As part of GOLF’s course rating process for 2022-23, our fleet of 100-plus expert panelists identified the best golf courses in Georgia. Browse the links below to check out all of our course rankings, or scroll down to see the best courses in Georgia.
GOLF’s other course rankings: Top 100 Courses in the World | Top 100 Courses in the U.S. | Top 100 Courses You Can Play | Top 100 Value Courses in the U.S. | America’s Best Municipal Courses | The 100 Best Short Courses in the World
SYMBOL GUIDE
1 = Top 100 Course in the U.S.
P = Public/Resort Course
V = Top 100 Value Course in the U.S.
M = Top 30 Municipal Course in the U.S.
Ed. note: Some courses were omitted from our rankings because they did not receive enough votes.
The best golf courses in Georgia (2022/2023)
1. Augusta National (Augusta) [1]
Augusta National is the vision of Bobby Jones and his chosen architect, Alister MacKenzie. Both intended for Augusta National to reflect the spirit and strategic options of the Old Course at St. Andrews, the course that they admired most. Nearly every hole at St. Andrews and Augusta National provides a safe route to the green and also a riskier one. The removal of trees down the right of 11 prior to the 2022 Masters was met with applause by design aficionados who hope that the club continues to restore width and playing angles.
2. Peachtree (Atlanta) [1]
Built in the late 1940s, this Robert Trent Jones Sr. design came before he acquired his Oakland Hills “monster” rep. More of Stanley Thompson’s influence is seen in Jones’ early work, highlighted here by his imaginative — and enormous — punchbowl green at the 10th. Seventy-five years later and this Georgia course still adheres to the founding vision, which speaks volumes to the quality of RTJ’s original design.
3. Ohoopee Match Club (Cobbtown) [1]
Sand accumulated on the east side of the Ohoopee River for centuries. Ultimately, Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner were given this dream site upon which to build an original design. Their own sense of aesthetics complemented the rustic site’s color palette of browns, rusts and tans. The result is a low-profile design that beguiles. Be careful of its short par-4s: the 4th, 9th and 14th all tempt with driver off the tee — and punish rash tactics. The course isn’t overseeded, and the release of the ball across its dormant fairways allows the first-class architecture to shine. It also signifies the owner’s high golf IQ.
4. East Lake (Atlanta)
5. Sea Island – Seaside (Sea Island) [P]
6. Lookout Mountain (Lookout Mountain)
7. Augusta CC (Augusta)
8. Cuscowilla (Eatonton)
9. Ocean Forest (Sea Island)
10. Atlanta CC (Marietta)
11. Atlanta Athletic Club – Riverside (Johns Creek)
12. Frederica (St. Simons Island)
13. The Farm (Rocky Face)
14. Atlanta Athletic Club – Highlands (Johns Creek)
15. Brunswick (Brunswick)
How we rank our courses
For GOLF’s course rankings lists, each panelist is provided a list of hundreds of courses and “buckets,” or groupings. If they believe the course to be among the best in its category (World, U.S. Value, etc.), they check the corresponding box to place it in a specific bucket. Panelists are also free to write in courses they felt should have been included on the ballot. Points were assigned to each bucket; to arrive at an average score for each course, we divide its aggregate score by the number of votes. From those point tallies, the courses are then ranked accordingly.
The key to the process is the experience and expertise of our panel. Hailing from 15 nations and all the worldwide golf meccas, each of our 115 handpicked panelists has a keen eye for architecture, both regionally and globally. Many of our panelists have played more than 1,000 courses in 20-plus countries.
Because we don’t prescribe a set method to assess courses as other ranks do, no one opinion carries the day — our rank is a democracy. Some panelists believe that enjoyment is the ultimate goal, and thus prioritize design attributes such as width and playing angles, while frowning on upon having to constantly hunt for balls in thick rough. Other panelists value challenge and the demands of hitting every club in the bag. Still others consider a course’s surroundings and overall environment of paramount importance, thereby emphasizing the setting and naturalness of the course. In the end, allowing raters to freely express their tastes is what produces the desired eclecticism in our Top 100 lists.
Panelist integrity is vital. Voters with any ties or associations to eligible courses must flag such conflicts. Panelists also know not to let the quality of their play influence their ballot — same for a luxe experience or clubhouse. While opulence may make for a more a memorable outing, it’s not what GOLF’s course lists are about. Our focus is on design and architecture. We study the course, not the trappings around it.
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