Special Feature: Georgia's Reynold's Plantation

By Jason Deegan,
Senior Writer

GREENSBORO, Ga. -- Although the Reynolds Plantation has already established itself as one of the top golfing destinations in Georgia, golfers around the country will be hearing more about the up-and-coming resort in years to come - whether its because of the facility's existing venues, or its planned additions.

The semi-private community, located off Interstate-20 about 75 miles southeast of Atlanta in the rural area setting around Greensboro and Eatonton, boasts three outstanding courses -- Great Waters, the National and the Plantation. But the resort will be adding a fourth course to its formidable lineup, the Lodge, which might be the best of them all.

The Lodge, designed by Rees Jones, is on schedule to open for limited play to course reviewers and others this fall, but it won't be ready for resort guests until March 2001. It is being touted as long enough (7,350 yards) and tough enough to host a PGA Tour event. Accompanying the course will be a five-star, 250-room Ritz-Carlton Lodge, which should also be finished in the spring of 2001.

But golf enthusiasts don't need to wait until the Lodge course opens to visit Reynolds Plantation, which is being developed by the Linger Longer Development Co., a family-owned company. Gracing the shores of Lake Oconee, one of the world's largest man-made lakes, the resort not only offers championship golf, but great sailing, boating, fishing, swimming and water skiing. In fact, many pro bass fishermen practice on the 19,000-acre lake during their off-season.

But don't get sidetracked by all the other recreational opportunities this resort has to offer - the golf is world-class. Reynolds Plantation features two of the top three public courses in the state, according to Golf Digest's 1999 ratings, including the state's No. 1 gem, the Great Waters course.

All the current courses feature at least four sets of tees, although some holes feature and additional set. And if its amenities you are after, Reynolds aims to please. All three courses have their own pro-shops, 19th hole restaurant/grille, locker and shower facilities and separate practice area, including driving range and chipping and putting green.

Members brag of the resort's attention to detail -- like the "War on Slow Play" campaign, the high-tech storm-warning siren system on Great Waters or the pumping system that keeps a creek babbling downhill at the 16th hole on the National course -- as the reasons they love the place. And if that's not enough, many of the elegant homes on the property sit well back from the fairways behind the tree lines, allowing golfers the privacy to enjoy their round, and members the chance to avoid plugging golf balls into their own abodes.

Making the turn to the next course, Great Waters, a par-72 that plays 7,048 yards from the tips, is a delightful Jack Nicklaus design that opened in the fall of 1992. Golf Magazine rated it as one of the 10 Best New Resorts for 1992 and Golf Digest ranked it the No. 2 resort course in the nation in 1993. Golfweek went a step further, naming it the No. 2 course in Georgia in 1993, second only to Augusta National, home of the Master's.

In its latest 1999 rankings, Golf Digest ranked the course as the seventh-best in the state behind six top private courses. Even PGA professionals can vouch for its worth. The course also hosted the Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf from 1995-97.

Great Waters plays 6,545 yards with a slope of 130 and a rating of 71.2 from the blues, where most golfers will tee it up, and the front nine just happens to crescendo into one of the toughest, most scenic back nines you'll ever play.

The second hole, a 480-yard par-5, is reachable in two for long players, but beware of a small pond right of the green. The hole also features a little history as well; just inside the 200-yard mark, there's a stone to commemorate Mark McCumber, who sank a 3-iron for a double eagle on April 10, 1995, on his way to a 3 & 2 match play victory over Loren Roberts in the Andersen Consulting event.

A creek meanders through the fairway three different times on the fifth hole, a 387-yard par-4, including one dissection that cuts right in front of the green to create a nerve-wracking approach. Without degrading any of the previous holes, Great Waters cranks it up a notch on No. 9, a 376-yard par-4.

It's the first time Lake Oconee comes into play, gobbling up any approaches that stay short or wander to the right. The view of the lake from the elevated tee on No. 11, a short 314-yard birdie hole, is stunning. Two bunkers in the middle of the fairway or a side-hill lie could make it play tougher than it is. Just pray the pin isn't in the back of the green flirting with the water.

After two solid holes, No. 14, a 152-yard par-3, requires a carry to a peninsula green. No. 17, another short 135-yard par-3, plays similar to No. 14. Be long or be wet. The 18th hole doesn't provide much relief from water hazards, either. The lake flows up the entire left side of this 495-yard par-5. A cove guards the green, making an eagle putt virtually impossible for mere mortals.

Across the lake sits the National course, which was designed by Tom Fazio and opened for play in August 1997. Golf Digest ranked it the third-best public access course in 1999 and the 13th-best in the state overall.

This course rolls through dense forests of hardwoods and pines, with dramatic elevation changes and awkward lies at every turn. Eighty-three bunkers and large undulating greens demand shot-making at its best. Many of the curves and ledges in the fairways and greens will funnel the ball right out of bounds, one of Fazio's trademark tricks.

Danger lurks on the approach on No. 2, a 364-yard par 4, with a pond to the right. A sucker pin on the peninsula green on No. 6, a 525-yard par-5, will force many golfers to think twice about their approach. Don't get distracted by the view from the elevated tee on No. 8, a 473-yard par-5.

After a rugged 380-yard downhill par 4 on No. 11, another par-5, the 528-yard 12th hole, bends slightly right with Lake Oconee coming into play along the right side at the 200-yard mark. Right-handed players with a slicing problem will grimace at the task of avoiding the lake on the 165-yard 13th hole.

The Plantation course, designed by Bob Cupp with contributions from former U.S. Open champions Hubert Green and Fuzzy Zoeller, is the less dynamic of the three, but is no slouch in its own right. Opened in 1988, this par-72, 6,698-yard layout was named on the Best 10 New Resort Courses in the World by Golf magazine in 1989. Golfweek deemed it among the top 15 courses in the state in 1993.

The course's signature hole is No. 5, a downhill, 562-yard par-5. Emerging from the forested fairway, the green is backed by Lake Oconee. Hole No. 2, a short downhill 356-yard par-4, and No. 16, a 478-yard par 5, are also memorable.

Prices for such a marvelous golfing/vacation experience are remarkably low. Lodging in one of the plantation's two- or three-bedroom cottages during the peak season (March 1-Nov. 14) ranges from $144 a night on Sunday through Wednesday to $153 a night on Thursday through Saturday. During off-peak times (Nov. 15-Feb. 28), the rate is $118 Sunday through Wednesday and $127 Thursday through Saturday. A special rate of $129 per couple is good for one 18-hole round on any of the courses. Additional rounds cost more.

With Augusta a little more than an hour's drive away, many people lucky enough to get their hands on tickets to the Master's stay at the Plantation and commute across I-20 to golf's most prestigious tournament. Book early, though, because availability doesn't last long.

For more information, visit the resort's web-site at www.reynoldsplantation.com. For tee times and or more information on real estate or the property, call 706-467-3151 for the Plantation and National courses, or 706-485-0235 for the Great Waters Course.

Great Waters Course Information

Opened: 1992

National Course Information

Opened: 1997

Plantation Course Information

Opened: 1988

Jason Deegan is a staff writer with TravelGolf.com's Michigangolf.com website.