Orchard Hills (Public)

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.