10 Best Golf Courses in Georgia

Georgia's golf landscape is shaped by piedmont terrain, coastal marshes that swallow errant shots, and the Atlantic coastline. Augusta National sits at the top of nearly every national ranking, and courses like Peachtree and East Lake carry that same standard through the Atlanta metro. The range extends well beyond the private clubs, with resort-accessible courses such as the Seaside Course at Sea Island and the Oleander Course on Jekyll Island opening coastal golf to non-members. These ten stand out as the state's best.

Augusta National Golf Club

Augusta National is one of the most exclusive clubs in American golf, with access limited to members and their guests. Amenities such as the Crow's Nest, the attic-level accommodations used by amateur Masters competitors, along with Butler Cabin and the Magnolia Dining Room, are well-known elements of the club. There are no public green fees, and tee times cannot be booked in the traditional sense. The course, which opened in 1933 and was designed by Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie, is defined by its strategic angles and elevation changes, with Amen Corner as its most studied stretch.

Augusta National closes in late May and typically reopens in October, so the course is only available in spring and fall. Visitors to the area during non-tournament periods often stay at The Partridge Inn Augusta, about two miles away, and Augusta Regional Airport is about a 20-minute drive. For spectators attending The Masters in April, tickets are allocated through a lottery system rather than direct booking.

Château Élan Golf Club

Set northeast of Atlanta in Braselton, Château Élan offers a resort-style golf experience without sacrificing shot value. The Château Course, designed by Denis Griffiths, runs through rolling Georgia piedmont with subtle elevation changes and water hazards placed to influence club selection rather than punish.

Green fees vary with season and time of day, and tee times can be booked through Château Élan directly, with twilight and resort-guest rates sometimes available. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is about 50 minutes away, and the property includes an on-site winery, a spa, multiple restaurants, and lodging at its inn, which makes it straightforward to pair a round with an overnight stay.

Peachtree Golf Club

Peachtree Golf Club brings Augusta-inspired architecture to Atlanta's urban landscape, with pine-lined corridors and elevated greens that demand precision. The course was designed in 1948 by Bobby Jones and Robert Trent Jones Sr. and favors thoughtful placement over raw distance. This is a private club, with a formal dining room, extensive practice facilities, and valet services. No public tee times or green fees are available, and access is strictly member-based.

For those traveling into the city, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is about 25 minutes away, and accommodations in Buckhead, such as The Whitley, or in Midtown are close by. Outside access is limited and typically arranged through member connections rather than standard booking channels.

East Lake Golf Club

As the home course of Bobby Jones and the annual host of the Tour Championship, East Lake carries both historical and competitive weight. The two-story clubhouse was designed by Philip Shutze and opened in 1926. The current layout, rebuilt by Rees Jones in 1994 on the bones of Donald Ross's 1913 design, emphasizes contoured greens and strategic bunkering, rewarding players who can control approach shots under pressure. The course is close to downtown Atlanta, which makes it easy to pair a round with a weekend stay in the city.

East Lake is private, with no standard green fee structure, and guests typically play through member invitations or corporate events tied to the Tour Championship. Outside of the tournament window, October tends to be the more comfortable visiting month, when the course is less busy and the Georgia weather has cooled.

Ocean Forest Golf Club

Ocean Forest is immediately striking: coastal dunes and genuine elevation changes are not easy to come by along Georgia's shoreline. Rees Jones completed the original design, and Beau Welling later refined it. The result threads links-style exposure through conditioning you'd expect from a top resort. Access runs through Sea Island Resort, the preferred stay for most players, with green fees folded into resort golf packages rather than posted publicly.

Booking is handled through Sea Island's reservation system, often bundled with accommodations, and many golfers pair a round at Ocean Forest with a longer coastal stay. The course has a pro shop and caddie program, along with formal and lounge dining, some of which overlooks the Atlantic and the surrounding coastal landscape.

Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside Course)

Unlike many courses on this list, the Seaside Course offers limited public access through resort stays, which makes it one of the more attainable high-end rounds in Georgia. Green fees typically range from about $250 to $395 depending on season and resort affiliation. Tee times can be booked through Sea Island Resort, where most players stay, with priority given to overnight guests.

Brunswick Golden Isles Airport is the closest access point, and additional lodging is available on both Sea Island and nearby St. Simons Island. The Seaside layout runs along marshland edges, where wind and green contours dictate play more than length. Instead of centering on a single clubhouse, Sea Island's golf experience extends through The Lodge, the course facilities, and the wider resort, which includes a spa, fitness center, and beach club.

Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands Course)

In Johns Creek north of Atlanta, the Highlands Course was built for championship play. Long par-4s and heavily contoured greens have put it through its paces across multiple PGA Championships, and the broader athletic club backs that up with racquet sports, a full-service spa, and facilities that go well beyond golf.

This is a private club, so there are no public green fees or standard booking options. Play is restricted to members and their guests. The club sits about 45 minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, with most visitors staying in Duluth or Alpharetta, where hotels like the Embassy Suites and Hotel at Avalon are located. Spring and fall are the more comfortable visiting windows, when the Atlanta weather is milder.

The Golf Club at Cuscowilla

Cuscowilla plays at a different pace than the more formal clubs. The emphasis here is on walkability and ground game along Lake Oconee, and while it's primarily private, stay-and-play packages open the door for outside visitors. Golfers without a membership connection often base themselves nearby at the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee, which is roughly 90 minutes from Atlanta's airport.

Tee times are booked directly through the club, which includes a clubhouse and swimming facilities with views of Lake Oconee, pickleball courts, and a community garden. Coore and Crenshaw designed the course to rely on natural contours rather than heavy shaping, which creates subtle challenges that unfold over the round. March and November are the more comfortable months to plan a stay here, with milder weather and more favorable rates.

Jekyll Island Golf Club (Oleander Course)

Jekyll Island offers one of the most accessible coastal golf experiences in Georgia, and the Oleander Course stands out for its mix of maritime forest and marsh-edge holes. Originally designed by Dick Wilson and later updated, the routing blends shorter, strategic holes with longer stretches that bring wind into play. Wildlife sightings, particularly of birds and marsh species, are common through the round.

Green fees generally range from $75 to $120, with seasonal fluctuations, and November tends to offer the best rates. Tee times are easy to secure online through the Jekyll Island Golf Club booking system, and multi-round packages are available for visitors staying on the island. Nearby accommodations include the Jekyll Island Club Resort and several oceanfront hotels. Brunswick Golden Isles Airport is about 30 minutes away. On-site facilities include the standard clubhouse, pro shop, and retail offerings, and any extra time is well spent elsewhere on the island, including the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and Driftwood Beach.

Hawks Ridge Golf Club

Set in the foothills north of Atlanta, Hawks Ridge combines elevation changes, water hazards, and fast bentgrass greens. Bob Cupp designed the course, and the putting surfaces are the most distinctive feature of the property.

Hawks Ridge operates as a private club, similar in exclusivity to Peachtree, though limited corporate and hosted play opportunities may be available, especially in October and November. When you do secure a tee time, the course is only about an hour from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, with nearby lodging in Canton, including the Hampton Inn. There are no standard public green fees, and tee times are arranged directly with the club. The clubhouse has signature dining in a relaxed tavern-style setting.

Why Georgia Remains a Top Golf State

Georgia is widely regarded as a top golf destination, anchored by Augusta National and The Masters. The state's other top picks are mostly private and range from coastal clubs such as Sea Island and Ocean Forest to Atlanta metro courses including Peachtree and the Atlanta Athletic Club. Jekyll Island's Oleander Course and Sea Island's Seaside Course give resort guests a route into the best of the coastal game. Georgia's mild spring and late-fall weather tends to extend the useful golf season well beyond what players further north can count on.