Looking for a great way to check out golf in the great state of Georgia?
Home of The Masters and the TOUR Championship!
The Georgia Golf Trail might be just what you are looking for!
The Georgia Golf Trail has something no other state has to offer, boasting 25 Top Resorts with first class golf, accommodations and southern hospitality second to none. From the mountains to the plains to the beautiful Atlantic Coast, come play where the great Bobby Jones lived and honed his skills, building a reputation of golf history that cannot be found anywhere else.
Georgia’s temperate climate allows year round playing throughout the state. Whether it’s golfing among the vibrant blooms of the azaleas in the spring, enjoying a round on the coast cooled by the ocean breezes in the summer, playing mountain golf during the blast of fall’s colors or sweater weather in the winter, the Georgia Golf Trail has the perfect getaways 365 days a year.
In the northern part of the state, the Appalachian Mountains are the back drop of the venues north of Atlanta. Situated next to the Chattahoochee National Forest at the base of the Appalachians, the Dan Maples designed 6,950 yard, par 72 Orchard Golf & Country Club is nestled among just that, an apple orchard, flowering shrubs and trees and a cool mountain stream in Clarksville. There is lodging available and a great restaurant on property to add to the stunning and challenging golf. OrchardGolfClub.com.
Callaway Gardens
In Alpine Helen, the tiny Bavarian hamlet that is the third most visited tourist area in Georgia, the 6,500 yard Innsbruck Resort & Golf Club is pure mountain golf at its best. The challenging and aesthetically beautiful setting is a great addition to a visit to Helen. There are some special Kodak moments available including the alpine chateau-like clubhouse that sits high above the two closing holes, and the mountain views you enjoy playing on the fabulous bent-grass greens. Accommodations are available at hotels in Helen, Igls resort villas near the course, and the Valhalla Resort Hotel within walking distance from the clubhouse. InnsbruckGolfClub.com.
Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa, located in Young Harris, quietly redefines the typical mountain getaway and truly has one of the finest and best maintained golf courses in Georgia. Designed by Dennis Griffiths, the award-winning course winds through woodlands, wildlife preserves, around ponds and streams and framed by the mountains. You will enjoy playing on the 18 holes of Scottish-links style championship layout. Brasstown Valley Resort has 102 well-appointed lodge rooms and 32 cottage guest rooms, the extraordinary 7,500 square foot Equani Spa, five miles of horseback riding trails, sport fishing, quail hunting and sporting clays. BrasstownValley.com.
Georgia has 61 state parks, eight of which have golf courses with ‘no crowds, no homes and no noise.’ Nestled in the rolling hills of the state’s upper Piedmont is one of Northern Georgia’s best kept secrets- The Highland Walk Golf Course in Victoria Bryant State Park. This challenging Griffiths design provides large crowned fairways leading to generous sloping Bermuda greens. The 6,800 yard Arrowhead Pointe golf course is one of the most beautiful in all of the Peach state, located within Richard B. Russell State Park, with 10 of the 18 holes skirting the shoreline of Lake Russell. The Creek at Hard Labor is another Griffiths design measuring to 6,444 yards with the infamous “hardest starting hole” in all of Georgia. The narrow and challenging layout will test your shot making. GaStateParks.org.
Highland Walk Golf Course
With 117 golf holes, Reynolds Lake Oconee is the ultimate golf destination. Designers Bob Cupp, Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Rees Jones and Jim Engh all had a hand in making it the outstanding mecca for golf. Lodging includes the Lake House, cottages and a Ritz Carlton Hotel for your stay. Boating, Spa, Archery, Clays and water sports are there for your enjoyment. Stop by the Kingdom of Golf Club Fitting & Instruction presented by Taylor Made. For more information visit ReynoldsLakeOconee.com
Nestled along the banks of the Savannah River and just a 90 second ferry ride to the historic downtown, The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa offers golfers an elevated experience in Georgia’s oldest city. Designed by Bob Cupp and Sam Snead, the 7,300 yard Club at Savannah Harbor is managed by Troon, and hosted a PGA TOUR Champions tournament for 10 years. The beautiful hotel is the perfect place to stay while enjoying Savannah, the heavenly spa and all the fine dining and amenities at the Resort. The challenging links-style layout is a sheer pleasure to play with beautiful skyline and marshland vistas. Go to WestinSavannah.com
The “Grand daddy” of all Georgia golf resorts is the magnificent Callaway Resort and Gardens in Pine Mountain. Established in 1952 in the southernmost foothills of the Appalachians, Callaway Gardens is a 6,500 acre nature preserve with numerous natural and sporting activities to enjoy. From nature trails, butterfly garden, discovery center to water sports, tennis, spa and golf, the Resort has something for everyone. Harkening back to the 1990’s when the PGA Tour professionals came to the Gardens with their families in tow to enjoy the southern charm and family oriented atmosphere, Callaway at 65 is still one of the top resorts. The two aesthetically gorgeous championship golf courses, Lake View & Mountain, provide two distinctly different layouts by Dick Wilson to play. The enormous practice facility is a great place to hone your skills and get some needed instruction while staying in one of many different accommodations at the Resort. CallawayGardens.com is the place to learn more.
King & Prince Beach & Golf Resort
Getting back to the southern five State Park Golf Courses; At just under 7,000 yards, the par 71 Brazell’s Creek golf course is another Griffiths design with two distinct nines connected by a 1,500 yard bridge located in Gordonia -Alatamaha State Park near Claxton, home of the famous fruit cake. The Lakes golf club at Laura S. Walker, the first park named for a woman, is situated at the northern edge of the Okefenokee Swamp near Waycross and has three large lakes to maneuver around at this challenging and scenic Steve Burns design. The last three are managed by Coral Hospitality from Naples, Florida: Meadow Links Golf Club at George T. Bagby State Park on the banks of Lake George at Fort Gaines, is a 7,000 yard William Byrd layout that is a joy to play. Little Ocmulgee at Wallace Adams State Park is a little taste of Augusta National with its towering pines, hard woods and magnolias bordering the free flowing fairways around corners and up and down rolling hills just east of I-75. Georgia Veterans Memorial Golf Club is a fabulous Denis Griffiths design at the beautiful Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club. Great accommodations, great food and great meeting space makes Lake Blackshear the ideal spot for water sports camping, short line train ride and golf for your group.
The Golden Isles, a group of barrier islands on the Atlantic coast, are home to some magnificent golf resorts. Sea Island is an exclusive destination with three championship golf courses and home to the PGA Tour’s RSM Classic hosted by David Love III. Sea Palms Resort & Conference Center on St. Simons Island has 27 holes of golf, comfortable accommodations. The King & Prince Beach & Golf Resort is an historical oceanfront resort also on St. Simons Island with a spectacular golf course on the north end of the island named #1 in Georgia by Golf Advisor.
Jekyll Island Club Hotel
Jekyl Island Club Hotel and Beach Resort, another Historic Hotel of America, harkens back to a grandeur time and is the centerpiece of the Island. With 63 holes of golf the Jekyl Island Golf Club boasts 63 holes of championship golf and is the state’s largest club and a great place to test your game while enjoying the Hotel and the new Jekyl Island Beach Club that opened this year.
Call 1-855-388-GOLF (4653) for golf package information. Y’all come down and stay and play on The Georgia Golf Trail!
