeing the first re-design in the mid-1960s.

The course became a popular tournament site for the Georgia PGA and GSGA, serving as host for the Georgia Open through the early 1990s, as well as the GSGA Championship in 1979. The club has also hosted the GSGA 4-Ball Championship four times since 1991, most recently in 2006, and is a regular stop on state and regional junior tours. The most recent renovation work came earlier this decade, and included some significant changes. The first and 18^th holes were switched, with the former par-5 18^th now a par 4 beginning with a tee shot over a pond. The new 18^th is now a demanding par-4 with a pond fronting s small green that presents a very difficult target to hit. The nines have been reversed, with holes 2-9 now 10-17 and 10-17 now 2-9, with the front nine now playing to a par of 35. A ditch that winds through the course was expanded in several spots, enhancing the appearance and adding a little more challenge to the predominantly friendly layout. Water is in play on more than half the holes, including a trio of scenic, short-to-medium par 3s. A variety of coastal trees border almost all the fairways and place a premium on driving accuracy, with the well-guarded greens complexes including some bunkers that can produce some nervous glances with water looming just off the putting surface.

Druid Hills Golf Club (Private)

740 Clifton Rd. NE;
404-377-1766; www.druidhillsgolfclub.com

STAFF: Paul Hattimer is the General Manager; Randall Couch is the Golf Professional.

PAR/YARDAGE: Druid Hills plays to a par of 72 with five sets of tees – Black (6,860 yards); Blue (6,479); White (5,956); Burgundy (5,502) and Green (4,842).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 73.6/139 (Black); 71.8/133 (Blue); 69.4/124 (White); 72.2/128 (Burgundy); 68.7/119 (Green).

ABOUT THE COURSE: One of Atlanta’s venerable private clubs, Druid Hills was extensively renovated five years ago by acclaimed course architect Bob Cupp, with the changes including a significant addition of length and a few major revisions to holes. The character of the course has not changed appreciably, although a few of the par 4s are considerably more challenging than they were because of the added length to both the black and blue tees. The rolling nature of the layout remains one of its main assets, with the biggest change coming on the par-4 15th, which was formerly a flat hole on a flood plain. The green has been moved well up a steep hill, resulting in a testy approach shot on a hole of modest yardage.

The green on the third hole, one of two wonderful short, downhill par 4s capable of producing a wide range of scores, was moved closer to a bordering creek, with the green at the uphill, par-3 sixth also re-positioned a little closer to a lake which is not seriously in play on the hole. Despite the additional length, Druid Hills remains a relatively short course by modern standards, with the top amateurs who compete in the annual Dogwood Invitational still capable of posting some spectacular scores. But for the club’s members and guests, the course has a little more bite, especially the par 4s that open both nines and the two finishing holes, a 225-yard par 3 and the lone par 5 of serious length. The remaining trio of par 5s offer excellent scoring chances, although the well-bunkered seventh and risk/reward 14th require considerable precision to take advantage of their absence of length. Along with the added yardage and re-positioning, the putting surfaces were also upgraded, with the outstanding bent grass surfaces making for some slick putts on the greens with a decent amount of slope. Cupp’s work has certainly enhanced the course, which again ranks among the best in the metro area.

Bear’s Best (Public)

5342 Aldeburgh Dr., Suwanee;
678-714-2582; www.bearsbest.com

STAFF: Craig Riddle is the Club Manager; Cole Register is the Golf Professional.

PAR/YARDAGE: Bear’s Best plays to a par 72 with four sets of tees – Gold (7,037 yards); Blue (6,447); White (5,951); and Red (5,076).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 72.5/140 (Gold); 70.3/137 (Blue); 68.0/125 (White); 70.0/127 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Since it opened in 2002, Bear’s Best has vied for the title of top daily fee course in the Atlanta area, offering a unique layout that consists of 18 holes replicated from some of the finest designs of Jack Nicklaus. After taking a look at the relatively rugged terrain on which the course was built, Nicklaus determined what holes of his would work best in the setting, and the layout flows nicely, with no holes out of place from a design standpoint. There are a number of holes that will be familiar to golf fans, including two each from Muirfield Village and Sherwood Country Club, the 18th from Castle Rock, one of the “Bear Trap” holes from PGA Golf Club and three from courses in the British Isles that have hosted major international events. In all, 11 of the 18 holes are from courses that have been the site of televised tournaments. Although there are several holes where poorly struck shots will be severely penalized, Bear’s Best is not an overly demanding layout, especially by Nicklaus standards.

