The golf season unofficially begins each year in gorgeous Augusta, Georgia at The Masters. With the birds chirping and azaleas in full bloom, the sights, smells and sounds of spring mean it’s a new season for golf fans across the United States. The competition isn’t half bad, either.
But, golf in the state of Georgia isn’t strictly limited to the incredibly private and prestigious Augusta National Golf Club. In fact, Georgia is home to many terrific areas for golf and some of the nation’s best public golf courses. Below, we examine the 10 best courses for golf in Georgia:
10. Reynolds Plantation (Landing)
Reynolds Plantation is one of Georgia’s two main golf resorts and boasts multiple courses on this list. The resort is situated in Oconee, Georgia, midway between Atlanta and Augusta. The Landing Course at Reynolds Plantation is the original golf course, which opened in 1986.
9. Sea Island (Retreat)
Sea Island is the other area in Georgia home to some of the state’s best courses. On the southeastern coast just north of the Florida-Georgia border, Sea Island is where many PGA Tour stars reside. The Retreat at Sea Island is one of three of the resort’s courses on this list. PGA Tour legend Davis Love III and his brother Mark redesigned the course in 2001. It appeals to a broad range of skill levels.
8. Sea Island (Plantation)
The Plantation Course at Sea Island offers a “parkland by the sea” feel with some of the best vistas in Georgia. Golfers of all skill levels will thoroughly enjoy the beauty and feel of a links-style course on this gorgeous Rees Jones masterpiece. Famed course designer Walter Travis originally conceived the course in the 1920s.
7. University of Georgia
Home to one of the nation’s perennial college golf powers, the UGA Golf Course in Athens, Georgia is open to students, faculty, staff, alumni and the general public. Robert Trent Jones originally designed the course. Love Golf Design recently redesigned and renovated the course.
6. Club at Savannah Harbor
Owned and operated by Troon Golf, The Club at Savannah Harbor is an upscale public course. Golfweek ranks it number three on its list of top courses to play in Georgia. Golfers will especially enjoy the views of downtown Savannah and the winding route through wetlands.
5. Reynolds Plantation (National)
The National Course at Reynolds Plantation takes golfers on a journey through elevation changes and breathtaking views. Renovated in 2014, the original Tom Fazio design holds up as one of Georgia’s most beautiful golf courses.
4. Reynolds Plantation (Oconee)
The Plantation Course at Reynolds Plantation was recently renovated. It was originally designed by Reynolds’ lead designer Bob Cupp and PGA Tour champions Fuzzy Zoeller and Hubert Green. A goal of the renovation was to keep the natural rolling terrain a focal point of the experience as well as making the course a bit more playable for beginner-level golfers.
3. Cuscowilla
Located nearby the Reynolds Plantation courses in Eatonton, Georgia, Cuscowilla is a spectacular course. Famed designers Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw created the course. Golfers can expect Coore and Crenshaw’s usual natural feel, shaped by towering pines and large, expansive openings.
2. Reynolds Plantation (Great Waters)
The Great Waters Course at Reynolds Plantation opened in 1992. Experts have consistently ranked it among the nation’s best public golf courses. A Jack Nicklaus signature course, Great Waters is equal parts challenging and breathtaking.
1. Seaside Course (Seaside)
The flagship course at the Sea Island resort, the Seaside Course seemingly transports golfers to a different continent with its Scottish Links feel. Originally designed in 1929, Tom Fazio recently renovated the Seaside Course. Host of the PGA Tour’s annual RSM Classic, Sea Island’s Seaside Course is among the best in the nation and our top golf course in Georgia.
— Ben Larsen