[Dan Moore]

A friend has invited me to Monday's practice round at next years Masters.  I'm looking for ideas of where to play the Saturday and Sunday of the weekend prior to the Masters.  We've looked at Cuscowilla and Reynolds Plantation and Masters week prices there may be too much for this group so we are investigating less expensive alternatives.  Any suggestions on architecturally interesting courses would be greatly appreciated.  We'll be flying into Atlanta.  Thanks. 

[Mark Pritchett]

Do you know where you will be staying? 

[Dan Moore]

Saturday we can stay near where we golf Saturday and Sunday and Sunday night close to Augusta, but nothing arranged yet. 

[Howard Riefs]

Palmetto is $195/player. Too expensive?

http://www.palmettogolfclub.net/masters.htm

[Jeff Shelman]

I went a few years ago. We made it a little longer trip, but what we did was fly to ATL and drive to the RTJ Golf Trail facility in Auburn, Ala. (about 2 hrs from ATL). We stayed there and played 18 Thursday afternoon, 36 on Friday, 36 at the RTJ facility in Prattville on Saturday and we got rained out for our 18 on Sunday morning at Auburn.

At that point, we drove up to Atlanta and stayed near the airport. On Monday morning, we got up early and made the drive over to Augusta -- with the obligatory Waffle House stop along the way. We drove back to the same hotel after the day at Augusta (meaning we could leave all our stuff in the hotel), played 18 in ATL at an average private club the next morning and few out Tuesday night.

Obviously the golf wasn't as great as it could be other places, but it was a good trip that wasn't too expensive. We paid normal rates at RTJ and the hotel in Atlanta wasn't jacked up.

My advice: Make car and hotel reservations now. Those can always be cancelled. The closer you get to Masters week, the more expensive they are.

[Josh Tarble]

The drive back to ATL after the day at Augusta isn't too bad.  I'd probably recommend staying in ATL that night as well and avoid the massive jack in prices in the Augusta area.

[Mike Hendren]

Aiken Golf Club.

[jeffwarne]

The drive back to ATL after the day at Augusta isn't too bad.  I'd probably recommend staying in ATL that night as well and avoid the massive jack in prices in the Augusta area.

The "price jack" starts on Sunday and only gets worse on Monday.
Saturday will be quite reasonable in Augusta and Aiken.
So play wherevver you want Saturday (Atlanta, Augusta, Aiken) but stay in  Aiken as prices are cheap that Saturday.
Play golf Sunday at Palmetto or Aiken Golf Club Sunday (or both)
Stay in Aiken Sunday amd pay the higher prices (they're better than Augusta and it's a much better town and far less crowded)
Monday go to the tourney and return to Atlanta that night.

note:don't want to try to drive in from Atlanta and return all in the same day as ANGC can be quite exhausting.

If doing the above look into flying into or at least out of Augusta or Columbia (many extra flights that week)

[A.G._Crockett]

Just something to think about:

Arrowhead Pointe is the #4 ranked public access course in GA by Golfweek, and it is a state park course and VERY affordable.  It is the best course I've ever played that nobody knows about; even avid golfers in Atlanta know very little about it.  But it will knock your socks off, I promise.  There are cottages for rent in the Richard Russell State Park where the course is, as well as hotels in the area.  About 30 minutes away from the park is Cateechee in Hartwell, GA which is something of a hidden gem designed by Mike Young.  Cateechee is also very affordable. 

This would be a day or two of very good and very affordable golf; Arrowhead Pointe is the equal of anything at Lake Oconee, I assure you, and at a fraction of the cost.  It would then only be about 75 miles to Augusta.

The main drawback is that you would have a two hour ride from the airport to Russell Park.  If you don't mind that, it would be a tough deal to beat, I would think.

I could give you a bunch of recommendations on the north end of Atlanta if you intend to stay in the ATL before you go to Augusta; I know much less about the courses on the south end or heading east from Atlanta on I-20.  I think that anything very close to Augusta is really going to cost you that week, though.

[Phil McDade]

The Aiken photo thread by the ubiquitous Mr. Mayhugh:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,42132.0.html

Dan: When I originated a thread based on your comments about Spring Valley being possibly the best architectural value for under $25 in the country (no provisos, exceptions, off-season whatevers -- just walk the course for $25 or under), Aiken CC was the one of the few course that came up in that discussion as worthy of contending.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,31437.0.html

although they do raise their rates for Masters week.

[Jim Johnson]

Arrowhead Pointe.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,47215.0.html

I also liked "Cherokee Run", on the way back into Atlanta coming from Augusta.

[Mark Saltzman]

Palmetto... http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?topic=51673.0

[Phil McDade]

although they do raise their rates for Masters week.

by how much do you know, Phil?

Well, this:

http://www.aikengolfclub.com/master.php

suggests the rates are higher than described here:

http://www.aikengolfclub.com/fees.php

[jeffwarne]

although they do raise their rates for Masters week.

by how much do you know, Phil?

Well, this:

http://www.aikengolfclub.com/master.php

suggests the rates are higher than described here:

http://www.aikengolfclub.com/fees.php

In the past it's been $75
a bargain compared to anything else that's good near Augusta that week

[Ken Fry]

Dan,

The years I've gone to the Masters I've stayed off of I-20 around Covington.  Prices for the Holiday Inn Express in Covington were quite reasonable and only another 1.5 hours to Augusta.

Maybe someone can chime in for the current status of Longshadow.

From the airport and points east of Atlanta, there are a few other courses worth checking out.

Cherokee Run in Conyers is a Palmer course on pretty extreme land that is fun.  They've just reopened from some renovation work apparently.  Also just opening is a '90's Desmond Muirhead course getting a make over by Mike Young now called Ashton Hills in Covington.  Maybe Mike can chime in on that course's status.

Arrowhead Pointe and Hard Labor Creek would give you Georgia State Park rates on pretty good courses, Arrowhead Pointe being the better of the two.

Ken

[Tim_Cronin]

Dan,

The years I've gone to the Masters I've stayed off of I-20 around Covington.  Prices for the Holiday Inn Express in Covington were quite reasonable and only another 1.5 hours to Augusta.

Maybe someone can chime in for the current status of Longshadow.

From the airport and points east of Atlanta, there are a few other courses worth checking out.

Cherokee Run in Conyers is a Palmer course on pretty extreme land that is fun.  They've just reopened from some renovation work apparently.  Also just opening is a '90's Desmond Muirhead course getting a make over by Mike Young now called Ashton Hills in Covington.  Maybe Mike can chime in on that course's status.

Arrowhead Pointe and Hard Labor Creek would give you Georgia State Park rates on pretty good courses, Arrowhead Pointe being the better of the two.

Ken

I've stayed in Covington and Madison in various years, Madison a little closer on I-20. Can't go wrong either way for night before a Masters visit, and the following morning's trip back to Hartsfield isn't that bad, even with Atlanta rush hour traffic – but I'm a first flight out guy when possible.

[Matthew Petersen]

Are the Reynolds Plantation courses accessible by non-resort guests?

[Mac Plumart]

Yes, at least they were just two years ago.

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