McLemore trip

[bd59]

We are getting a trip going for next spring to McLemore. Can anyone recommend any courses worth playing that would be very close by, within 1 hour? Or would you just recommend us play all 4 rounds at McLemore? This will be our first time there so any advice or suggestions would be appreciated!!

[me05501]

Hey there. Chattanooga local here, happy to help. 

 

Personally I wouldn't want to play four rounds in a row at McLemore. Two should be plenty for most golfers, I should think. I know the second 18 at McLemore is under construction currently but I'm unclear when it will be open. If there are 36 holes by the time you visit you could easily play each twice and keep your commute to a minimum. 

 

If anyone in your group is a private club member it would be relatively easy to call and get on Black Creek. It's among the best private courses in the area and is convenient to McLemore. It's a Brian Silva design with a lot of template holes. Conditions are always excellent. The unaccompanied guest rate is around $140. That'd be my first choice. 

 

Lookout Mountain Golf Club just completed a thorough renovation and it is supposed to be fantastic. Private, again, but a pro could probably arrange something for you. Right now they aren't even allowing members to bring guests but I'd imagine that won't last long. 

 

You'll be less than an hour from Sweeten's Cove. I'm not sure how you'd manage to coordinate a day there considering how they allocate tee times, but it's worth a call to Adamski to see whether they can pencil you in now. It's a fun day of golf for sure. 

 

The Course at Sewanee is a little further up I-24 but is very scenic and challenging for a nine hole layout. Multiple tees make for interesting replays. Very affordable as well. 

 

There are two public courses off the same I-59 exit as McLemore. Neither is fancy but I've enjoyed playing both. Trenton Golf Club is in the valley between Lookout Mtn and Sand Mtn and Dogwood Hills is on top of Sand Mountain. They can be a lot of fun if you moderate your expectations. Neither is comparable to McLemore. 

 

Goose Pond Colony in Scottsboro, AL has two 18's that are well-conditioned and fun. I've only played the Lakes course but enjoyed it. I'm part of a group playing over a weekend there in October so I'll have more info on the second course by then. 

 

Make a mental note that you will be *very* close to the Eastern/Central time line. I am 90% sure that McLemore operates on Eastern but anything even a mile or two west of there will be on Central. I know Trenton and Dogwood Hills are on Central time and they're very close to McLemore. Same for Sweeten's, Sewanee and Goose Pond. 

 

 

 

 

[me05501]

FYI if you're staying on property at McLemore you're going to want to bring in a bunch of supplies like groceries and drinks. It's way out there and the nearest grocery store is a haul. They have the one restaurant in the clubhouse and the turn shack and that's it. 

Canyon Grill is a very good locally owned restaurant that is within 10 minutes of the McLemore gate. Beyond that you're probably coming off the mountain. There are lots of fast food options on the Trenton exit but that's at least 20 minutes from McLemore. 

[bd59]

Appreciate all of that!! Very helpful. A few of my guys in the group are seniors and I’m not fan on driving a lot in between days / rounds. I have seen Sweeten’s and Sewanee come up, so those may be an option. As far as the private courses, we wouldn’t have any connections. I do appreciate your feedback, thanks again!!

[me05501]

A couple other options on the other side of Lookout Mtn would be Battlefield (private but accessible) and Nob North (muni with good layout and conditions). 

[me05501]

2 minutes ago, bd59 said:

Appreciate all of that!! Very helpful. A few of my guys in the group are seniors and I’m not fan on driving a lot in between days / rounds. I have seen Sweeten’s and Sewanee come up, so those may be an option. As far as the private courses, we wouldn’t have any connections. I do appreciate your feedback, thanks again!!

 

You bet. Scheduling at least one day at a different course would also open up your dining options quite a bit. 

[bd59]

17 hours ago, me05501 said:

Hey there. Chattanooga local here, happy to help. 

 

Personally I wouldn't want to play four rounds in a row at McLemore. Two should be plenty for most golfers, I should think. I know the second 18 at McLemore is under construction currently but I'm unclear when it will be open. If there are 36 holes by the time you visit you could easily play each twice and keep your commute to a minimum. 

 

If anyone in your group is a private club member it would be relatively easy to call and get on Black Creek. It's among the best private courses in the area and is convenient to McLemore. It's a Brian Silva design with a lot of template holes. Conditions are always excellent. The unaccompanied guest rate is around $140. That'd be my first choice. 

 

Lookout Mountain Golf Club just completed a thorough renovation and it is supposed to be fantastic. Private, again, but a pro could probably arrange something for you. Right now they aren't even allowing members to bring guests but I'd imagine that won't last long. 

 

You'll be less than an hour from Sweeten's Cove. I'm not sure how you'd manage to coordinate a day there considering how they allocate tee times, but it's worth a call to Adamski to see whether they can pencil you in now. It's a fun day of golf for sure. 

 

The Course at Sewanee is a little further up I-24 but is very scenic and challenging for a nine hole layout. Multiple tees make for interesting replays. Very affordable as well. 

 

There are two public courses off the same I-59 exit as McLemore. Neither is fancy but I've enjoyed playing both. Trenton Golf Club is in the valley between Lookout Mtn and Sand Mtn and Dogwood Hills is on top of Sand Mountain. They can be a lot of fun if you moderate your expectations. Neither is comparable to McLemore. 

