Whitewater Creek Country Club (Private)

175 Birkdale Dr., Fayetteville
770-461-6545; www.canongategolf.com

STAFF: Tim Dunlap is the General Manager; Joseph Russello is the Golf Professional.

PAR/YARDAGE: Whitewater Creek plays to a par 72 with four sets of tees – Gold (6,739 yards); Blue (6,284); White (5,648) and Red (4,909).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 73.8/140 (Gold); 71.5/132 (Blue); 68.5/124 (White); 70.1/121 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Long one of the most respected layouts on Atlanta’s south side, the club’s reputation suffered a bit in recent years but is on the way back after its acquisition by the Canongate family courses. Once the home course for the Hooters Tour, Whitewater Creek is returning to its role as a tournament-quality layout, hosting a U.S. Open qualifier this year. Whitewater Creek is one of three Arnold Palmer Signature Courses in the Atlanta area, and like the other two (Eagle Watch and Cherokee Run) offers a strong test. The layout is relatively short by modern standards, with only a handful of holes where length is a serious concern. Both nines begin with two of the strongest holes on the course, with the 10th seeming to always play into the wind, resulting in an intimidating second shot over water for short to mid-length hitters.

Water is a frequent presence on the course, including the first three holes on the back nine. But the shot at the 10th is the only serious forced carry other than the 12th, a short risk/reward par 5 that will play as a par 4 in the Open qualifier. Two of Whitewater Creek’s five par 5s feature pronounced right to left swings, with three having water along the way and the narrow, straightaway 18th the only one of the group that doesn’t require much thought. Like the others, however, positioning is vital, with the course generally favoring accuracy over power. The greens are not especially large, but have a sizeable amount of slope, and you can expect some difficult to gage putts up and across ridges. The greenside bunkering is minimal, but many of the putting surfaces are bordered by mounds that will produce some testy short game shots.