Moving to Atlanta - need help finding Golf Club

Hey guys -

I'm moving to Atlanta and in search of the right golf club. I'm pretty fanatic about playing regularly (I try to hit balls at least 3x per week and/or play 1-2 times per week).

Can anybody point me in the right direction towards finding the right golf club in the Atlanta area? I haven't picked a place to live yet (likely living north of downtown in Buckhead or somewhere more suburban {I have a wife and kid}), but ultimately will choose my house based on its proximity to the golf club I join.

I'm 30 years old, a 3.2 index and would like to find a club that has a good "young" membership (25-50 years old) of serious golfers, that play regular games. I like to gamble and am willing to play high stakes or low stakes -- but the gambling doesn't really matter to me - I care most about being able to find a good, competitive game, with serious golfers on a regular basis, preferably on a course that isn't super high traffic. Of course, I would love to find a place that has a good Junior/Associate/Executive membership program (since I am only 30 years old), but cost is not my top factor --- I'd be willing to pay for a really solid "golf club". My club up north is low-key, not old-fashioned and has a good membership of young executives that are 0 to 7 handicaps -- I would love to find that in Atlanta.

Any recommendations and details are welcome.

So there is Club Corp if you want variety...

If you live and work ITP and want to play after work, find a club ITP. This is Atlanta and traffic is a serious PITA.

You will hear a lot of good back about Rivermont.... but... weekday traffic...

RMNgolf - I wish you good luck. Atlanta has some very nice private golf clubs, but I seriously hope the new job is paying you some big bucks. Golf in Atlanta is very expensive in my opinion, especially anything close to the Buckhead area. I would not think you would be happy with Club Corp.

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/776975-atlanta-private-clubs-collecting-poll-data/

ATL has some of the worst traffic in the country. Pick the club closest to your place, or find a club and find a place very close to it. Failure to do either of these means you will never go there during the week.

Let me know when you are in town and want to play. I am a Club Corp member at White Columns and can introduce you to our coordinator. White Columns, The Manor and Atlanta National work as a trio membership and are all good clubs with good amenities for families. If $10K initiation is a problem, check out River Pines but is high traffic. RiverMont has been mentioned here before. The old Cannongate courses are now part of Club Corp. All the private clubs inside the perimeter are extremely expensive and have waiting lists.

Joel

Let me know when you are in town and want to play. I am a Club Corp member at White Columns and can introduce you to our coordinator. White Columns, The Manor and Atlanta National work as a trio membership and are all good clubs with good amenities for families. If $10K initiation is a problem, check out River Pines but is high traffic. RiverMont has been mentioned here before. The old Cannongate courses are now part of Club Corp. All the private clubs inside the perimeter are extremely expensive and have waiting lists.

 

Joel

OP, based on what you're looking for, take Joel's advice and consider the ClubCorp cluster of White Columns, Atlanta National, and The Manor. Also look at Rivermont (I am a former member and LOVED the club, just got bored of playing only one course), Berkeley Hills (home club to Stewart Cink), The Standard Club, or go check out the young executive membership at Atlanta Athletic Club. Living in Johns Creek or Alpharetta will give you close proximity to any of the clubs I just mentioned.

You will live in Brookhaven....everyone else does!

Berkeley Hills is where you want to be, no question.

And can we settle this Stewart Cink Berkeley thing once and for all. He may be a "member" at Berkeley but he lives at Sugarloaf and his best friend is GM/Pro at East Lake,has he even set foot on Berkeley in recent years, don't see why he would?

Thanks for all of the responses - I appreciate all of the feedback.

I for myself and I work from home most often, so usually can plan around traffic times. Also, while my employees/business will be servicing the greater atlanta area, I am going to choose a house that is close to my golf course, so hopefully traffic won't be a huge factor.

Can anybody speak to the demographics of these clubs? I don't mind paying up to $50K in initiation or up to $100K if I can pay it over time --- of course, I would prefer less (or a junior/executive/associate program that lets me pay initiation over time), but I don't mind paying up to $50K to join and up to $1,500/month to play....my principal concern is that I want to join a place that has regular games and a solid membership of young guys (mid twenties to late forties) who like to play and maybe like to gamble - the gambling isn't as important to me as the regularity and competitiveness of the games. I've found that my friends in each area I've moved to have always been from my golf club and I would love to keep that trend going.