The back tees have been lengthened about 200 yards, but the yardages from the other three sets are unchanged. The course is very playable from the blue tees, with only the par-4 18th from Castle Rock having serious length. Bear’s Best features mostly generous fairways, although the Bermuda rough is a significant factor. As a group, the greens are on the small side, and with a handful of exceptions do not have an excess of undulation. Only about one-third of the holes have water in play, but those are definitely hazardous, most notably the par 3s from Muirfield Village and the Bear Trap, and the par-4 eighth from a less familiar Nicklaus design. The par 5s are hazard free but relatively tight, and provide some scoring opportunities along with four short-ish par 4s, including the first and 10th holes from Sherwood CC. There are some interesting design features around the greens on several of the opening holes, with the layout holding your interest from the first tee shot to last putt. The course is casually upscale, with typically outstanding conditions and a forecaddie program making it a strong attraction for out of town visitors and corporate outings.

Griffin Country Club (Private)

430 Country Club Drive, Griffin; 770-228-0710

STAFF: Tom Neary is the Golf Professional; Gordon Dixon is the General Manager.

PAR/YARDAGE: Griffin Country Club is a par 72 with four sets of tees — Blue (6,850 yards); White (6,448); Gold (5,635) and Red (5,424).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 73.9/133 (Blue); 71.8/128 (White); 68.3/118 (Gold); 72.3/125 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: The host of the annual Georgia PGA Griffin Classic, the course is an underrated and understated test of golf, designed by the late Willard Byrd, one of golf’s most respected architects. The first nine holes opened in the 1960s, with the second nine added some years later. Byrd’s well-crafted design is on the short side by modern standards, and got a little shorter several years ago when the tees on one of the par 5s had to be moved forward. That has left the course with two easily reachable par 5s for the Georgia PGA members and amateurs who will play in the Griffin Classic next month, along with a 600-yarder that typically requires three shots and the rolling ninth, which includes some risk for those taking a rip with their approach shot. A reversal of the nines some years back has resulted in a par-3 18th, which provided a truly memorable finish to last year’s tournament. Jeff Hull, tied for the lead at the time, scored a hole-in-one, believed to be the first time someone has won a sanctioned tournament with an ace on the final hole.

The tournament participants will tackle a tree-lined layout that demands accuracy as well as some strategic thinking from the tee. The absence of length and the narrow fairways, several of which have hazards within reach, will keep the driver in the bag on more than one occasion throughout the round. With no par 4s longer than 430 yards, three par 3s of modest difficulty and the reachable par 5s, Griffin Country Club offers a number of scoring opportunities for those who keep it in the short grass. But the mostly undersized putting surfaces have some slope and generally are on the quick side at tournament time, keeping scores from going extremely low. Many of the greens are wide and shallow, making them play considerably different based on pin position. Over the years, the Griffin Classic has produced a succession of worthy winners, with multiple winners Tim Weinhart and Clark Spratlin joining the likes of Stephen Keppler, Ed Everett, Tommy Brannen, Sonny Skinner, Craig Stevens, John Godwin and Kris Blanks, who is headed to the 2009 PGA Tour.

Callaway Gardens – Mountain View (Public)

Pine Mountain, Ga.;
706-663-5044; www.callawaygardens.com

STAFF: Bud Robison is the Director of Golf; Matthew Harris is the General Manager.

