University of Georgia Athletics
Area Golf Clubs
June 23, 2006 | General
Area Golf Clubs
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Georgia Club
The Georgia Club (par-71; 6,078 yards), which opened in June 2001 and is located a brief drive from campus off Georgia Highway 316, is the latest locale in the Lady Bulldogs' playing rotation. Course designers kept their goals quite simple: to challenge all golfers, to reward good shots, to penalize errant shots and to create a layout enjoyable for all. Early reviews indicated those aspirations had been met and surpassed.
The landing areas off the tee are generous in width and relatively flat. Position off the tee may be more important than length. There are numerous risk versus reward approaches to each hole. Par is possible by using good course management. All the trouble is visible, as are the landing areas. The greens are interesting, while not impossible.
In addition to its excellent playing conditions, the course features beautiful landscapes and the unbelievable variety of pine and hardwood trees lining the fairways.
Athens Country Club
The Athens Country Club, a 6,000-yard layout designed by Donald Ross in 1926, is noted for its tight fairways and small undulating bent greens. It also requires strategic course management and a variety of shots. Others think so as well since the course is annually rated as one of the state's top 20.
Now in its 74th year of operation, the Athens Country Club shows its maturity well. Over the years, its original design was modified for many improvements, among them underground irrigation, cart paths and the conversion from bermuda to the current greens. One outstanding feature of the course is its trees; some 2,000 were planted in the 1950s and '60s. They not only add beauty and shade, but they also provide visual definition for the players and safety from errant shots on parallel fairways. However, with the notoriously tight fairways, the same trees become a frequent hazard as well.
"The University course is the type of course that's long and tough," said former Bulldog Tim Simpson, who stills plays the Tour. "The ACC is not quite as long, but there is less room for error. Both offer two completely different styles of play, and it really helped me get ready for professional golf. We're just very fortunate to have had these facilities available."
Jennings Mill Country Club
Jennings Mill Country Club (6,318 yards; par 72) in Athens is an excellent test for golfers challenging both the players' shot-making ability and concentration. Another Cupp design, Jennings Mill was constructed in the style of a Scottish links course. Just off the Athens perimeter, it features many treacherous pot bunkers and strategically placed mounds which provide visual definition and easier depth perception around the greens. The course has also drawn praise for its superior bent grass greens, regarded as some of the finest in the nation. Golfweek also ranks this layout among the top 25 in the state.
Lake Oconee Courses
Just a short drive from Athens, the Port Armor Golf Club (6,940 yards - par 72) nestled near Lake Oconee is another long and very challenging championship test, especially when it hosts Georgia Opens on a rotating basis with the other world-class courses around the lake. The greens are quick and add a variety to one's putting skills, and Golfweek rates it as the state's 10th-best challenge.
While in the area, the Bulldogs also have access to three other gems: Reynolds Plantation, Great Waters Golf Club and The Harbor Club. Some significant events in professional golf have been played on these designs of late. The Great Waters Course at Reynolds Plantation served as a site for early round matches at the past two Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf that brings together all five of the world's major tours. At the other end of the professional spectrum, The Harbor Club hosted a first stage of the 1996 PGA Tour Qualifying School.
