With 99 holes across five immaculate courses Atlanta’s Reynolds Plantation, on idyllic Lake Oconee, has something to suit all levels. Guy Fiorita is spoilt for choice
Reynolds Plantation has become one of the world’s great golf destinations. One hundred and twenty kilometres southeast of Atlanta, Georgia, on the shores of Lake Oconee, the site is home to 99 holes of pure golfing pleasure, nestled among tall Georgia pines and swathes of azaleas.
The problem is, I have just one day here and time to play only one course. So instead of controlling my slice or worry about duffing my chip, choosing which course to play turned out to be my major challenge. Should I go for Bob Cupp’s Plantation Course, the one that started it all back in 1988? Or how about Great Waters, a Jack Nicklaus signature course, and the site of this year’s PGA Professional National Championship? Then there’s Tom Fazio’s National Course and its 27 holes of world-class golf, or perhaps the beautiful Rees Jones’ Oconee Course. The only one I could knock off the list was Jim Engh’s highly touted new Creek Club: it’s the resort’s only private members’ club.
Partly because of its proximity to my room – about a 100-metre walk from reception to the first tee – and partly owing to my desire to get out and play as quickly as possible, I decided on the Oconee course. The fact that I was a bit rusty and there’s a state-of-the-art TaylorMade Performance Lab in the Oconee Clubhouse also helped. I figured that I would probably need to check in for a swing analysis after the round.
Rees Jones’ course plays like reading a good book. The pace is perfect. It draws you in slowly and then builds in intensity until reaching the final climax on the last three holes. And all along you can’t wait to see what’s around the next corner.
Scoring well here will be based on your ability to play every club in your bag. There’s a lot of water on the course, especially after the turn, so precision is important, but with nearly 6,800m from the back championship tees, distance too is a factor. Don’t let that number scare you; with five tee placements and intelligent positioning of bunkers and other hazards, Jones has developed a course that is great fun and a challenge to golfers of all levels.
Like the thrill of a roller coaster, the ride left me wanting more. And with another 81 holes to play I’m sure I’ll be back. My one-day whirlwind visit will be remembered as one of the great golf mishaps of my life. The irony is that Reynolds Plantation is a development built by a company called Linger Longer. Well, next time I plan to do just that: linger a lot longer.
REYNOLDS PLANTATION
100 Linger Longer Road, Greensboro, Georgia 30642, USA
Tel: +1 706 467 1111, info@reynoldsplantation.com,
www.reynoldsplantation.com
OCONEE COURSE
| Inaugurated | 2002 |
| Designer | Rees Jones |
| Number of holes | 18 |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | |
| Championship tees | 6,427 metres |
| White tees | 6,155 metres |
| Red tees | 4,753 metres |
Green fees: €170, including forecaddie
Other services: Driving range, putting green, pitching green, practice bunker, buggies, carts, club rental, pro shop, changing rooms, showers, lockers, private and group classes, restaurant, snack bar, hotel, caddies.
Ideal playing season: Spring, autumn and early mornings and late afternoons in the summer months.
The hotel: The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation, is a 251-room, five-star resort with six restaurants, indoor and outdoor pools, and a 2,400 sq metre spa. Play is reserved for guests at the hotel and private members. www.ritzcarltonlodge.com
THE HOLE
I love a course that ends on a high note and Oconee does so by saving the best for last. The 18th hole is a 420m, par 4, where you’ll need to dart your drive over 160m of water to a landing area that’s only about 35m wide. Once safely on hard ground you’re now faced with an intimidating long iron or fairway wood to a green that seems virtually surrounded by water; anything left or long and you end up in the lake.
THE VIEW
I love a course that ends on a high note and Oconee does so by saving the best for last. The 18th hole is a 420m, par 4, where you’ll need to dart your drive over 160m of water to a landing area that’s only about 35m wide. Once safely on hard ground you’re now faced with an intimidating long iron or fairway wood to a green that seems virtually surrounded by water; anything left or long and you end up in the lake.
THE WATERING HOLE
I ended my round on a sweet note with a peach Martini made with freshly squeezed Georgia peaches, at the Ritz’s Gaby’s restaurant, where I was lulled back to my postgolf life by the cool breeze in the pines and the dance of the sun sparkling on the lake below.