Affordable Hidden Gem---Arrowhead Pointe

[Mac Plumart]

I got out to play some golf today with Gary Daughters.  You may know Gary from his Foxy fame...

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,47171.0.html  
(FYI, I find his pose on the fourth picture to be hilarious!!)


We got out to see Arrowhead Pointe in Elberton, GA.  It is a located in the Richard B. Russell State Park, was designed by Ken Baker Bob Walker, and cost $45 during peak hours to play.  I must say that I had fairly high expectations since I had heard decent things about the course, but I suspected the maintenance would be a bit shoddy and/or the overall quality of the course would be just ho-hum.  However, I was blown away as every aspect of the course was really good.  Routing, maintenance, variety, challenge, greens, beauty...whatever, you name it...the course is very good.  And at these prices, the value is totally there.  I recommend it without hesitation.


I suppose the first thing that grabbed me was the greens.  Very Ballyneal-esque.  However, they aren't as seemlessly blended in with the fairways and/or nature as Ballyneal.  But the undulations, false fronts, and tricky twists and turns certainly reminded me of Ballynizzle's.  Below is a picture of the #2 green.  The photo is bit blurry, but I think you can get a sense of the greens from it.  False front, ridge in the middle.  In fact, ask Gary about the false fronts...he hit every one of them...right in the middle of the slope.  (Insert smiley).




The next thing that struck me is the idealistic golf environment the course is located in.  There is no housing, and the vast amount of land the State Park has gaves us a wonderful sense of seclusion and provided us a wonderful "get away from it all" feeling.  Also, the course is surrounded by a massive lake.  The lake is off the charts beautiful...truly stunning.  But the  kicker to me is that the water is not an over-used hazard.  There might a forced carry here or there, but they are not too daunting.  And rather than the brutish forced carry over water, Mr. Walker likes to use a meandering creek and or pinched fairway with the lake on one side instead.  This opens the course up to options rather than forced shots.  

And a big time strength of the course is the par 5's.  In fact, the 10th might be one of the best holes I've ever played.  Right from the start, you know it isn't your typical par 5.  In fact, the direct line to the the hole is blocked by trees.  You can hit a series of straight balls and play angles or hit a fade off the tee and a draw into the green.  Really cool!  But no matter what you do, watch the creek that cuts across the fairway near the green.  Below is a couple of photos of the holes, the tee shot and two potential second shots...neat!









And here is another par 5...the 5th...another solid hole that uses angles rather than pure length to defend the hole.  




And the courses closes out with a cool par 4 with a green that is pinched by a wave like bunker...and of course the green has a terrific ridge in the middle of it to make approaches, chips, and putts all the more fun.




If we ever do another Dixie Cup in North Georgia area, we might have an interesting line up of affordable hidden gems...Longshadow, Aiken, and Arrowhead.  Just an idea!

[Mark Pritchett]

Glad you enjoyed AP.  I have played many rounds here and agree that it is way, way under the radar.  It is easily better than any of the Reynolds Plantation courses. 

You didn't even show any of the holes on the water. 

[Gary Daughters]

Mac pretty much covered it all, but i'll add a couple of things anyway:

--very simple, smart design.  
--every hole suggests, but doesn't necessarily demand, that you do something assertive
--much more so than most courses you really do need to hit to a spot on the green, and that's especially unusual for a state park design
--best conditioned course in ga. i have played in some time.  upkeep extends well off the course-proper.
--the land has beautiful roll and natural swales.  more longshadow than augusta.  that stretch of the ga-sc border perfect for golf
--so secluded bandon seems busy by comparison.  10 miles from elberton.  tee sheet virtually blank.  heard some birds and that's it
--i did not hit any shots sideways
--frost delay in the morning, 70 degrees by afternoon.  spring is near!

--clubhouse serves a killer hot dog burger
--mac plumart is one of the few people i know (besides myself) who's higher aspirations include leaving home before sunup, driving 3 hours to play golf 3 hours and driving home 

[Mac Plumart]

Mark...

GREAT call on the Reynolds Plantation courses.  This is the kind of thing that totally baffles me.  Reynolds Plantation charges prices that are out of this world and the courses are so-so (at best)...but the courses are packed.  Arrowhead Pointe charges rock bottom prices, is a better golf course, and no one is there.  What is wrong with people?  

