reynolds plantation

[james soper]

heading to the ritz at reynolds plantaion with a group of 24 golfers. all have played cuscowilla and will stay with the resort's five courses (they have acquired port armor). which course or courses are must plays. note the engh course is not complete. comments are aprreciated.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

There are no must playes in Reynolds. Cuscowilla is a must play. Great Waters is the best of the RP courses by a good margin. I say enjoy your friends and golf then sneak away for a round at Cuscowilla.

[John_Conley]

I think you'll have a great time.  I don't think any hold a candle to Cuscowilla, but you'll enjoy Reynolds National, Great Waters, and the Oconee.

I've heard very good things about Port Armor.  If you venture away, Harbor Club is a blast.

[A.G._Crockett]

This is timely: I played Great Waters yesterday for the first time.  I thought GW was excellent in every respect.  Interesting golf course in that the front nine feels a lot like the Pinehurst area, with gently rolling terrain through mature trees, while the back nine feels much more coastal.  The last three holes are stunning and excellent.  It is the best Nicklaus course I've played, which it should be due to the great piece of land it occupies.  It isn't Cuscowilla, but it is very much worth playing.  Golfweek has it rated as the #2 public access course in GA behind Cuscowilla; that may be a bit high, but Great Waters is well worth your time.

I would still take two rounds at Cuscowilla vs. one at each, but I think I might take one at Great Waters if I was going to play three times or certainly 4.  I think most here in GA would rate Great Waters well ahead of the other Reynolds courses.

[Paul Payne]

Good call John,

I had forgotten about the Harbor Club every time Cuscowilla comes up here. It is a good course and would be a great addition to any trip to the area.

[BCrosby]

What Tiger said.

[John_Cullum]

Great Waters and Port Armour are probably the best of the lot.

[Jim Franklin]

I'll bet your friends will like Oconee. It is in great shape and lots of eye candy that non-GCA golfers tend to like. I have a client that lives on #11 or #12 of Great Waters, but likes Oconee the best. Go figure.

[Rob_Waldron]

You cannot go wrong with any of the RP courses. The National with its 27 holes of dramatic elevation changes was fun and challenging. GW makes great use of water. Oconee was very user friendly with wonderful finishing holes. I understand the new Engh course will be excellent as well. Course for course Reynolds blows away Pinehurst!

[Jerry Kluger]

I haven't been to Reynolds but a friend went who is a pretty good player and he told me that he felt that there was quite a bit of containment mounding designed to help the lesser golfer - is that the case?

[A.G._Crockett]

Jerry Kluger
There is little or no containment mounding at Great Waters.

Tiger B. and Bob Crosby,
I've only played it once, so I'll defer to your combined judgement, but why don't you feel more positive about Great Waters?  I wouldn't make regular trips to the area to play it, but if I was going to be there for any length of time, it seems to me to be worth seeing.  What don't you like about it?

[BCrosby]

A.G. -

GW is certainly worth playing. It is the best of the Reynolds courses. I did not mean to impy otherwise.

I first started to visit Lake Oconee about 20 years ago. When GW opened, it was our first pick.

When Cuscowilla opened a couple of years later, we never returned to GW.

GW is a good course. But after Cusco, we don't seem to get back there much.

Bob  

[A.G._Crockett]

A.G. -

GW is certainly worth playing. It is the best of the Reynolds courses. I did not mean to impy otherwise.

I first started to visit Lake Oconee about 20 years ago. When GW opened, it was our first pick.

When Cuscowilla opened a couple of years later, we never returned to GW.

GW is a good course. But after Cusco, we don't seem to get back there much.

Bob  

Agreed.  

[Dan_Callahan]

Not to threadjack, but I was just looking at real estate at Cuscowilla. This has got to be one of the better deals in the U.S. The homes are very attractive and are relatively affordable. The non-resident golf memberships are reasonable as well.

Now back to the thread . . .

[Jason Blasberg]

Is it completely homerish of me to say that in 6 visits to Eatonton I've never played anything beside Cuscowilla (and Athens twice!).  BTW, I highly recommend Athens CC if you can access it with a few guys, it's about an hour from Eatonton.

The locals say that GW is the best of the rest although I've always been more interested in Harbor Club as it's a Moorish course I believe.

Also go trespass at the Harmony Club site.  Last time I was there you could still make out part of the routing from the Lake and I know they cleared the playing corridors so you could probably get a real good sense of the property.

[John Kavanaugh]

Not to threadjack, but I was just looking at real estate at Cuscowilla. This has got to be one of the better deals in the U.S. The homes are very attractive and are relatively affordable. The non-resident golf memberships are reasonable as well.

Now back to the thread . . .

I think that has alot to do with the fact that outside this site most people are not impressed with the course.  The locals don't get it..

[A.G._Crockett]

Not to threadjack, but I was just looking at real estate at Cuscowilla. This has got to be one of the better deals in the U.S. The homes are very attractive and are relatively affordable. The non-resident golf memberships are reasonable as well.

Now back to the thread . . .

I think that has alot to do with the fact that outside this site most people are not impressed with the course.  The locals don't get it..

Or, John, it's because it is a highly competitive market that keeps prices down.  

Speaking, of course, as a local that DOES get it...

[Jason Blasberg]

On a prior thread Lou Duran was looking for retirement community advice and for my buck, you cannot beat Lake Oconee.  Obviously I'm biased toward Cuscowilla and would choose to live there but you've got great golf, certainly 10 months of golf weather and a great location to Atlanta.  Close enough to go as often as you'd like but far enough to never go if you don't want to.

If you're a golfer, boater and fisherman who likes to drink, Cuscowilla is your dream come true!

BTW, some of you may have seen the t-shirts down there . . . "Lake Oconee, a small drinking town with a golfing problem!"

[Niall Hay]

Great Waters and then The National?  As far as the best at RP?

[Mac Plumart]

Cuscowilla!!!

It is a 10 minute drive.

[Niall Hay]

Cuscowilla!!!

It is a 10 minute drive.

Is there access there for RP Ritz guests?

[Mac Plumart]

Niall...

I am unsure.  But Cuscowilla is open to the public Tuesday-Thursday and I'd bet my bottom dollar you could call them and get on days other than that...if you give them enough lead time...and ask politely.

[Niall Hay]

Thanks Mac.

[Bill_McBride]

Great Waters and then The National?  As far as the best at RP?

With the exception of a couple of holes down by the lake, I found Great Waters to be a back and forth with some parallel oles and an obnoxious ranger. 

We had a lot more fun the next day at Longshadow.