One of the most difficult aspects I feel is the drive. You really cannot see at all where you need to go. The lake is completely invisible from the tee (I played the 517 tee as a par 4). There may be some tees where you can see a hazard stake or a tiny glimpse but the drive aims you over a hill. Even the right bunkers are tricky as you really just see humps and mounding along the right side. The landing zone is completely blind.
I actually like blind holes but I am not sure it works here.
The second shot is just a long, difficult shot to a relatively shallow green. Obviously I am nowhere near a world class player but it is almost impossible. I played about 3-4 weeks ago and hit an excellent drive and a hybrid that carried onto the green and just barely crept into the back bunker. As a par four (which it isn't for member play) it is doable for about .001% of golfers.
The fountain is as ugky to me as the clubhouse is pretty. And I hate that stupid white crepe myrtle!! Actually, my biggest complaint may be the excessive flowering trees on the course. It is almost too "perfect".
The course is just a brutal, tough, bastard. I think most members prefer Riverside and I can understand that.
The tournament has been great. The set up and logistics have run flawlessly, the traffic and parking have been terrific beyond beleif and I have yet to run into any staff or volunteer who didn't seem extremely gracious and happy to help. The membership at AAC has helped host a great event and the city of Johns Creek has done a great job as well.
All the heartache over the course ignores the fact that staging an event like this can no longer be about bringing championships to architecturally great spots--it's a huge undertaking and logistics and space are the over riding concern--not the course per se. Get over it!