Frankly, this is why I started this thread.  Quality affordbable golf seems to be what people on this site are interested in...so here it is.  I hope non-GCA'ers pick up on these gems and get out to play them.  

On the water holes...I've got some photos, but I don't think I captured the way the holes felt.  The beauty was so stunning.  The blue of the water was such a deep blue.  The wind was blowing a bit, causing ripples in the water.  The sun was shinning, making great reflections.  And the holes (like the 12th) out on the fingers of land were just so stunning!  But my photos didn't do it justice.  So, I didn't post them.

We need to round up the posse this Spring and get back out there.

Gary...Good stuff!  We had an epic day in terms of weather.  Wow!

[Billsteele]

I know that Mike Whittaker speaks highly of Arrowhead Pointe. I believe he referred to it as the "Pebble Beach of Georgia."

[Mac Plumart]

Bill...interesting.  My college is known as the Harvard of the Mid-West.  You know, Bowling Green State University.  (insert smiley)

[A.G._Crockett]

It's amazing how many golfers even here in Georgia haven't even heard of Arrowhead Pt., much less made the trip to play there.  The back nine is absolutely the equal of anything at Reynolds Plantation in terms of GCA, and even more enjoyable because of the absence of both housing and traffic on the lake.

If you ever want a great 36 hole day that works you back toward Atlanta in the process, make a long drive early in the morning to Cateechee, then drive about 25 min. down to Arrowhead.  Totally different courses, both terrific, and just a great day of golf.

[Michael Whitaker]

LOVE Arrowhead Pointe!!! Pebble Beach is the Arrowhead Pointe of California!  

Seriously, it is about as much fun as you can have on a golf course for $45. The back nine plays out to the end of a point (Arrowhead Pointe) and when you are on the 15th tee you are surrounded by 270 degrees of water! The point at its narrowest is about 2 1/2 holes wide and you play out the left side, turn at the end and play back in on the right side. It is a wonderful experience and a fine way to spend the day.

The best deal of all...  two-day two-night stay & play package for four golfers:  two nights in a two-bedroom lakeside cabin near the course, two rounds of golf, and breakfast each day... all for less than $150 per person!!!

A.G. - Good call on pairing Cateechee for a two day outing.

My golf club kicks off the spring season each year at Arrowhead Pointe with a four-man team stableford competition. It's already scheduled for Saturday, April 2. Anybody want to play as my guest?

[A.G._Crockett]

Michael,
I'll be heading to NC on the morning of April 2 for a week's vacation, or I might take you up on that offer.

OT, have you seen enough snow yet?

Best,
A.G.

[Billsteele]

Mac-With all due respect, all comparisons to Harvard in Ohio begin and end with OU...the Harvard on the Hocking!

[Gary Daughters]

Mac didn't go to Oberlin?

[Mac Plumart]

A.G:

Your point about no one knowing about it and/or not going to play it is spot on and I've been thinking about why that is.  Everyone knows Reynolds Plantation, but fewer know Cuscowilla, fewer still Longshadow, and Arrowhead Point.  It has to be marketing budgets, right?  Reynolds Plantation floods the market with ads, it hires Nicklaus, Fazio, Engh, Rees Jones to come out and build their courses.  They build the hype.  But the courses really aren't all that good...at least from what I've seen. 

So doesn't that give golf a bad name?  Like my experience at Great Waters.  I spend a boat load of money.  The course is packed to the hilt.  And the course, the experience, everything didn't live up to the price paid.  This is a turn off.  I could see where this would turn people away from the game as the cost/benefit is just not there.

However, the real value places are places like Arrowhead Pointe (on the public side).  1/5 the price of some of the Reynolds Plantation courses and, I'd make the argument, a flat out better course and a better golfing environment (no houses, not crowded).  This would have to be a turn-on to the golfers...but no one is getting the word out.  I suppose their marketing budgets don't hold a candle to Reynolds Plantation.

That is why when I find some place like this, I try to let everyone know about it.  I posted on Rivermont, a really good and very affordable private club in metro Atlanta, and I get friends out to golf there as much as I can.  I am trying to do the same with Longshadow, Aiken, and any other affordable gem I've stumbled across.  Maybe magazines and raters should be trying to highlight these types of courses as well, rather than focusing on the higher end ones. 

