The Best Golf Courses in Georgia: Augusta and Beyond
Georgia's golf identity is inseparable from Augusta National. The course that hosts the Masters Tournament every April sits in Augusta, Georgia, and casts a shadow over the state's golf reputation — everything is measured relative to a course that 99.9% of golfers will never play. But Georgia has excellent golf beyond the gates on Magnolia Lane.
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National is the most famous golf course in the world. Alister MacKenzie designed it in 1932 on the site of a former plant nursery — which explains the flower-named holes and the azaleas that bloom along the fairways during Masters week. Bobby Jones co-founded the club and worked with MacKenzie on the design. The course has been lengthened and modified repeatedly since then, but the essential routing — particularly the back nine's Amen Corner (11th, 12th, 13th holes) — remains MacKenzie's.
Membership is entirely invitation-only. The waiting list, to the extent one exists, is not disclosed. Playing Augusta National requires a member invitation that cannot be sought or purchased. For golfers without that connection, the Masters Tournament provides five days of watching the course play on television every April — and the Champions Retreat Golf Club in Evans, approximately five miles from Augusta National, provides an accessible alternative in the same vicinity.
Champions Retreat Golf Club — Evans, Georgia
Champions Retreat is the most prestigious accessible golf near Augusta — a 27-hole facility designed by Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Arnold Palmer (nine holes each), opened in 2011. The course is semi-private with limited public access and attracts serious golfers making Augusta pilgrimages. Each nine reflects its designer's aesthetic: Nicklaus's is the most demanding, Player's the most visually theatrical, Palmer's the most accessible to aggressive play.
Atlanta: East Lake Golf Club
East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta is American golf history compressed into 18 holes. Bobby Jones learned to play here as a child. The course fell into disrepair as the surrounding neighborhood declined in the 1970s and 1980s, then was restored and revitalized as part of Tom Cousins's comprehensive neighborhood renewal project. It now hosts the Tour Championship every August — the final event of the FedEx Cup playoffs — and the surrounding East Lake neighborhood has been transformed from one of Atlanta's most troubled to one of its most stable.
East Lake is private, but its story — community revitalization anchored by a golf course — is one of the most significant in American golf history beyond the scorecards.
Reynolds Lake Oconee
Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro offers the best resort golf in Georgia outside the Augusta area. Six courses on Lake Oconee, two hours east of Atlanta, including work by Tom Fazio, Bob Cupp, and Rees Jones. The Great Waters Course — Fazio's lakeside design — is the marquee track and one of the best resort courses in the Southeast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you play Augusta National Golf Club?
No, unless you are a member or guest of a member. Augusta National is completely private with invitation-only membership. There is no mechanism for the public to book a tee time or purchase access.
What is the best public golf course in Georgia?
Reynolds Lake Oconee's Great Waters Course and the TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth are among the strongest public-access courses in Georgia. Champions Retreat near Augusta offers semi-private access for serious golfers visiting the area.