Georgia (Lakeside)

Soon after The Golf Club of Georgia opened in the early 1990s, it hosted a number of prestigious events, including the Georgia Amateur, US Open qualifiers and Georgia PGA tournaments. It was also a Champions Tour stop for six years until sponsorship problems ended the event. Other than the Georgia Cup and an annual college tournament, the club is nowhere near as prominent in Atlanta area golf circles as it once was.

This is largely due to the departure of the original Japanese owners, who spent a lot of money building up the club’s reputation as a competition venue. The membership then ran the club for the best part of a decade but they sold out in 2014 to businessman Ben Kenny, who also owns Horseshoe Bend Country Club in Roswell, and he immediately set about renovating the golf facility.

The Lakeside layout isn’t quite as penal as its Creekside sibling, but water is still a serious issue on about half the holes, including a terrific trio of par threes that rate high for beauty and challenge. Both nines finish with risk/reward par fives, where water protects the greens, and the signature par five 11th hole offers fabulous views from a putting surface perched on the edge of Lake Windward.