Couldn't this be the life blood for the future of golf business?  Getting the people who like golf, but currently are turned off by a few aspects of the game (expense, time to play, overall experience) to take advantage of these affordable hidden gems?  As these people get out and play more golf at these affordable courses, these courses will be more successful, more golfers will enter the game, and a virtuous cycle can start spinning.  But if raters don't get out to see these courses and/or magazines don't run articles on places like this, how is the average golfer going to find out about them? 

[Mark Pritchett]

Good points Mac!

I suspect a big reason Arrowhead Pointe is "hidden" is due to its location which is far away from any major population areas and also is not near any heavily traveled road and/or expressway.   

[Michael Whitaker]

Mark,

You do have to drive past a good number of higher profile courses to get to AP, but it's only an hour or so from Greenville, SC which puts it within reach of a lot of golfers. I'm always surprised at how few know about this course.

[Sean_A]

Gulp, the shaping looks like any one of 100s of modern courses. 

Ciao

[Mac Plumart]

Sean...

I'm guessing that your comment is meant to be disparaging on the shaping of the course, but your post isn't 100% clear.

If that is the case, that is a valid criticism.  The bunkering, as well, has some odd looks to it at times.

But the routing, greens, interesting shots, and scenic beauty more than make up for those flaws.  And for the price, pfft...who cares about the shaping.  This course isn't meant to be a Top 100 course in the world.  It is meant to be good and afforable golf for people in the area.

[Michael Whitaker]

Gulp, the shaping looks like any one of 100s of modern courses. 

Ciao

Sean - be a bit more specific for me... what do you see in these few pics that make your first comment so "gulpable."

[A.G._Crockett]

Gulp, the shaping looks like any one of 100s of modern courses. 

Ciao

Sean,
You need to see the golf course.  It is NOT like "100s of modern courses"; it is much, much better than that.  Golfweek now lists it as the 10th best public access course in Georgia, and I think it could possibly move up some from there.  Arrowhead Pt. is already ranked above several of the Lake Oconee courses, and at a fraction of the price, which is what the thread title is all about.

The ONLY flaw at Arrowhead is that the first two holes are a bit ordinary, and certainly don't catch your eye.  But from there on, it is absolutely top shelf GCA. 

[Ronald Montesano]

Bill Steele...Athens is an awesome town!  More bars than curbs!!

Have you played the 9-hole college course since they redesigned it in the late 1990s?  They now work it across the Loogie, err, Hocking River.  I haven't been back since the mid 1990s, when it was still the most cramped course around (save for The Elms nearby)  What's the deal with 9-hole courses in Athens?  Even the Country Club (where Arnie first competed against Jack) is only a 9-hole Donald Ross gem.

[Jim Johnson]

Mac,

I looked at your thread, and your pictures, and thought, man, I've seen this course somewhere before ... Internet? Magazine? Where?

Hmmmm. And then I thought $&*t, I've played this course!

Several years ago, my brother was fortunate to be selected for 4 tickets to the Monday practice round of the Masters. So he invited 2 others and myself, and we met up in the Atlanta airport (3 of us from western Canada, the 4th from Colorado) on the Thursday afternoon and stayed about an hour east of Atlanta Thursday-Tuesday, golfing at The River Club across the river/border in South Carolina on the Friday afternoon, then at Jones Creek just north of Augusta Saturday afternoon, then at Arrowhead Point Sunday morning, watched the Masters all day Monday, then on the way back to the airport Tuesday morning we got in 12 holes at Cherokee Run before we packed it in and high-tailed it to the airport.

Funny story. We golfed at the River Club Friday morning/afternoon, enjoyed a couple of cold beverages afterwards, then as we were driving back through Augusta we spotted an Olive Garden restaurant so we pulled in there for dinner and more drinks. We're having a great time, chatting it up with the cute waitress. She asks us where we golfed that day and where we're from, us with our "Canuck drawl", and after we tell her, I mention to her that I always wanted to get to South Carolina, don't know why, but just want to. It just seems so close. Maybe someday. She gives me this funny look and says "honey, you were just there a few minutes ago".

After I got my foot out of my mouth, we had a great dinner.

Thanks for the thread, and the memories. Good golf course. Especially for that price.

Jim

[Jim Johnson]

Mac, here's the only 2 photos I can find of Arrowhead Pointe from that trip...