PAR/YARDAGE: The Mountain View course is a par 72 with four sets – Blue (7,057 yards); White (6,630); Green (5,783) and Red (4,883).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 73.7/139 (Blue); 71.9/134 (White); 68.2/126 (Green); 69.4/120 (Red),

ABOUT THE COURSE: The home for a decade of an annual PGA Tour event, Callaway Gardens’ Mountain View course remains a popular tournament site for the Georgia PGA, GSGA and junior golf organizations, with the PGA Tour returning in November for a second stage qualifying event. The Georgia PGA will again host its Match Play Championship on the Mountain View course later this month, with the state’s top club professionals taking on one of Georgia’s most respected layouts. Mountain View, the feature course of Callaway Gardens’ 45-hole golf complex, is a wonderful, traditional-style layout designed by Dick Wilson. Advances in modern technology have taken some of the teeth out of the 7,057-yard back tees for pros and top amateurs, but the 6,630-yard white tees remain a very strong test for the vast majority of the resort’s visitors. Mountain View is as straightforward as courses of its caliber come, with only two holes where water hazards are seriously in play and just two with significant doglegs. The keys to playing well at Mountain View are avoiding the pesky Bermuda rough that lines the fairways and hitting precise approach shots to the very well-guarded greens, which typically offer targets of modest size and can be testy to putt despite the absence of significant amounts of slope.

With none of the par 4s having serious length, longer hitters will have a succession of short iron approaches, but two of the par 3s and several of the par 5s will provide opportunities for long irons, hybrids or fairway metals. Two of the par 3s are over 210 yards from the tips, with only one of the par 5s within easy range in two for the pros who will visit the course in the next few months. The dogleg right second is just over 500 yards, but a tiny green surrounded by sand and trees near the putting surface that must be negotiated make it a hole where a quality short game is as vital as prodigious length. The par-5 15th, one of the two featuring water in play, is the course’s most famous (or infamous) hole, with a real risk for those going for the green in two. Simply a solid, playable and thoroughly enjoyable test of golf in a pastoral, natural setting.

Windermere (Private)

5000 Davis Love Drive, Cumming
678-513-1000; www.canongategolf.com

STAFF: Ray Garbiras is the PGA Golf Professional; Tommy Hewitt is the Superintendent.

PAR/YARDAGE: Windermere plays to a par 71 with four sets of tees: Black (6,805 yards); Blue (6,283); White (5,532) and Red (4,635).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 73.3/139 (Black); 70.3/134 (Blue); 67.5/121 (White); 68.0/118 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: One of the most popular Atlanta area daily fee courses from the day it opened in 2000, the course went private several years ago as part of the expansion of the Canongate family of courses. Among the earliest courses from Davis Love’s design group, Windermere was carved out of some rugged terrain that resulted in several elevation changes of significance and only a handful of holes not impacted by the rolling terrain. With a handful of exceptions, length is not a vital necessity, and Love has provided an ample amount of fairway width on just about every hole. Some well-placed fairway bunkers are in play here and there, and longer hitters will want to leave the driver in the bag on several holes with sharp doglegs and serious trouble.

The high slope rating is mostly a product of the number of hazards in play, as well as some large, undulating greens that will result in plenty of chances for three-putts. Love deftly mixes demanding holes with a number of scoring opportunities, tempting longer hitters to take a few risks in order to reap rewards. The risks, however, are considerable, especially on the back nine, where the majority of the holes can inflict damage to your scorecard if you miss a shot in the wrong place. Three of the par 5s fall into the risk/reward category, although the risk on the downhill third comes on the tee shot, one of the few on the opening nine that demands accuracy. Things change on the back nine, where most of the trouble is found and the decisions regarding club selection and positioning from the tee are crucial. The large, rolling greens, most of which are well guarded by sand, water or both, don’t make things any easier when it comes to chipping and putting. But if you can avoid the obvious trouble spots, Windermere will yield decent scores, although they won’t come easily.

The Georgia Club (Semi-Private)

1050 Chancellors Drive, Statham
770-725-8100; www.thegeorgiaclub.com

STAFF: Mike O’Malley is the PGA Golf Professional; Dennis Echols is the Superintendent.

