Trip to Atlanta, need opinions

[ycharland]

Where to stay and play

Heading down to Atlanta in mid October for four days. Plan on playing five rounds of golf, couple 36 hole days. Not sure where to stay or play, heading down with some single buddies including a Sportscenter anchor who likes the ladies and wants some post round nightlife, we are in our thirties so nothing too juvenile. Looking north of the city but the only area that I know is fairly nice is Buckhead but last time I was there was four years ago. So any advice on areas to stay would be perfect

Here are courses under consideration, please feel free to add or subtract from this list

Barnsley Gardens
Reunion Golf Club
Bear's Best
Echelon
Legacy on Lanier
The Frog
Woodmont

Would love to get on East Lake or Atlanta Athletic Club but lack a hook up, we are only three so any solo's want to help us out and join us for 18 at AAC/EastLake drinks are on us.

Cheers

[scs1070]

Those courses are pretty spread out. You might want to check out the top end area, Dunwoody, that is somewhat centralized, but you are still going to have to drive. There is a Crown Plaza that is right there off 285, that would be somewhat centralized and have some good food and drink around that area. . Or you could look up in the Kennesaw area. If you want some good post game nightlife, Buckhead and Midtown are going to be at.

[TM_HOYER]

All of the courses on the list are nice courses. A couple I would add for consideration are Canyon Ridge (about an hour further north of Barnsley Gardens and well worth the trip), The Manor, Chestatee, and BridgeMill. As far as places to stay and entertainment, I cannot help there. I am not a social life animal.

[dukeman]

[quote name='TM_HOYER' timestamp='1317311886' post='3602929']
All of the courses on the list are nice courses. A couple I would add for consideration are Canyon Ridge (about an hour further north of Barnsley Gardens and well worth the trip), The Manor, Chestatee, and BridgeMill. As far as places to stay and entertainment, I cannot help there. I am not a social life animal.
[/quote]

Nightlife in Atlanta is either in Buckhead or Midtown. Golf is spread around outside the perimeter where the land is cheaper. All the courses you listed are good tracks. None of them is close to Buckhead or Midtown.

I would recommend finding a hotel in your price range around Buckhead or maybe near Perimeter Mall then just planning on driving to the course.

[ycharland]

Thanks for the replies. We will have a car and plan on driving from the Buckhead area. If we play 36 which courses make sense to pair up in a day?

[caller]

I went to Bear's best on Sep 17th, they had aereration on their greens and it was terrible.

I would not go, they still charge me $75/player with unputtable green.


FYI

[TM_HOYER]

[quote name='ycharland' timestamp='1317331235' post='3604449']
Thanks for the replies. We will have a car and plan on driving from the Buckhead area. If we play 36 which courses make sense to pair up in a day?
[/quote]

If you include the courses you listed and the additional ones I recommended, there are a number of them you could get 36 in. Echelon and The Manor are very close to each other and if you want some good BBQ for lunch, I would recommend 'Cue. Woodmont and Bridgemill are also close to each other. Legacy on Lanier, Reunion, and Bears Best are a little further away from each other but I think you could get 36 in. Also Chestatee and Achasta are close to each other and are worth the drive up GA-400. The Frog, Barnsley Gardens, Canyon Ridge are in the middle of nowhere. Also most of the courses are on Golfnow, so you might be able to get some discounted rates.

[dannytmc]

Without question, either Buckhead or Midtown would be the place to stay. From either of those locations, most of the courses you will want to play should be around 45-60 minutes away. There is no real need to be near any of the courses since the trip is not purely golf focused. Plus, most of the good restaurants will be in those areas as well.

I would recommend that if you play 36 in a day, you should play the same course twice to avoid on drive time as well as getting a better idea of how the course plays. Course probably will have a replay rate, as well. Someone had mentioned playing the Manor. I had it on the docket to play a couple of weeks ago, but they had just aerated and I skipped it. A friend of mine that has played it said it was absolutely gorgeous. The clubhouse is also quite spectacular and having lunch between rounds or cocktails after rounds might be recommended.

I'd say that Legacy on Lanier is probably the most scenic course I've played in GA. It sits right off Lake Lanier and there are quite a few holes that will provide a killer view, along with some 'clenching' down below. It's a lot of fun, but it's not a walk in the park. Bermuda greens should be rolling quick.

The Frog is a great Tom Fazio design that is the favorite course of many in Atlanta. Aerated 10 days ago and by mid-October, should be in excellent condition.

