Michigan Golf Journal October 2019

11 October 2019 ǁǁǁ͘ŵŝĐŚŝŐĂŶŐŽůłŽƵƌŶĂů͘ĐŽŵ Waters Course one of the ŵŽƐƚ ĚƌĂŵĂƟĐ ůĂLJŽƵƚƐ ŝŶ the Southeast. It has been consistently ranked among ƚŚĞ dŽƉ ϭϬϬ ĐŽƵƌƐĞƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŶĂƟŽŶ͘ “Although the golf course ůŽŽŬĞĚ ƉƌĞƩLJ ŐŽŽĚ͕ ŝƚ ǁĂƐ Ă ůŝƩůĞ ƟƌĞĚ͕͟ EŝĐŬůĂƵƐ ƐĂŝĚ͘ ͞ ŌĞƌ ƐŽ ŵĂŶLJ LJĞĂƌƐ͕ all golf courses need sprucing up and some improvements.” Nicklaus wanted the overall look and feel of the course to be retained, but revamp it ƐŽ ƚŚĂƚ ŝƚ͛Ɛ Ă ůŝƩůĞ ŵŽƌĞ ƵƐĞƌ ĨƌŝĞŶĚůLJ ǁŝƚŚ ĂĚĚŝƟŽŶĂů ďĂŝůͲ out areas added for comfort Žī ƚŚĞ ƚĞĞƐ͘ “We did something to every hole on the golf ĐŽƵƌƐĞ͕͟ EŝĐŬůĂƵƐ ƐĂŝĚ͘ ͞&Žƌ example, the 9 th ŚŽůĞ ƐƟůů plays downhill and over the water, but it’s got a ůŝƩůĞ ŵŽƌĞ ƌŽŽŵ ŶŽǁ ĨŽƌ the average golfer. The par-3, 8 th hole was totally redone and the new hole ŝƐ ŵƵĐŚ ďĞƩĞƌ͘ dŚĞ ůĂŬĞ Ăƚ the 11 th now comes into play and we took a bunker ŽƵƚ ŽŶ ϭϮ͕ ƐŽ ŐŽůĨĞƌƐ ǁŝůů have a more generous fairway. At 13, we took the green back to the water, rather than leaving it away from the water. “It’s one of the really great pieces of property that I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with,” EŝĐŬůĂƵƐ ĮƌƐƚ ƐĂŝĚ ƐĞǀĞƌĂů years ago. Travelers have visited the Reynolds region, about halfway between Atlanta and Augusta, for more than ϭϬϬ LJĞĂƌƐ ĂŶĚ ŵĂŶLJ ŵĂĚĞ ŝƚ a family retreat. In 1979 the Oconee River was dammed, ĐƌĞĂƟŶŐ ǁŚĂƚ ŝƐ ŶŽǁ >ĂŬĞ KĐŽŶĞĞ ǁŝƚŚ ŵŽƌĞ ƚŚĂŶ ϯϱϬ miles of shoreline that twists and turns into numerous inlets and small bays in the region. The area supports ĨŽƵƌ ďŽĂƟŶŐ ŵĂƌŝŶĂƐ ĂƐ well. dŚĞ >ĂŶĚŝŶŐ was the ĮƌƐƚ ĐůƵď ƚŽ ďĞ ďƵŝůƚ ŽŶ Lake Oconee. It was designed by Bob Cupp and opened for play in 1986. The course winds through natural woods and over rolling terrain with three holes wrapping along the lake shoreline. It is a challenging course known for fast greens and demanding shots. ŽŶƟŶƵĞƐ ŽŶ ƉĂŐĞ ϭϯ хх