Slow Motion Golfers’ ParadiseLake Oconee in Georgia is Fast Becoming a Dream DestinationBy Will Snyder
OK, summers can be hot and humid, like the rest of the deep Southeast. Still, the many excellent golf courses in this state take care of you with frequent drink carts and all the amenities. From world famous Augusta to East Lake in Atlanta, from Sea Island on the southern coast to Chateau Elan in the north, you are never far from a top notch course in Georgia. Nowhere is the development mentality more pronounced than in the resort area that has sprouted up around the man-made Lake Oconee. This region, about midway between Atlanta and Augusta, was nothing more than a rich family’s holiday spot a century ago. When the state dammed the Oconee River, creating the second largest freshwater lake in the state with more than 300 miles of shoreline, that family became open to development ideas. Well, the Reynolds Plantation has teamed up with the Ritz-Carlton hotel and resort expertise, and the result is an impressive “residential” golf destination that is still in full expansion. The name itself, the Ritz-Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation, may be a mouthful, but names are important in this neck of the woods. Take your time and drawl it out. You see, no one is really in a hurry down here. This is the deep South, far enough from Atlanta to escape the hassle and stress of urban life. It may be different when handful of local commuters set off at 6:30 am, but the rest of the day is just, “Honey, you just get here when you arrive.”
I got to play two of the real courses, the Oconee and nearby Cuscowilla (not part of the Plantation). How good were they? Let’s just say I leave the superlatives to the experts from golf magazines, who consistently put these courses up with the very best in the land. Plus it is hard for me to rank top notch courses when I was spending most of my time concentrating on getting the ball out of the rough or one of many picturesque bunkers. The Oconee course is designed by Rees Jones. This one is the newest of four courses (a fifth one is planned). As you will find out if you stay here more than ten minutes, the other courses have been designed by the Bear (Jack Nicklaus)- Great Waters, Tom Fazio (the latest hotshot course designer)- Reynolds National) and Bob Cupp- Plantation.
In addition, the Reynolds courses and their neighbors all are top ranked under one or another type of classification, which I found a little confusing, but gives every course the occasion to shine. Here are some of the rankings: Best Golf Community, Best Places to Play, Best New Resort Courses, Top Real Estate Courses, Best Women’s Golf Destinations and Top 100 You Can Play. Still, to make it into any of these national rankings takes a great design and a lot of attention to the details of presentation and management. It’s a sign of the times that these great courses are being marketed with picture-perfect magnificent homes sprinkled along the fairways. I guess a lot of people want to live on a golf course, and are willing to pay huge amounts of money for the privilege. Many use the house on an occasional basis, the homes then being rented out by a club linked agency. Others are retirees who live full-time. I witnessed a senior social evening with bingo, card games and lots of slow motion old fashioned fun. There are a lot worse ways to spend the sunset years. .............................................. Information: ................................................ Will Snyder is a free lance writer living in southwest France. Phone: 33 675 025 149 |
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Rapid growth, slow living. Golf in Georgia has exploded over the past 20 years. This is not surprising if you consider the favorable factors for rapid growth: varied terrain including lakes, pine and cedar forests, hills and Atlantic coastline; land mass of the largest state east of the Mississippi; mild Gulf Stream-fed winters; and excellent transportation through Atlanta’s airport.
Guests have their choice of fully furnished golf cottages or the Lodge. Both are of the highest standard. I stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge. A very deluxe establishment that caters not only to golfers but to anyone wanting to get away and relax for a few days. Among the many activities are a full range of spa treatments, boating and fishing, tennis, hiking and nature trails, corporate events and receptions. Just a note on the spa, which I visited but did not have time to enjoy. This is not a simple add-on to the locker room, but a purpose built 26,000 square foot Native American themed body palace. Mud wraps and a myriad of massage treatments are available in 18 treatment rooms, with whirlpools, saunas and a three-lane lap pool.
Those who decide to stay longer (or linger longer in the local parlance) have the option of investing in a home or cottage. Over 2,000 have already been sold- about half of the estimated total. One home not yet on the market but open for visits is the Golf Magazine Dream House. Located on the 12th green of the Oconee course with views of fairway, bunkers and a waterfall, this construction is intended to be the ultimate place for a golfer to live. There is an electronic wall-screen practice apparatus in the basement, allowing full swings and night-time visits to Pebble Beach and St Andrews.
But there is more to the region than Reynolds Plantation (“Life as it Ought to Be”). Within a few miles are three more suberb courses. Cuscowilla is a gorgeous links style course designed by Ben Crenshaw. I was able to visit Harbor Club and Port Armor. All looked terrific. And all offer housing developments, and all the outdoorsy activities like biking, canoeing, fishing, tennis and swimming.