Echelon, great layout. Always in prime condition and bent greens that should be in peak form. Big detractor is the double wide they have for a clubhouse. That was last year and I'm not sure if they 'upgraded' yet. Very close to the Manor, if you need the course variety for the 36 in a day.

Bears is a nice layout and usually well maintained. I would take a pass, unless you really wanted to play.

The others on your list I have not played but have heard good things about. Good luck with the trip and let me know if you need any other info.

[TM_HOYER]

The Manor is in great shape. The greens have healed and are rolling fast and true.

[oscarpepper]

I have played all the private and most of the public. The manor, barnsley gardens, and legacy on lainer are great and you would want to stay in buckhead/midtown but the public courses in the buckhead area are not worth the trip.

[Abstract]

Guys

Of the courses listed above, how far would they be from the Airport?

[Llortamaisey]

All of the courses above are pretty far from Hartsfield. 45-60 minutes away, minimum.

If you are looking for a good public course near the airport try Wolf Creek of Camp Creek Parkway. It's a pretty solid course and usually stays in good condition, especially this time of year.

[muxi87]

[quote name='caller' timestamp='1317331940' post='3604505']
I went to Bear's best on Sep 17th, they had aereration on their greens and it was terrible.

I would not go, they still charge me $75/player with unputtable green.


FYI
[/quote]

They should be good to go right about now then. We did an aeration on the 19th and the greens are already easily in 8/10 shape.

[Llortamaisey]

I played in Otis Nixon's golf tournament at Bear's Best last week and the greens were still hurting pretty bad.



[quote name='muxi87' timestamp='1317756784' post='3624451']
[quote name='caller' timestamp='1317331940' post='3604505']
I went to Bear's best on Sep 17th, they had aereration on their greens and it was terrible.

I would not go, they still charge me $75/player with unputtable green.


FYI
[/quote]

They should be good to go right about now then. We did an aeration on the 19th and the greens are already easily in 8/10 shape.
[/quote]

[muxi87]

[quote name='dannytmc' timestamp='1317437103' post='3610263']
Without question, either Buckhead or Midtown would be the place to stay. From either of those locations, most of the courses you will want to play should be around 45-60 minutes away. There is no real need to be near any of the courses since the trip is not purely golf focused. Plus, most of the good restaurants will be in those areas as well.

I would recommend that if you play 36 in a day, you should play the same course twice to avoid on drive time as well as getting a better idea of how the course plays. Course probably will have a replay rate, as well. Someone had mentioned playing the Manor. I had it on the docket to play a couple of weeks ago, but they had just aerated and I skipped it. A friend of mine that has played it said it was absolutely gorgeous. The clubhouse is also quite spectacular and having lunch between rounds or cocktails after rounds might be recommended.

I'd say that Legacy on Lanier is probably the most scenic course I've played in GA. It sits right off Lake Lanier and there are quite a few holes that will provide a killer view, along with some 'clenching' down below. It's a lot of fun, but it's not a walk in the park. Bermuda greens should be rolling quick.

The Frog is a great Tom Fazio design that is the favorite course of many in Atlanta. Aerated 10 days ago and by mid-October, should be in excellent condition.

Echelon, great layout. Always in prime condition and bent greens that should be in peak form. Big detractor is the double wide they have for a clubhouse. That was last year and I'm not sure if they 'upgraded' yet. Very close to the Manor, if you need the course variety for the 36 in a day.

Bears is a nice layout and usually well maintained. I would take a pass, unless you really wanted to play.

The others on your list I have not played but have heard good things about. Good luck with the trip and let me know if you need any other info.
[/quote]

I would strongly suggest you stay away from the Frog. I have yet to play there when it was in anything other than mediocre shape (including the Georgia PGA Atlanta Open this year). It's also well off the beaten path.

One that many have left out is Cobblestone in Acworth. Was always a great layout but was in terrible shape for years. They did a renovation last year, including going to Champions Bermuda...I still thought it'd be terrible, but was finally talked in to playing it. It was 2 weeks an aeration and it was still nice.

One issue with courses like Cobblestone and the Frog is that they are PUBLIC. 5 hour round times are definitely the norm. I'd be surprised if you played any faster than 5 hours at a public course in GA. Just the way it is.

[muxi87]

[quote name='King Kobra' timestamp='1317757007' post='3624469']
I played in Otis Nixon's golf tournament at Bear's Best last week and the greens were still hurting pretty bad.



[quote name='muxi87' timestamp='1317756784' post='3624451']
[quote name='caller' timestamp='1317331940' post='3604505']
I went to Bear's best on Sep 17th, they had aereration on their greens and it was terrible.

