The March to the Sea tour

[Mark Bourgeois]

So...golf, food, and history along the Cauterized Corridor: what's the itinerary?

I'd have to start in Atlanta with the Atlanta History Center, the Cyclorama and Kennesaw Mountain. Peachtree would be a nice first entry in the golf ledger of this boondoggle. Food?? Does Atlanta have any restaurants? The Varsity? 

Then what happens? What if we count the "rebound" march inland?

[BCrosby]

Mark - As I am sure you know, there is an abundance of golfing riches in the Atlanta area, between Madison and Eatonton, around Savannah and, cheating a bit, Hilton Head.

The more interesting challenge is finding courses worth visiting outside those areas. I can think of a couple, but let me chew on it.

Bob

 

[Peter Pallotta]

Mark - can't really help on this, but I promise: if you stick by me when I'm crazy, I'll stick by you when you're drunk.

Peter

[Tom_Doak]

Mark:

Mr. Dye's Ford Plantation course, just recently re-opened, is only a couple of miles down the road from Fort McAllister.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Peter, war crime-themed golf tours, well, it's hard to find licensed operators. Or maybe I'm just big on sesquicentennials!

[Bill_McBride]

My little home town of Newnan, mercifully west of the line of march and known as "The City of Homes" for its magnificent antebellum mansions that survived the war, is on the way to Mike Young's first course in LaGrange.     The Fields is a great example of a course that was simply built with lots of strategery and modestly maintained under Mike's ownership.    I strongly recommend a visit to this examplar of the best way to run a privately owned daily fee course these days. 

The fried peach pies at the Varsity are too good to avoid but you'll be sorry later. 

[Will Lozier]

Unfortunately, the Cyclorama is being moved to Buckhead.  But the Aquarium is amazing and is right next to the new Center for Civil and Human Rights.  Food - Buford Highway.  Golf - Rivermont, East Lake (once), Cuscowilla on the way out.

[Mike_Young]

Mark,
Here's some golf you may not have heard of but will be worth playing on your way down...Near Kennesaw Mountain is a course I did called www.cityclubmarietta.com   which is public and short but fun.  There is another good golf course nearby reworked by Bill Bergin called Pine Tree which is a very good golf course.   I don't what kind of food you are looking for but try  Antico  littleitalia.com/   really good bang for the buck for good food.  It is located on Hemphill at the back of GT campus. And of course for the best in ATL try www.bonesrestaurant.com.
 More golf in area try  http://www.heritagegolflinks.com/  or wolfcreekgc.com/

 As you go towards Macon try either cuscowilla or Idlehour in Macon...let me know if you need a contact at Idlehour...In the area marked "Griswoldville" on your map around 11/22 ther is a course I did in Hawkinsville which is worth playing  www.southernhillsgolf.com  The owners do a very good job and it is a model for a small town golf club.  Several good restaurants in Hawkinsville... from there the move towards Dublin and try the Dublin CC, just an old small town country club...there is a meat and three in old town Dublin "meat and three"which is very good  and the Madison Fish Market also.

From there go to Forest Heights Golf Club    www.forestheightscc.com    in Statesboro.  Plenty of restaurants and is home to Ga Southern University.  

Not much from Statesboro to Savannah.  Savannah has plent yof good golf and food.  Several Carey Hilliards seafood locations are all good and you cna move up from there.  Public golf wise we did one called Henderson  www.hendersongolfclub.com   but there is an old DR  www.thewilmingtonislandclub.com   and a few others close by....as TD says Richmond Hill is right down the road...try Love's seafood on hwy 17 at the Ogeechee river crossiing.
Sorry if I named a bunch of my course but I just know those better than some of the others you can access...stay warm...it's going to be cold next week...

[BHoover]

Did Sherman play Sea Island?

[KBanks]

Mark, check your inbox.

Ken

[Mark Bourgeois]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions. When I have some time I will map this to see how it all lays out. I'm in the very preliminary stages of planning a trip that may (or may not) happen next spring.

I've never explored the Civil War history of the area and it seems like it would be pretty rich.

Keep the suggestions coming and I'll bump this thread from time to time.

Mark

[BCrosby]

Mark -

My wife just published a book on our neighborhood. (A copy can be yours for the amazing low price of $19.95.)  

She figured out that our neighborhood is the site of the first battle of the Battle of Atlanta. So there is no better place to start your tour than my backyard and the Bobby Jones Golf Course across the street.  That is where General George "The Rock of Chickamauga" Thomas ambushed Hood's Confederates as they tried to punch a hole in the Union lines at Peachtree Creek.  The BJ Golf Course may be forgettable, but the story of what happened there in the summer of 1864 is not.

Bob

[Peter Pallotta]

Bob - I wonder: will Mark's New Orleans' roots hinder or help him during his March to the Sea Tour? Will this Cajun son of Louisiana blend in well with his southern confreres, and will they welcome him with open arms? If nothing else, I suppose, he could show up with a cornet or clarinet and make himself useful....

Peter

[Mark Bourgeois]

Peter,

Many New Orleanians would like to take a torch to Atlanta. Seeing what's there now perhaps many Atlantans would cheer them on. Kidding, kidding.

[BCrosby]

Some reading for your tour:

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/18/an-encounter-along-shermans-march/?smid=tw-share

[Ben Sims]

Empire State South might be the best "three menu" restaurant in the country. You could spend a day in ATL and eat there three times and not find a better breakfast, lunch, or dinner in the city. It's very impressive what they do there.

You could also hit up the Clermont Lounge. It's where Sherman left all his groupies. Middle name Tecumseh, what an asshat.

[Mike_Young]

Sorry but I thought you were making a trip next week etc in my reply #7.