Lake Oconee Golf and The Masters

 

Lake Oconee Golf and The Masters

 

If you are going to next year’s Masters, or just want to visit the area, I have great suggestion: Lake Oconee. It’s about half way between the Atlanta Airport and Augusta, around an hour from either. This scenic lake boasts hundreds of miles of shoreline, a dozen championship courses and The Ritz Carlton at Reynolds Plantation.

Reynolds Plantation is the largest development property on Lake Oconee, with 99 holes of golf, 80 miles of shoreline and 10, 000 acres. The Ritz Carlton is located on the shore of the lake.

The golf is top drawer, with the Oconee Course by Robert Trent Jones II, the Plantation Course by Bob Cupp, Great Waters by Jack Nicklaus, and the National by Tom Fazio.

 

Great Waters is across the lake and can be accessed by a short boat ride provided by Reynolds Plantation. We played the Oconee Course and Great Waters on this trip. Both were in excellent shape. The 18th on the Oconee Course is a long, tough par-4 that I played from 460 yards. It had been raining while we were there, so this one played every yard of its length with the wet fairways. This dogleg to the left plays over a finger of the lake and then along a bluff overlooking the lake. It finishes very close to the Ritz Carlton and the clubhouse across the street.

 

Great Waters, on the other side of the lake, has a bit more of a private country club feel to it. The back nine runs along a peninsula of the lake, with the 17th and 18th holes right on it. Number 17 is a 160-yard par-3 all over part of Lake Oconee. It usually plays into the wind and is a difficult hole. Number 18 is a 540-yard par-5 with the lake on the left side and in front of the green. Just left of the green is the boat dock where you take your water taxi back to the Ritz Carlton.

The Ritz Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation features 251 rooms and suites. There is a 26,000-square-foot spa with 19 treatment rooms. The resort features 5 restaurants on site. We dined at Gaby’s on the Lake, where you can take in all the sites of Lake Oconee as well as a great view of the entire resort. There also are cottages on the property and condos for rent nearby. For more information on The Ritz Carlton at Reynolds Plantation, visit http://www.ritzcarlton.com or call (706) 467-0600.

 

Cuscowilla

A short drive from Reynolds Plantation is the Golf Club at Cuscowilla, one of the best golf courses in the U.S. It is ranked 12th on this year’s list of America’s Best by GolfWeek.

Cuscowilla is a Coore & Crenshaw design, and playing it was a painful reminder of what we almost had at Dos Pueblos. You see, Ben Crenshaw had been signed up to design Dos Pueblos on the bluffs just north of Sandpiper. The Coastal Commission ultimately voted against this project. Coore & Crenshaw are regarded as the best in the business today and only take one project per year. Cuscowilla is one of their best. It winds its way along gently rolling terrain along Lake Oconee.

 

Cuscowilla also is ranked as the best public access course in Georgia, and considering how many good courses it has, that means a lot. This is a masterpiece and is reminiscent of the designs of Alister Mackenzie and Donald Ross. Large bunkers and undulating greens adorn this very walkable layout. The course starts off easily with a wide fairway to the first hole, but the approach is demanding with large bunkers protecting the green. The most dramatic holes are two long par-4s on the back nine. Number 10 is the signature hole, a 427-yard par four that requires a long carry over Lake Oconee on the drive. A successful drive will leave a mid iron to a well guarded green with great views of the lake. Number 15 is one of the best par-4s I have ever played. This hole plays 444 yards and slightly downhill. The tee shot crosses a large natural pond and must negotiate fairway bunkers as well. The view from the tee box is quite inspiring, and you are likely to witness deer and other wild animals on this hole. A long approach will land you on the most difficult putting surface on the course, so a par on this one is something to cherish.

 

Cuscowilla also features a large pool and clubhouse right on the shoreline of Lake Oconee. Homes and cottages are available to rent at Cuscowilla. We stayed in a cottage that was large and very well appointed. All of the cottages are right on the course. For more information visit http://www.cuscowilla.com or call (800) 458-5351.