The Standard Club - Georgia - USA

The Standard Club is a sports and social club that has existed in the Alpharetta suburb of Atlanta since 1867, with relatively newfound emphasis on golf coming during the 1950’s.

The identity of that golf course has been fluid as well. The original was a Robert Trent Jones design, but the club would switch locations 30 years later, at which point Arthur Hills came in for a new route. During 2005, Mike Riley led a redesign that brought the course to its current setup.

The course’s challenge is supplied by the terrain in the form of the rolling hills that define the region, and in the form of St. John’s Creek, which cuts through the property and feeds ponds. All told, six holes along the course’s back nine come into contact with the water. Riley brings his own form of challenge in the large sand hazards that lurk off of greens; many of the biggest are on the front nine, perhaps making up for the relative lack of water on that half of the property.

Perhaps the most impressive natural feature on the course is the exposed stone face that rises behind the green at No. 17, a par three where players can only try to not be distracted by the scenic backdrop.