Athens Country Club--Ross in the South

[Tim Gavrich]

This afternoon, after playing the first nine holes of his project at Madison Lakes, Mike Young extended his generosity to my father and myself, and we played the beautiful Athens Country Club.  We played the original 18, the East and South nines, designed by Donald Ross in 1926.

This course has made it into my top ten, and is my second favorite Ross course, to Hartford (CT) Golf Club.  As is the case on most Ross courses, the real work is to be done around the greens.  My favorite green complexes were at the 5th and 11th.  

Number 5 is an uphill par 3 of about 170 yards, with a green wide open in front, with flanking bunkers.  Illusion is the key to the supremacy of this green.  The green looks like just a medium-tilt back-to-front green, but as one approaches, one sees a green with a splendid little shelf in back, and a false front.  Today, the pin was in the front middle, and I found myself with a tough chip shot from just beyond pin-high, right of the green.  Nothing spectacularly memorable, but just solid, thought-provoking stuff.  

#11 features a narrow, angled green elevated well above the landing area.  Just right and short of the green is a fair-sized hill which can be used to kick the ball onto the green, avoiding two bunkers short and to the left.  However, just long lies an interesting flat chipping area which presents the option of putting or a delicate downhill chip shot.  I've always liked chipping areas which present equally viable options, and this hole epitomizes that.

The other thing that I really liked about ACC was the collection of half-par holes.  Numbers (counting the East/South as an 18-hole course) 1, 3, 6, 10, 11, and 12 are all holes that make ACC a great match play golf course. 6 and 10 are both downhill par fives of under 460 yards and possess two of the most severe greens on the course.  When one looks at the scorecard, one thinks birdie on these two holes, but after walking off with par or worse, one respects the holes far more.

There's my review; sorry if it's a bit tedious and obfuscatory.

[Mike_Young]

Tim,
Glad you guys enjoyed ACC.
As most on this site are aware, Bob Crosby grew up on ACC.
I forgot to show you the peep hole he had drilled in the ladies restroom at the halfway house by #5.  He considers that a critical part of the overall design of the 5th hole.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Tim, I guess you know by now what a wonderful host Mike is. He did not show me the peep hole. It must have been under the concern I would put it to good use.

[Bill_McBride]

As some know, I played at ACC in 1964-65 as a Navy ensign at the Supply School.  To this day Bob Crosby, who was a punk kid at the time, swears I owe him $2 from losing a match.    Could be but doubtful.

Tim, Athens Country Club is a great old course and so much fun to play.  Glad you were able to and I know Mike enjoyed hosting you and your dad.

[BCrosby]

Mike -

And you told me you would keep the peephole a secret. Sheesh. You can't trust anyone these days.

Bill -

You DO owe me $2. And there are a couple more ensigns that owe me and my friends even more. But you guys, being the US Navy and all, we were afraid to press it. You might have strafed Athens CC.

Tim -

Agreed. Athens is a wonderful course. If properly restored it would be something very special. Glad you enjoyed it. Please forget everything Mike told you about the peephole. Only 80 or 90 percent of it is true.

Bob

[Brent Hutto]

#11 features a narrow, angled green elevated well above the landing area.  Just right and short of the green is a fair-sized hill which can be used to kick the ball onto the green, avoiding two bunkers short and to the left.  However, just long lies an interesting flat chipping area which presents the option of putting or a delicate downhill chip shot.  I've always liked chipping areas which present equally viable options, and this hole epitomizes that.

I love the green situation on the eleventh at Athens. That is one of my favorite ways to make an interesting two shot hole of medium length, either with the green to the right as we're discussing or the mirror image with the green to the left. IIRC there is a similar green on the second, third or fourth hole at Palmetto.

[BCrosby]

Brent -

Agreed about the 11th at Athens, except that until the last 10 years or  so it was considered a very long par 4.

I caddied for Vinnie Giles and Jimmy Gabrielson when they played on the UGA golf team in the early 60's. Both went on to play in several Walker Cups, Giles won the US Am a couple of times.

They both were very long for their era and both normally hit 2 or 3 irons into the 11th. Then suddenly in the 90's people started hitting 6 irons. I still think of it as a long hole, though it's not any more.

Bob

[Bill_McBride]

Bob, Vinnie was on the team when I was hanging out at ACC, planning the strafing runs... I followed him around for most of the last round at the Southern Intercollegiate, but left to watch Bob Murphy make the last three of six straight birdies that blew away Giles and the field.

BTW, #11 is still a long par 4!