I would not go, they still charge me $75/player with unputtable green.


FYI
[/quote]

They should be good to go right about now then. We did an aeration on the 19th and the greens are already easily in 8/10 shape.
[/quote]
[/quote]

Huh, wonder what the deal is...?

Listen to the guy that played it...I was just giving a little info based on the area and similar timeframe of recovery.

[tarheelscratch]

[quote name='dukeman' timestamp='1317321722' post='3603701']
[quote name='TM_HOYER' timestamp='1317311886' post='3602929']
All of the courses on the list are nice courses. A couple I would add for consideration are Canyon Ridge (about an hour further north of Barnsley Gardens and well worth the trip), The Manor, Chestatee, and BridgeMill. As far as places to stay and entertainment, I cannot help there. I am not a social life animal.
[/quote]

Nightlife in Atlanta is either in Buckhead or Midtown. Golf is spread around outside the perimeter where the land is cheaper. All the courses you listed are good tracks. None of them is close to Buckhead or Midtown.

I would recommend finding a hotel in your price range around Buckhead or maybe near Perimeter Mall then just planning on driving to the course.
[/quote]

A little tip as I travel there often if you use Priceline, go to Atlanta, Buckhead Area and put in 4 star hotel and $85 you will get Intercontinental Buckhead or Grand Hyatt Buckhead> Both are awesome!!!

[scs1070]

I played Bears Best 3 weeks ago and 4 of the greens were basically dead. The # 6 and 11, the par 3s on the water and 1 or 2 others on the back, they just dont get any circulation and were just dirt.

[dannytmc]

[quote name='muxi87' timestamp='1317756784' post='3624451']
[quote name='caller' timestamp='1317331940' post='3604505']
I went to Bear's best on Sep 17th, they had aereration on their greens and it was terrible.

I would not go, they still charge me $75/player with unputtable green.


FYI
[/quote]

They should be good to go right about now then. We did an aeration on the 19th and the greens are already easily in 8/10 shape.
[/quote]

If you work there, clearly there is a bit of bias... others are saying that the greens are not in great shape and truth be told, there were few occasions that I have played BB where they were ever good. Fact is, Bears is also a public course. Why you take issue with the other courses being public is a bit puzzling. In my experience, 5 hour rounds are not the norm on any course in Metro Atlanta.

Fact is, there is basically ZERO nightlife outside of the Buckhead, Midtown, L5P areas, so golfing in the middle of nowhere should not be an issue.

[mshills]

The best duo that are close to each other on the Northside, west of GA 400, are definitely The Manor and Echelon. The Manor is a private club that opened at the wrong time and out-kicked their coverage somewhat, so they are taking public play now. Tom Watson course, very scenic, very playable, well-designed, and lots of fun. Palatial clubhouse. Highly recommend. Echelon is similar - in an out of foreclosure, no clubhouse, but the course is fantastic. VERY difficult. If you think you have some game, play from the tips and post your experience. Despite the construction trailer clubhouse, the guys who work out there are great, the range is pretty good, and the course is definitely worth playing.

 

Also on the Northside, east of GA 400 are Legacy on Lanier (nothing to add to the above notes on this one -- excellent) and I would also check out Lanier Golf Club. Opened in 1970, and the clubhouse hasn't been touched since then. This course has been slated to close a couple of times to make way for yet another cookie-cutter subdivision, but the residents in the area successfully tied up the transaction somehow (I think) and the club re-opened as a public course. It is typically in great condition with really nice greens, especially for the modest fees. The layout is really nice, old-school, with a couple of very good par 5s and par 3s. In the 1970s this was apparently the place to go if you wanted a real money game, from what I hear.

 

I would avoid Bear's Best at the moment as they are having strange issues with the greens. I would also not drive nearly to Alabama (OK, it's not quite that far but it is a hike) to play the Frog. I don't get the fascination with that course. It's okay, but it's not worth the haul out there.

 

To have things to do at night, I would definitely stay in Midtown. For good food and drink, and great scenery, your options are unlimited. PM me if you want some suggestions for good cocktails and good food that's somewhat better than the typical post-college burger and draft beer pub grub crap.

[Llortamaisey]

I just want to throw out a few suggestions for nightlife and food in buckhead. First the Tavern at Phipps is a must. It has the best scenery in Atlanta.

Hal's on Old Ivy has the best steak in Atlanta. It's a local piano bar that doesn't advertise because of their upscale blue blood customers. Hal Nowack is a world famous chef and the restaurant is often visited by other famous chefs. It's not strange to see Ted Turner, Tom Cousins, or Bernie Marcus dining there. It's where the old money in Atlanta eats but it's not that expensive when compared to other steakhouses in Atlanta.