 

Goose Pond Colony in Scottsboro, AL has two 18's that are well-conditioned and fun. I've only played the Lakes course but enjoyed it. I'm part of a group playing over a weekend there in October so I'll have more info on the second course by then. 

 

Make a mental note that you will be *very* close to the Eastern/Central time line. I am 90% sure that McLemore operates on Eastern but anything even a mile or two west of there will be on Central. I know Trenton and Dogwood Hills are on Central time and they're very close to McLemore. Same for Sweeten's, Sewanee and Goose Pond. 

 

 

 

 

I have only spoke with McLemore regarding stay and play packages. Is there anyone else you know of or recommend anything else?

[me05501]

Just now, bd59 said:

I have only spoke with McLemore regarding stay and play packages. Is there anyone else you know of or recommend anything else?

 

No, sorry. I only know that the sales organization (for stay and play or Friends of McLemore) and the golf organization are related but separate. My guess is that you could build your own stay and play package that includes one or more non-golf days and they'd adjust your pricing accordingly. That would give you the time to go play elsewhere. Probably comes up all the time. 

[puttnforthe8]

Speaking of Mclemore, can someone comment on it?  I am flying into Atlanta to plays some golf at Reynolds, Old Barnwell, Aiken and possibly another palce.

 

is Mclemore worth the trip up from Atlanta? 
 

thx

[Octopus Golfer]

3 hours ago, puttnforthe8 said:

Speaking of Mclemore, can someone comment on it?  I am flying into Atlanta to plays some golf at Reynolds, Old Barnwell, Aiken and possibly another palce.

 

is Mclemore worth the trip up from Atlanta? 
 

thx

Not in my opinion. The views on 18 are incredible. Other than that, it’s a very mediocre course. 

[Llortamaisey]

3 hours ago, puttnforthe8 said:

Speaking of Mclemore, can someone comment on it?  I am flying into Atlanta to plays some golf at Reynolds, Old Barnwell, Aiken and possibly another palce.

 

is Mclemore worth the trip up from Atlanta? 
 

thx

I agree with what @Octopus Golfer  said and I would add that it’s the complete opposite direction of the other course you mentioned, which makes the juice even less worth it for the squeeze. I’d tried to find a way onto Tree Farm, Cuscowilla, Champions, or Palmetto. Those will all be around the other courses you’re already visiting. 
 

McLemore is good, just not “go out of your way” good. 

[me05501]

Barnsley Gardens in Adairsville might be worth the drive from the side of Atlanta you’ll be on for those other courses. The experience is not dissimilar from McLemore in that the course is located at a remote resort and gets less play than most. The price point and conditions should be similar. 

[renobleiii]

Sea island would be a good alternative as somewhere to go, especially if you’re willing to drive. Otherwise the Augusta/aiken courses are by where you’re already going. 

[Drock25]

Champions retreat and cuscowilla are worth the price of admission and memorable rounds!  I heard the same about mclore, 18 is cool but course is ok.  Athens is about 45 mins from lake oconee, Athens CC is a good donald ross track.  Expect frost delays, it’s cold AF in atlanta.

[LostEngineer]

This thread has taken a weird turn. I hope people here have access to a map.  

 

@puttnforthe8 Reynolds has 5 courses (maybe 6 by the time you get there), why would you drive to north georgia considering all your other rounds are in west south carolina? 

[puttnforthe8]

29 minutes ago, LostEngineer said:

This thread has taken a weird turn. I hope people here have access to a map.  

 

@puttnforthe8 Reynolds has 5 courses (maybe 6 by the time you get there), why would you drive to north georgia considering all your other rounds are in west south carolina? 

Because I want to and I am already playing most if not all those mentioned and more and have been on the "Friends of Mclemore" since it opened and that is what one does on golf trips; plus many more reasons. 

Edited January 22 by puttnforthe8

[me05501]

21 minutes ago, puttnforthe8 said:

Because I want to and I am already playing most if not all those mentioned and more and have been on the "Friends of Mclemore" since it opened and that is what one does on golf trips; plus many more reasons. 

 

Makes sense. 

 

It's impossible to overestimate the traffic bottlenecks that exist between the area east of Atlanta and McLemore. Depending on the time of day you could be looking at 2.5 hours or 4.5 hours. I think most of us are saying it's not worth that hassle to play one round at McLemore. The course is cool and the views are great but you can have similar experiences without putting yourself through a terrible travel day. 

[puttnforthe8]

7 minutes ago, me05501 said:

 

Makes sense. 

 

It's impossible to overestimate the traffic bottlenecks that exist between the area east of Atlanta and McLemore. Depending on the time of day you could be looking at 2.5 hours or 4.5 hours. I think most of us are saying it's not worth that hassle to play one round at McLemore. The course is cool and the views are great but you can have similar experiences without putting yourself through a terrible travel day. 

Yes sir - this is what I took away too and appreciate your context.    I making my first trip to the area and since it was "close" in relative terms, it was a consideration.   Driving is not a big deal here where I am from...we drive 4-8hrs to many places. LOL

[me05501]

3 minutes ago, puttnforthe8 said:

Yes sir - this is what I took away too and appreciate your context.    I making my first trip to the area and since it was "close" in relative terms, it was a consideration.   Driving is not a big deal here where I am from...we drive 4-8hrs to many places. LOL

 

Understood. 

 

It would be an easy trip if you were a bird.