Lane Creek Golf Club (Public)

1201 Club Drive, Bishop
706-769-6699; www.lanecreekgolfclub.com

STAFF: Butch Foust is the General Manager; Chan Freeman is the Golf Professional.

PAR/YARDAGE: Lane Creek is a par 71 with four sets of tees: Gold (6,678 yards); Blue (6,177); White (5,526) and Red (4,792).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 71.7/134 (Gold); 69.5/128 (Blue); 66.4/121 (White); 67.2/116 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: The course was renovated under new ownership in 2006, with the greens replaced with Champions Bermuda, the bunkers re-built and some re-positioned and a few tweaks to the design. Athens area resident Mike Young handled the original design, and it remains mostly intact with the exception of two holes. The fifth hole has been changed from a par 5 to a short par 4 with a new greens complex, and the green on the par-3 third was shifted a bit. Otherwise, Lane Creek remains a fair, reasonable test of modest length, with the course conditions considerably improved after some lean years. Located a short drive off 316 south of Athens, Lane Creek draws from both the Athens area and east metro Atlanta, and includes an entertaining mix of holes, with some short and enticing par 4s balanced by an approximately equal number of longer and more demanding two-shotters.

There is no water in play on any of the par 3s, but averaging over 200 yards from the back tees, there are no easy marks among the group. Several of the putting surfaces have a decent amount of undulation, including a few of the intriguing collection of short par 4s. Among that group is the appealing but perilous fourth hole, with a rock walled pond lurking just short of the green, and the 14th, which features a wide, shallow green with multiple ridges and slopes. The fifth, formerly a par 5 with a semi-blind second shot, is now a short, inviting par 4, but a pronounced ridge through the middle of the green is capable of turning thoughts of birdies into frustrating three-putts. The longer par 4s more than compensate for their shorter counterparts, especially the seventh hole, which is still among the state’s more demanding holes despite a slightly tamer green. The hole has ample length with water in play off tee and an uphill approach to a green that still has plenty of movement.