Johnny's Hideaway is a must late night spot. It's a cougar/snow leopard bar that gets younger as the night goes on. The best way to describe it is it's like New Years Eve there every night. If your boy is a fan of the ladies, you have to get him there. The bar was featured in the movie Hall Pass. It's an Atlanta cultural institution.

[muxi87]

[quote name='dannytmc' timestamp='1317788300' post='3626885']
[quote name='muxi87' timestamp='1317756784' post='3624451']
[quote name='caller' timestamp='1317331940' post='3604505']
I went to Bear's best on Sep 17th, they had aereration on their greens and it was terrible.

I would not go, they still charge me $75/player with unputtable green.


FYI
[/quote]

They should be good to go right about now then. We did an aeration on the 19th and the greens are already easily in 8/10 shape.
[/quote]

If you work there, clearly there is a bit of bias... others are saying that the greens are not in great shape and truth be told, there were few occasions that I have played BB where they were ever good. Fact is, Bears is also a public course. Why you take issue with the other courses being public is a bit puzzling. In my experience, 5 hour rounds are not the norm on any course in Metro Atlanta.

Fact is, there is basically ZERO nightlife outside of the Buckhead, Midtown, L5P areas, so golfing in the middle of nowhere should not be an issue.
[/quote]

Sorry, my post was worded a bit confusing...

We meant my club here in Cartersville (that is located in the same geographical area as BB).

I've played BB once...was okay...it's tough to impress me...our club in Cartersville is top notch, so I travel to other clubs very little.

As for the round times:

I've NEVER played a less than 5 hour round at the Frog. I've actually never completed an 18 hole round there unless in a tournament...after taking 3 hours to complete the front, I usually just leave (that's happened the only two times I've ever been to the Frog outside of a tournament setting)

Same story for Cobblestone. It took 3 hours to play 11 holes...on a random Tuesday morning.

If you play a scenic public course, it takes 5+ hours. If there's any forest areas, any water, etc., it takes the general golfing public forever to play a round.

Just trying to help the guy out...heck, even pm'd him the first day the post was put up and offered to get him on East Lake...not here to argue, just here to help.

[PostandGhost]

I'm occasionally in Atlanta and if you are willing to drive to the courses that are listed you should maybe think about playing out at Lake Oconee on the 36 hole day. You could play Reynolds Landing and Great Waters at Reynolds Plantation. It's about an hour and fifteen minutes from Buckhead. Both of those course have the mini-verde greens like Berkley Hills, East Lake, and Atlanta Athletic Club. While the greens out there won't be as good as Berkley, they should be about the same as East Lake and AAC.

I really wouldn't worry about getting on East Lake or AAC. East Lake is super nice and it has a lot of history but it's just a lot of back and fourth golf holes. AAC has two long courses with tough greens and 4,000 members that over play them. For the money, both clubs are overrated and I wouldn't call any of the courses a "world class" golf course. Neither of them are memorable and you wouldn't know about either of them if they didn't play the Tour Championship or PGA Championship at them. You'd be much better off trying to get on Peachtree Country Club, Piedmont Driving Club, or Atlanta Country Club.

[muxi87]

[quote name='From_Parts_Unknown' timestamp='1317820667' post='3627779']
I really wouldn't worry about getting on East Lake or AAC. East Lake is super nice and it has a lot of history but it's just a lot of back and fourth golf holes. AAC has two long courses with tough greens and 4,000 members that over play them. For the money, both clubs are overrated and I wouldn't call any of the courses a "world class" golf course. Neither of them are memorable and you wouldn't know about either of them if they didn't play the Tour Championship or PGA Championship at them. You'd be much better off trying to get on Peachtree Country Club, Piedmont Driving Club, or Atlanta Country Club.
[/quote]
My thoughts exactly.

If you can, you want to play them each just to end the curiosity...and to cross them off the list of courses played.

BUT...having played at EL the day after the Tour Championship, I declined a return invitation for this Saturday. Nice course...but nothing really exceptional. I'd rather drive 5 minutes and just pay a cart fee at my club than drive 45 minutes into downtown and pay a caddy $75.

Now Peachtree on the other hand...that's a track...

And Atlanta Country Club is in exceptional shape right now...best greens I've EVER seen.