So, really it boils down to: where can I find a competitive, regular game, in an area that is safe for my family to live and at a club that doesn't take months or years for me to join? (not sure if housing is sporadic in the area, but I'm probably looking to rent a 5 bedroom house, and being in a safe neighborhood is my primary concern)

Thanks again for all of the responses.

With willingness to pay a higher initiation like that, every course except Peachtree and East Lake (corporate memberships) can be on your list...

Atlanta Athletic Club has 2 courses, a junior rate and some younger members... Cherokee TC also has 2 courses... Capital City also has 2 different courses in different locations...

I live well outside of Atlanta, so I can't speak to dogfights and money games...

Btw... Before you give up your NY ID, we need to play Bethpage Black in June...

Btw... Before you give up your NY ID, we need to play Bethpage Black in June... ��

haha! I'm actually living in Miami right now --- but still have my old NY ID, so let me know!

Thanks for the intel. Do all of the clubs you mentioned above have short membership/application processes?

What about TPC Suglarloaf? they sent me some information - the process seemed easy -- but not sure about the course or the quality of the membership/games?

Also - what did you mean about Corporate Memberships at Peachtree and East Lake>? what types of memberships do they offer? and/or what is the process? I own my own company and am not averse to pursuing corporate memberships, although was under the impression that Peacetree and East Lake were so hard to get into, it would take too long.

Peachtree is a no go, unless you have a major connections... They do not have corporate memberships...

East Lake has a few grandfathered single members, but they are mostly all corporate members... Not sure of corporate admission costs...

TPC has been running a no initiation trial membership special... Might not be a bad deal until/if you decide... They do have younger members and money games... QB Matt Ryan and a few other NFL folks are members... 27 holes... Quality is decent... But few put TPC in top 5 courses in Atlanta... Would be very convenient and a good way to avoid traffic if you bought inside the gated community that surrounds it...

If I lived closer... I would look at TPC myself... But Gwinnett traffic sucks on side roads...

Peachtree is a no go, unless you have a major connections... They do not have corporate memberships...

 

East Lake has a few grandfathered single members, but they are mostly all corporate members... Not sure of corporate admission costs...

 

TPC has been running a no initiation trial membership special... Might not be a bad deal until/if you decide... They do have younger members and money games... QB Matt Ryan and a few other NFL folks are members... 27 holes... Quality is decent... But few put TPC in top 5 courses in Atlanta... Would be very convenient and a good way to avoid traffic if you bought inside the gated community that surrounds it...

 

If I lived closer... I would look at TPC myself... But Gwinnett traffic sucks on side roads...

Awesome -- thanks for the intel - let's get a game together when I head up

Certain high end clubs have wait-list in the young exec tier. Having gone through it, Ansley/Settindown, capital city club, Cherokee, all have wait lists right now that can range from 6 months to over a year. Atlanta athletic has highlands course down till October for maintenance, but the other 18 is just as nice.

If you live in buckhead you are going to be very limited in choices as the post 5pm commute to a course outside the perimeter can take an hour to go 10 miles.

Check out Dunwoody Country Club. You'll thank me later, and by thank me, I mean invite me as your guest. It is one of the best golf courses I have ever played.

If you are interested in living in Buckhead area and want to pay for it, I would look at Ansley. You have the in-town 9 hole course you can get to relatively easily and then can drive out to Settindown if you are able to go in the few non-peak traffic times or weekends. Just get started on it soon on any of those higher end ones to join after the waitlists are over.

As far as the groups and young guys to play, I know that Athletic Club has what you are looking for there. But the ride out is tough unless you want to live out in Johns Creek or Alpharetta or Roswell.

Also, Cink spends a lot of his time out at River Club these days.

Check out Piedmont Driving Club. It's south of town so typically you'd be driving against traffic. I think it checks most of your boxes you're looking for.

Check out Piedmont Driving Club. It's south of town so typically you'd be driving against traffic. I think it checks most of your boxes you're looking for.

They also have a long wait list.

I say go Atlanta Athletic Club and find a house in Johns Creek. You'll be glad you did. If you have kids, they'll be glad you did. If you're married, your wife will be glad you did.

You should just move to Birmingham and join Greystone or Shoal Creek. The commute to Atlanta is only 2 hours, which is about what you will be driving when you go to the grocery store living anywhere in the Atlanta metro. Private golf in Atlanta is crazy expensive. I saw the numbers you posted that you were comfortable paying / just be sure you are prepared to write checks just like what you posted - because the clubs there are coin heavy.

