Creek at Hard Labor (Public golf course)

1400 Knox Chapel Road, Rutledge
706-557-3006; www.georgiagolf.com

STAFF: Terry Phillips is the PGA Golf Professional/General Manager; Paul M. Clark is the Superintendent

PAR/YARDAGE:  The Creek at Hard Labor plays to a par of 72 with four sets of tees: Blue (6,612 yards); White (6,166); Gold (5,348) and Red (4,676).

COURSE RATING: 71.3/133 (Blue); 69.0/128 (White); 65.0/117 (Gold); 67.3/116 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: After celebrating its 40^th birthday last year, the Creek remains a popular stop for golfers east of metro Atlanta and south of Athens. Its location just a few miles north of I-20 makes it one of the most accessible of the State Park courses, and its layout is among the friendlier you’ll encounter, but only if you have the ability to hit it straight off the tee. With tree lines typically tight to both sides of the fairway, the Creek is not very inviting to those who spray it off the tee, but with its general absence of length, a driver is not required on several of the tightest holes. There are only two holes with serious length, including the downhill first, one of the tougher openers in the state. Keeping your tee shot on the rolling fairway is no easy task, nor is the second, which requires a carry over water to an elevated green, usually off a hanging lie. The 16^th is just long, and plays more like a par 5 than does the sixth hole, which is shorter than 16 but does require a modest carry over water from the tee. Apart from 1 and 16, scoring opportunities abound, with several short par 4s, a quartet of par 3s of modest length but with water in play on three, and a few inviting par 5s. Beginning with the 16^th, the Creek concludes with a relatively difficult stretch of holes, concluding with the longest and stoutest of the three par 5s.

The Creek’s Bermuda greens are in good shape and not especially undulating, offering the possibility of holing some putts and saving par if you miss the putting surfaces. The greens complexes are also on the gentle side, but some of the rolling terrain encountered from tee to green is also a factor around some of the putting surfaces. Like the other State Park courses, the greens fees at the Creek are extremely reasonable, and with the quality of the course, it ranks with the best bargains in the state.