Travelling to Atlanta? Here’s a trio of exceptional golf resorts

With a warm year-round climate and more than 60 golf courses to play 365 days a year, it’s no wonder Atlanta is one of the top golfing destinations in Georgia. As home to one of golf’s icons, Bobby Jones, The Big Peach has a storied history with courses like East Lake, home of the TOUR Championship, Atlanta Athletic Club, the site of the 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and Augusta National, home of the Masters, just a short jaunt down the road. Whether you are a serious golfer looking for a challenging layout and luxurious accommodations or a casual player just trying to get in a quick round, discover why it’s always Tee-Time in Atlanta.

Some of my favorite spots to Stay & Play around Atlanta are:

Chateau Elan Golf Club

Few golf resorts have the natural beauty of Chateau Elan Golf Club at the elegant Chateau Elan Winery & Resort on 3,500 acres in the suburb of Braselton, 40 miles northeast of downtown. With its lush vineyards and a working winery, the 16th Century-style French Estate is complete with a European Spa where well-being meets luxury, a collection of newly renovated exquisite guest rooms, private villas and heavenly spa suites. Inspired by the architecture of Provence, the Inn at Chateau Elan showcases interior styles reminiscent of the gilded age of France.

The golf club has a total of 63 holes set on 170 acres of lush terrain which includes a members-only 18-hole design and an Executive par 3, nine-hole short course near the David Pelz Golf School. The Chateau course is a 7,030 Denis Griffiths design par 71 with contoured fairways, three lakes, 87 bunkers and two meandering streams to maneuver around. Another Griffiths beauty, The Woodlands 18 features sparkling lakes, rolling hills, strategically placed bunkers, and the occasional blind shot with a par of 72 and stretching out to 6,735 yards.

The exceptional Clubhouse features a pro-shop offering a full range of apparel, services and amenities for golfers. Amid the comfort of the gracious clubhouse, you can enjoy tasty morsels and memorable libations at Sarazen’s Bar & Grille, host a private party at the Golf Pavilion, and arrange a lesson or clinic with one of the PGA professionals available to all levels of players. Come enjoy the South’s Premier Golf Experience managed by Troon Golf. For more information on Chateau Elan, click HERE. Golf.

Stone Mountain Golf Club

Located about 30 minutes east of downtown off of Highway 78, Stone Mountain offers two 18-hole championship courses nestled at the foot of the sculptured historic Stone Mountain circumnavigating the beautiful Stone Mountain Lake. What makes the Golf Club such a remarkable experience is the unique personalities of the two layouts. The Stonemont course (pictured at top) designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. plays 6,869 yards from the tips with a par of 70 and is a classic challenge that places emphasis on accuracy and strategic course management. Local Georgia golf course architect John La Foy designed the less demanding 6,444 yards, par 71 Lakemont course (pictured above) which is a target-oriented layout with unbelievable views of the Stone Mountain carving on the front nine, and a back nine complete with rock outcroppings playing through stands of Georgia pines and hardwoods. The Club is managed by Marriott Golf, one of the world’s largest golf management companies.

At the clubhouse, players can enjoy a well-stocked pro shop, a lounge for soothing those golf woes, and the Commons restaurant, which offers southern specialties with alfresco and indoor dining overlooking Stone Mountain and the lake. The Atlanta Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort is the perfect place to enjoy Stone Mountain Park, Georgia’s most visited attraction. The resort has recently renovated its rooms, has plenty of conference and event space and is the ideal place to stay when playing or visiting the 3200 acres of parkland surrounding it. For more information about the Marriott Stone Mountain Resort, click HERE.

Reynolds Lake Oconee

Reynolds Lake Oconee is just over an hour east from downtown Atlanta off I-20 and is an artfully mastered golfer’s paradise like no other. There are six golf courses designed by revered modern golf course architects Rees Jones, Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Bobby Cupp and Jim Engh, four of which are ranked in GolfWeek’s “Best Courses You Can Play in Georgia.” The sprawling 14,000 acre residential and lakeshore development of upper-level and top tier homes includes the on-property AAA, Five-Diamond Ritz Carlton Reynolds Lake Oconee Resort Lodge, nestled in the splendor of nature and offering guests a refined yet relaxed ambiance in an environment of casual elegance and superior service overlooking the lake.

The resort boasts the TaylorMade Kingdom of Golf, the only other TaylorMade facility equal in stature to the company’s headquarters facility in Carlsbad, California offering private and group instruction led by the top instructors in the business. At Reynolds Lake Oconee, golfers can be fitted by the same TM Master Clubfitters that fit the top TOUR players. With a complete indoor and outdoor practice facility, attention to detail, and one-on-one instruction, the Reynolds TaylorMade Experience is second to none.

The Sandy Creek Sporting Grounds is named for the stream that flows into Lake Oconee and shapes the topography of the 800 + acre area complete with a stocked 40-acre lake and 200- year-old restored barn, available for private events. This unique piece of beautiful countryside provides an unmatched multifaceted selection of shooting challenges and sporting endeavors under the direction of international shooting champion Justin Jones of Great Britain. It features a 20-station sporting clays course, a five-stand cabin shooting range, a sporting-days instructional and games area, air rifle range, and archery range.

Reynolds Lake Oconee is a great place for an extended stay to enjoy the golf courses and all it has to offer. You can linger longer and have plenty to do or choose to stay forever and find the perfect spot to live. Click HERE to learn more about Reynolds Lake Oconee

All three resorts are members of the Georgia Golf Trail, a selection of 27 courses, hotels and resorts spread throughout the Peach State from the mountains to the plains to the ocean. No matter your budget, the Trail has outstanding places to enjoy a round or more.

Dave Daubert
Dave Daubert is the Editor and Feature Writer at eSouthernGolf.com

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