Georgia Southern University - Georgia - USA

Georgia Southern’s golf course is a real asset to the University. The first hole is a welcoming valley par five that bends right. Long knockers can get home in two. The 2nd is a par four that leans left, is slightly uphill with a fairway bunker right. The third is short dogleg right. Don’t get too cute trying to cut the corner as there are two bunkers on the right and several trees that could end up blocking you out. The green is elevated with front right and left bunkers. The 4th is the shortest hole on the course and is downhill to boot. The 5th is a tough hole and is deservedly the number one handicap hole. Slight dogleg right, with water down the right side and then cutting back across the fairway about 100 yards out. Favor left of center off the tee to avoid being blocked out, The green is elevated with front right and rear left bunkers. The 6th is a par four with water all the way down the left side and the tee shot looks a lot more intimidating than it is. The fairway does narrow as you get closer to the green, consider laying up. The 7th is a Florida par three and is the longest par three. The 8th has two water carries, is a dogleg left with water all the way down the left side. Having said that, I was surprised it is ranked the 15th handicapped hole. Consider laying up off the tee, as it is not a long hole, but it is visually intimidating. The front ends with a reachable par five. Favor right of center off the tee and the green is protected with two front bunkers.

The back starts with the easiest hole on the course, a short par four. It bends left, consider laying up to your preferred attack yardage, good birdie hole. The 11th is a dogleg left par five. There is a water hazard in the inside elbow that you cannot see from the tee. If you can clear this hazard, you may have a chance at getting home in two. The rest of us should just aim at the two right fairway bunkers and play it as a three shotter. The 12th is a mid-length par three to an elevated green. The 13th is a long slightly uphill par four. There is a water hazard left in the landing zone. The 14th is a long par four dogleg right. Favor middle left off the tee as you can get blocked out on the right. There is a water hazard left of the green along with two bunkers. I loved the par five 15th. It is all risk reward and if I can reach it in two, so can you. There is a short fairway bunker right and two left. The water hazard that protects the green starts about 100 yards out and is just about all carry. If you hit a good drive it is difficult to swallow hitting your second shot 125 yards to layup. This crowned green has two front bunkers and one rear. If you do not hit the green or bunkers, you will probably be wet. This is a fun hole, unless you three jack. The 16th is the last par three. Uphill, so take an extra club and avoid the deep bunker left. The finishing holes are not for the faint of heart. The 17th is a long straight away par four with water right starting about 170 yards out. There is a front greenside bunker right, favor the left side on this hole. The 18th is another long par four. Stay right of the left fairway bunkers. You will have a water carry on the uphill approach.

This course exceeded my expectations. I would pay to play it again.

If you hang around Georgia Southern for a while, you’ll see the abbreviation GATA. It’s an abbreviation of the inspirational words former football coach Erk Russell used to fire up his team: “Get After Their Asses”.

Before playing the course I wondered if another translation could be “Get After The Architect”. But in the case of the course’s architect, Robert Walker, no such admonition is necessary. His work ought to be recognized as one of the dozen top college courses in the U.S. The course has all the attributes I like: Strategic choices off the tee, options as to playing a running or aerial approach and contoured greens that challenge both green reading and putting skills. Water comes into play on half a dozen holes, the most interesting of which are 7-9, which are routed anticlockwise around a large pond. The course is not near campus but rather is set in a real estate development. This causes a few long walks from tee to green, the only negative aspect I found.