Ansley/Settindown is a fine combo. Also worth considering - join at Reynolds Plantation (75 minutes away from downtown, 5 courses to choose from) and just practice at a public facility during the week.

I am a Club Corp member in Tampa and have played White Columns and The Manor when I have been in the Alpharetta area. Both are amazing courses and with the options of playing all of their courses in the area I don't think you can really go wrong. Plus chances are high of finding a game at one of those courses are good as well. Some fantastic houses in that area as well.

Try horseshoe bend. prices are on their website and its a fantastic course.

Wow, I am amazed no one has mentioned Atlanta Country Club in East Cobb. It has all of the things the OP is looking for: serious golfers, competitive games, youngish members, is away from high traffic interstates like 75/285/400/85. It's really a hidden gem. Plus it's in a solid school district, the closest golf course to Buckhead (without being in Buckhead or Brookhaven), has a great professional staff, and it use to be a PGA Tour stop. The only real downside is the practice facilities are small. I am not sure if they have a waiting list currently. Generally ACC costs are not as much as some other clubs in the Atlanta area, but it isn't cheap either.

I have also heard really good things about the new ownership group at Horseshoe Bend. Apparently they have things headed in the right direction. I believe they also bought Golf Club of Georgia as well. I would definitely look at those two clubs.

Stay away from Atlanta Athletic Club, Capital City, or any Club Corp courses. They're going to be nothing like what you described about your current home club.

I haven't picked a place to live yet (likely living north of downtown in Buckhead or somewhere more suburban {I have a wife and kid}), but ultimately will choose my house based on its proximity to the golf club I join.

Most folks with kids pick a house based on the right school district, not proximity to a golf club they want to join...welcome to WRX!

Wow, I am amazed no one has mentioned Atlanta Country Club in East Cobb. It has all of the things the OP is looking for: serious golfers, competitive games, youngish members, is away from high traffic interstates like 75/285/400/85. It's really a hidden gem. Plus it's in a solid school district, the closest golf course to Buckhead (without being in Buckhead or Brookhaven), has a great professional staff, and it use to be a PGA Tour stop. The only real downside is the practice facilities are small. I am not sure if they have a waiting list currently. Generally ACC costs are not as much as some other clubs in the Atlanta area, but it isn't cheap either.

 

I have also heard really good things about the new ownership group at Horseshoe Bend. Apparently they have things headed in the right direction. I believe they also bought Golf Club of Georgia as well. I would definitely look at those two clubs.

 

Stay away from Atlanta Athletic Club, Capital City, or any Club Corp courses. They're going to be nothing like what you described about your current home club.

I think there is a 2 year wait on ACC.

I have a friend who is a member at AAC. He said the initiation wasn't too bad because they were running an under 40 deal to attract younger members - not sure if they're still doing that, but it would be worth checking out. 36 holes, par 3 course, great greens, huge practice area, etc. I live about 2 miles from the course, the Peachtree Corners/John's Creek is quite nice.

Check out Piedmont Driving Club. It's south of town so typically you'd be driving against traffic. I think it checks most of your boxes you're looking for.

 

They also have a long wait list.

 

I say go Atlanta Athletic Club and find a house in Johns Creek. You'll be glad you did. If you have kids, they'll be glad you did. If you're married, your wife will be glad you did.

^ this....naturally, I'm a bit biased as we joined AAC, but in terms of championship caliber golf, kid friendly attitude, and plenty to do for the wife. AAC is top of my list. We recently moved to Atlanta from Boston last August, joining AAC in September. Best decision we made since getting here. We essentially live at the club...one or all of us is there at least every day of the week save Monday when the club is closed. You wont be dissapointed. In terms of games/younger members, 100%. It was a concern that I had prior to joining, but now 9 months into membership it's not an issue at all.

Note, we are blowing up the highlands golf course, work started 2 weeks ago. So it's closed for 3-4 months until October 1. Supposedly once complete it will be above and beyond what it was prior (even through prior was pretty damn good to begin with).

PM me if you want additional details.

Anyone know the initiation fee and or monthly dues for ACC?

My buddy tells me (under 35) he's financing a $20k initiation fee over 4 years and paying about $500/month dues.

Catch is he can only play the 18 hole courses 8 times a year. Open access to range and par 3.

I know there's a tier above this with a higher initiation that will allow full access but I don't know the exact number.

Ouch... $750 per round....? (not counting initiation) I'd rather play in charity tourneys there and write it off...