Michigan Golf Journal October 2019

13 October 2019 ǁǁǁ͘ŵŝĐŚŝŐĂŶŐŽůłŽƵƌŶĂů͘ĐŽŵ The WƌĞƐĞƌǀĞ ŽƵƌƐĞ was created in 1988 by Cupp, ĂůŽŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ &ƵnjnjLJ ŽĞůůĞƌ ĂŶĚ ,ƵďĞƌƚ 'ƌĞĞŶ . The course never touches Lake Oconee but plays along numerous smaller water hazards and is heavily ǁŽŽĚĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ŶĂƟǀĞ tall pines. The fairways are wide and forgiving, but also the rolling topography produces many uneven ůŝĞƐ͘ /Ŷ ϮϬϭϲ ƚŚĞ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ŚĂĚ some upgrades completed by Cupp, including a new ƌŽƵƟŶŐ ĐĂůůĞĚ ƚŚĞ ‘Quick ^ŝdž͕͛ Ă ůŽŽƉ ŽĨ Ɛŝdž ƐŚŽƌƚ ŚŽůĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĐĂŶ ďĞ ƉůĂLJĞĚ ŝŶ ĂďŽƵƚ ŽŶĞ ŚŽƵƌ͘ Rees Jones built a ƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů ĂŶĚ ĐůĂƐƐŝĐĂůůLJ structured course, the Oconee , which opened for ƉůĂLJ ŝŶ ϮϬϬϮ͘ dŚĞ KĐŽŶĞĞ ŽƵƌƐĞ ŝƐ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĮŶĞƐƚ public courses in Georgia ĂŶĚ ŚĂƐ ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞĚ ŶĂƟŽŶĂů accolades from GOLF magazine, Golfweek and Golf for Women . Each hole is a unique experience, but ŚŽůĞƐ ƐŚĂƌĞ ƚŚĞ ƐŝŵŝůĂƌŝƟĞƐ of rolling terrain framed by tall Georgia pines with ůĂƌŐĞ ƌĞĐĞƉƟǀĞ ŐƌĞĞŶƐ ʹ all intermixed with Lake Oconee shoreline, ponds and creeks that require ŶĂǀŝŐĂƟŶŐ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ďƵƚ ĂƌĞ gorgeous to view. &ĂŝƌǁĂLJƐ ĂƌĞ ǁŝĚĞ ĂŶĚ although tree-lined, the areas under tree canopies are cleaned out so a lost ball is rare. A personal favorite stretch is holes 15-18. The 15 th is a slightly downhill par 3 to a large green on a peninsula formed by two smaller ŽŶƟŶƵĞƐ ŽŶ ŶĞdžƚ ƉĂŐĞ хх