[optionstraderbc]

[quote name='TM_HOYER' timestamp='1317390941' post='3607417']
[quote name='ycharland' timestamp='1317331235' post='3604449']
Thanks for the replies. We will have a car and plan on driving from the Buckhead area. If we play 36 which courses make sense to pair up in a day?
[/quote]

If you include the courses you listed and the additional ones I recommended, there are a number of them you could get 36 in. Echelon and The Manor are very close to each other and if you want some good BBQ for lunch, I would recommend 'Cue. Woodmont and Bridgemill are also close to each other. Legacy on Lanier, Reunion, and Bears Best are a little further away from each other but I think you could get 36 in. Also Chestatee and Achasta are close to each other and are worth the drive up GA-400. The Frog, Barnsley Gardens, Canyon Ridge are in the middle of nowhere. Also most of the courses are on Golfnow, so you might be able to get some discounted rates.
[/quote]

I second Woodmont and Bridgemill. I live at Bridgemil and the food and bar are excellent IMO. Plus they are within 15 mins of each other and about a 20-30 min drive from Buckhead before 3pm of course.

[scs1070]

Muxi - I was told the green at the Frog for the Atlanta Open were rolling 6 or 7, and had fuzz. Is that true? The Frog used to be a great hidden gem, then everyone found out about it and now it is packed. I do liek the layout however.

I have to say that most round on public courses take in the 4.5-5 hour range. Hell, I played Eagle Watch this mornign and we tee'ed off at 8:30 and it took 4.5 hours...

If you could just hang around Buckhead and play all the intown courses, Peachtree, CC Club, E.L., Ect, that would be a good day. Then head north and play all the out of town course, Atlanta National, Crab Apple, Ansley, ect.

The Crab Apple course is my idea of how a course should play. 7100 yards...go get it.

Not sure how I got off on that side tangent.

[Abstract]

okay. Going Monday. Are there any courses worthy of playing within a cab ride?

I'm staying at the Crown Plaza at Ravinia and I am really unsure how far these courses are.

Anyone up for a early game Wed of next week?

[quote name='King Kobra' timestamp='1317756724' post='3624445']
All of the courses above are pretty far from Hartsfield. 45-60 minutes away, minimum.

If you are looking for a good public course near the airport try Wolf Creek of Camp Creek Parkway. It's a pretty solid course and usually stays in good condition, especially this time of year.
[/quote]

[TM_HOYER]

[quote name='Abstract' timestamp='1318444199' post='3663541']
okay. Going Monday. Are there any courses worthy of playing within a cab ride?

I'm staying at the Crown Plaza at Ravinia and I am really unsure how far these courses are.

Anyone up for a early game Wed of next week?

[quote name='King Kobra' timestamp='1317756724' post='3624445']
All of the courses above are pretty far from Hartsfield. 45-60 minutes away, minimum.

If you are looking for a good public course near the airport try Wolf Creek of Camp Creek Parkway. It's a pretty solid course and usually stays in good condition, especially this time of year.
[/quote]
[/quote]

From the Ravina / Perimeter Mall area, the only thing within a cab ride are private clubs that do not allow outside play, Steel Canyon which is an executive course, and North Fulton which is crowded and overplayed. Neither are not really worth a cab ride. The closest courses from there I would recommend, you would need to head up GA-400. The Trophy Club of Atlanta is public and is an alright course. Then you have The Manor and Echelon that are private courses that allow limited outside play.

[muxi87]

[quote name='scs1070' timestamp='1317845126' post='3629857']
Muxi - I was told the green at the Frog for the Atlanta Open were rolling 6 or 7, and had fuzz. Is that true? The Frog used to be a great hidden gem, then everyone found out about it and now it is packed. I do liek the layout however.

I have to say that most round on public courses take in the 4.5-5 hour range. Hell, I played Eagle Watch this mornign and we tee'ed off at 8:30 and it took 4.5 hours...

If you could just hang around Buckhead and play all the intown courses, Peachtree, CC Club, E.L., Ect, that would be a good day. Then head north and play all the out of town course, Atlanta National, Crab Apple, Ansley, ect.

The Crab Apple course is my idea of how a course should play. 7100 yards...go get it.

Not sure how I got off on that side tangent.
[/quote]

6-7 is generous...I'd have called it 4-5

Fuzz is also generous...they were VERY bumpy...think aeration with actually being aerated...if that makes sense...

Frog layout is awesome...which makes it always being in crappy shape a bummer.

Yes, public golf is SLOW in GA for some reason.

CrabApple is my favorite in GA...above East Lake, above Sugarloaf...I love it.

[egolfer]

Just played The Heritage Club and it was in wonderful shape. Great experience even in the drizzle on Tuesday.