PAR/YARDAGE: The Georgia Club is a 27-hole layout with the Red and Black nines playing to a par of 36 and the Silver nine a par 35. Each nine has four sets of tees. Yardages are: Red – 3,598 yards (Black tees); 3,297 (Silver); 3,075 (White); 2,585 (Red). Black – 3,865 (Black); 3,372 (Silver); 3,174 (White); 2,567 (Red). Silver – 3,428 (Black); 3,194 (Silver); 2,964 (White); 2,403 (Red).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: The average for the three combinations (Red/Black, Red/Silver. Black/Silver) are: 73.4/131 (Black); 71.6/128 (Silver); 69.4/124 (White); 69.4/114 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Since it opened in 2001, the outstanding Denis Griffiths-designed layout has taken its place among the state’s top daily fee layouts, with nine holes added in 2006. Griffiths incorporated the new holes into one of the two existing nines, with the original back nine (Silver) remaining intact. The new holes, which are part of the Red and Black nines, gave the course some added length, with the nine new holes a hefty 3,775 yards from the tips and 3,450 from the next set of tees. The new holes work well with the originals, with the overall design among the best on Griffiths’ growing list of Georgia courses (St. Marlo, Brasstown Valley, Chateau Elan, Chestatee, RiverPines, Georgia National, Chicopee Woods, Crystal Lake among them). Seven holes on the Silver nine are originals, with the new fifth hole recently being renovated with the removal of some trees and addition of several fairway bunkers.

Most of the new holes are part of the Black nine, which also includes the 8th and 9th from the original Red nine. For the most part, the course is very generous off the tee, but with a sizeable number of dogleg holes, positioning is vital to keep some of the longer holes from playing even longer than they are. Water is in play on a modest number of holes, among them a pair of par 3s on the Black nine that play in opposite directions around a pond. For the most part, the bunkers are more of a factor than the water, producing some decisions from the tee and on lay-up shots, as well as requiring precision to reach some pin positions on the typically large, moderately undulating greens. As usual, Griffiths’ layout includes a diverse mix of some holes, with several very strong par 4s, an interesting group of par 3s and enough scoring opportunities to offset the more daunting challenges. Conditions are consistently first rate, and the location just off Georgia 316 makes it easily accessible to metro Atlanta as well as Athens.

White Columns Country Club (Private)

300 Clubhouse Drive, Alpharetta;
770-343-9025; www.whitecolumnscountryclub.com

STAFF: Bryan Nelson is the Golf Professional; Cody Barden is the Golf Instructor.

PAR/YARDAGE: White Columns is a par 72 with four sets of tees – Gold (7,053 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: Considered metro Atlanta’s premier daily fee course before the course converted to private status, it holds its own against the wealth of outstanding private clubs in the golf rich suburbs of north Fulton. The Tom Fazio-designed course opened in the early 1990s, and the quality of layout and the superb conditioning have held steady since. Like The Frog, a Fazio design in the metro area that has remained a daily fee facility, White Columns is a big course. Ample fairways. A healthy number of expansive bunkers. And some large, rolling greens that will test the putting ability of the finest practitioners with the flat stick from both long and short range. With a handful of exceptions, White Columns is not an especially lengthy layout by modern standards, with the greens complexes providing much of the challenge and making it more of a second shot course.

The main concern off the tee is the frequent presence of some penal fairway bunkers, with the tree lines relatively well removed from play on most holes. Much of the water on the course is more seen than seriously felt, although the excellent stretch of finishing holes offers four chances to get wet on the last five holes. Fazio’s layout includes a number of standout holes, including a pair of visually striking downhill par 3s, one short and one long. The diverse group of par 5s is balanced between short and long, inviting and demanding, with the two on the back nine featuring one of the more gorgeous backdrops you’ll encounter, as well as a humongous triple tier green that exemplifies the challenge once you pull the putter from your bag. The par 4s also include a nice mix of holes, with two memorable short par 4s, one with water, one without. Built as a daily fee course, White Columns’ and variety make it equally worthy in a private setting, with the layout holding up over repeated rounds.