[JStewart]

I'll be in Augusta for work in early-March and have one afternoon to play a round either in the area or on my way back to catch a flight that night in Atlanta. From what I gather, but correct me if I'm wrong, it seems like Cuscowilla is no longer a public option and Reynolds Plantation requires you to spend the night to play their best tracks. Can anyone make a good public recommendation or if there is a private course that accepts outside play if I had my pro call up?

[Tim Leahy]

Fort Gordon has a nice RT Jones course in Augusta that might be open to the public.

[Brian Finn]

Aiken GC, right across the border in SC, is a gca lover's dream, and (at $25 or less to walk) possibly the best bang for your buck course in the country.

[Rees Milikin]

Aiken GC, right across the border in SC, is a gca lover's dream, and (at $25 or less to walk) possibly the best bang for your buck course in the country.

Don’t read anything else after this post...take Brian Finn’s advice and run with it.

[jeffwarne]

The best way to find out about a private club is to have your pro call-or write them an email or letter and find out their procedure-almost always works.
Palmetto would be your best bet but 30 minutes the wrong direction.
That said,you'll easily save an hour or more playing there vs. a public so it's worth a shot.
Aiken GC is a public nearby and is compact as well.
Otherwise Augusta CC or Athens CC are good choices.
River Club in Augusta is decent and public as well

[Sean_A]

If you can make Palmetto work, don't pass it up...its a cracker. 


Ciao

[Derek_Duncan]

Aiken, or Palmetto if you can swing it.

[Carson Pilcher]

I agree with Palmetto and Aiken...however, that is in the opposite direction of Atlanta.  You would be driving 30 minutes in the wrong direction to then have to turn around and backtrack.


While Cuscowilla is now private, I would think a phone call from your pro could secure a time with no hassle.  I believe the same could be accomplished with Augusta Country Club depending on the day of the week and time of day.


As for public in Augusta (it has been a while since I lived there), there are several options.  I have an affinity for Forest Hills.  It is the home to the Augusta University team and has an old-school flavor to it.  It is an old main-stay of public golf in Augusta since the beginning of the 20th century.  There is also River Club and Jones Creek.

[jeffwarne]

Carlson,
Just haven't had the stomach for Forest Hills since the butchervation about 10-15 years ago.


Classic old Ross once upon a time-down the street from my childhood home and where we won a State HS Championship

[Sean_A]

I agree with Palmetto and Aiken...however, that is in the opposite direction of Atlanta.  You would be driving 30 minutes in the wrong direction to then have to turn around and backtrack.

An added hour of windshield time is well worth the reward Palmetto offers.

Ciao

[JStewart]

Anybody played Harbor Club in Lake Oconee or the course at UGA in Athens?

[Derek_Duncan]

Anybody played Harbor Club in Lake Oconee or the course at UGA in Athens?

Harbor Club is pretty, and pretty anodyne. Find a way on to Cuscowilla, or Engh's Creek Course, if you're going to be in that area.


UGA is a solid, walkable course and I like what Love Design did there with the shaping, but again, not sure it's worth a special detour.

[jeffwarne]

Take the extra hour to drive 30 minutes each way to Palmetto...

[Tim Martin]

I agree with all those that give the thumbs up to Aiken and Palmetto regardless of added windshield time. The atmosphere at both places compliments the golf perfectly and they go out of their way to make it clear how happy they are to have you. Augusta CC is fantastic as well as far as golf and atmosphere and you will get to play it before ANGC starts to make changes to the land adjacent to their 13th hole purchased from ACC.

[Chuck Glowacki]

Carlson,
Just haven't had the stomach for Forest Hills since the butchervation about 10-15 years ago.


Classic old Ross once upon a time-down the street from my childhood home and where we won a State HS Championship

Jeff, Forest Hills brings back so many good memories, like you it was very close to my boyhood home, unlike you unfortunately I never won a state championship.  It’s been 50 years since I last played there and it’s unfortunate  to hear about the [size=78%]changes that have been made.  Learned how to play golf there, Mom would [/size][/size][size=78%]drop me off in the morning and pick me up in the afternoon, sure do miss those simpler times.[/size]

[jeffwarne]

Chuck,
It was such a cool Ross course.
I never discovered it until I was in 9th grade as it was a military course I believe in the 70's.. (our HS home course was the Patch-the ultimate home course advantage)
They held the city amateur there(Forest Hills) for years and it always held its own with those sloped old school greens running at about 7.


Forest Hills, along with cohost Augusta CC, was the course where Bobby Jones won in 1930, along with 4 other relatively important events .


I still remember the first time I played it--playing what was then #14, the dogleg left par 5 heading away from Wrightsboro with the turf rust orange brown from drought and whipping a hooking driver around the corner the first time I played it and having a 9 iron to the green, I never had experienced anything like that(people didn't hit short irons into par 5's then-well ididn't even if many were 480).
They redid 11 green eliminated 12, 13, and 14 (the holes out by Wrigtsboro Road) to put in college dorms and an athletic center and replaced them with topography challenged [poor holes. They also reversed the nines.


In that State Tournament I hooked in the creek(now covered up) on old #1, then missed a 8 inch putt that I fully lined up to complete my double. Also hooked it OB on driveable ##9 where it hit a tree ten yards OB and kicked back in play and I made birdie.
The only other thing I remember is waiting around on 18 where a teammate had a chance to tie me for medalist with an eagle putt that hit the hole and spun out, cinching the title for me as well as the team as we needed him to make par or better.


The renovation was poorly funded/implementedand -they hired the same butchers who had designed the three replacement holes.


The old putting green was a great place to practice chipping as it was large and had tons of variety. It was a gathering place in the evenings for players to practice, gamble and shoot the shi$#%.
By expanding the course they lost the practice green and replaced it with a god awful unputtable(super fast) small green.


Still nearly the same hole corridors for 15 of the holes and I enjoy playing it once year or so despite the bastardization.

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