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Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands), USA |
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With 36 holes of championship golf, as well as a par three course, the Atlanta Athletic Club has plenty of holes to keep the golf club members happy and, as implied in the name, the club also has one of the best athletic facilities in the country. Naturally at such a fit and healthy club, golfers are encouraged to walk the courses rather than take a cart.
Founded way back in 1898, Atlanta Athletic Club was originally a pure athletics club and golf did not appear on the agenda until Tom Bendelow was commissioned to design a golf course in Atlanta’s suburbs as a golfing accompaniment for the athletic club members. The new course was called East Lake and it opened for play in 1908. Amongst the crowd, which was gathered for the opening ceremony, was a six-year-old boy called Bobby Jones.
The Atlanta Athletic Club may be best known as the home club of Robert Tyre Jones but his home course was East Lake which the AAC sold shortly after the 1963 Ryder Cup had been staged there. The Atlanta Athletic Club subsequently commissioned another Robert T Jones to design two new courses on a new site at Johns Creek, which was large enough for athletics as well as golf.
In 1964, two new Robert Trent Jones-designed courses opened for play and they were named Highlands and Riverside. The Highlands course is invariably considered to be the premier layout at Atlanta Athletic Club and the 1976 US Open was played on this course.
“Until 1976, the Open had never been played in the southeastern quadrant of the country – east of the Mississippi and south of the Potomac – but that year it went to the heart of the Confederacy, to the Atlanta Athletic Club.” Wrote Robert Sommers in The US Open - Golf’s Ultimate Challenge. “ It was there because Bobby Jones had written to the USGA asking for it to be played at his home club (this was, however, a different golf course; he grew up playing the old East Lake course). His letter was dated November 16, 1971; he died thirty-one days later. There was never any doubt he would have his wish. Unfortunately, the golf course, which was only a few years old, was nothing special, and if not for a stunning 5-iron shot on the last hole, it would rank among the least memorable of all U.S. Open championships.” Jerry Pate’s 5-iron shot was “Heard Round the World” as he struck his ball to three feet on the final hole to win the 1976 U.S. Open. The 1981 and 2001 PGA Championships were held at Atlanta Athletic Club – Larry Nelson and David Toms won respectively.
The 93rd PGA Championship returned to Atlanta Athletic Club in 2011. Germany’s Martin Kaymer was the defending PGA champion following his maiden Major victory at Whistling Straits, but he failed to make the cut. The American rookie, Keegan Bradley, who beat countryman Jason Dufner in a play-off, won the event. | |
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 |  | | Average Reviewers Score: |  | | | In the massive open expanse just off an Atlantan suburban freeway lies the palatial haven that is the Atlanta AC. I would describe it as a mix of traditional old golf club with modern country club facilities. The clubhouse is massive, with multiple event and hospitality rooms dedicated to Bobby Jones. When we were there there a few weeks ago there were a few parties of women golfers chattering on the veranda overlooking the two 18ths, which is unusual for the US. The dichotomous theme spills over onto the course, which is neither rawly old school or modern resort design. Fairways snake beautifully between huge engulfing white bunkers, all framed by tall manicured pines. Every now and then and artificial lake is thrown in, very blue and brick-lined, normally laying very close to green edges!! There were snack carts and marshalls out even though we seemed to be only the second group on the course. Off the tee it is great fun, challenging but still fair. There are all types of tee-shots required, 4 par fours, long par 4s, dog-legs, elevations, trees, lakes. The greens are undulating without having overly severe slopes. Lest to say they were extremely quick when we were there, 12-13 on the stimp. Like my home course, I felt the outstanding feature that separated it from other great courses was the quality of its par-3s. Each of their greens were bracketed by a lake and a bunker, all playing different lengths. Two of them will be extremely long for the PGA, goodness know how Toms holed that 5 wood, as you can easily put your tee shot in the water. Obviously, great closing hole; tough three shotter off the medal tees, will be a fantastic par-4 for the pros at 500 yards!! Choongy xx |
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| 10 August 2011
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| | I must say this course is quite weird. The front nine starts out wide open and has a championship type of golf feel to it. But when you start down the back nine, the entire feel of the course changes. The wide open nature of the course switches to narrow and tight. It seems to be one short dog leg par 4 after another one. Strange. Upon reviewing the course after my round, I found that the front nine was designed by Joe Finger and the back by RT Jones...and of course Rees Jones fixed it up later. So, that explains the two courses wrapped in one feeling. But that doesn't change the fact that this isn't an ideal feeling for golf course. |
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| 04 June 2010
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| | The AAC boasts two great courses. Many of the members favour the more traditional layout of the Riverside, but having played both of them several times, I would have to say the Highlands is the most exciting and definitely most appropriate to host the PGA Championship in 2011. There is a definite progression here, with many of the holes on the back nine making every shot challenging, from tee to green. My favourite hole by far is the beautiful par 4 11th. The fairway slopes down and round the right side of a mound, like a helter-skelter slide. There's plenty of room for the tee shot, but the approach is daunting from every angle: Severely downhill to a green flanked on its left edge by two large bunkers and on its right, by a pond. The regular pin position leaves around 5 yards to play with right of the flagstick before you get wet. Accuracy is key and there is no better feeling than nailing your approach on this hole. The 17th also stands out as a picturesque par 3 over water to a shallow green. Then prepare for one of the most nerve-jangling ends to any round, as the par 5 18th plays most of the way alongside a large lake, before demanding a hefty shot over the water to reach the green. Can't wait to see the pros play this one next year. |
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| 25 May 2010
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