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Heritage Golf Links - Legacy Nine
Played On 11/27/2020Nice course but struggling to manage increased volumes
I've played Heritage a dozen or so times over the last 5 years. It is an excellent layout, making excellent use of elevation changes and defending itself with large, undulating greens. It is more than enough golf course from the tips, with two par threes over 235 yards, and a closing hole with the longest forced carry off the tee that I am aware of in the Atlanta area. The course gets a lot of play thanks to reasonable pricing and its central location, so it doesn't sit in the upper tier of courses with regards to conditioning, but it is eminently playable.
That's the good news. The bad news is that the staff seems to be struggling to control flow of play with the increased volumes that are occurring as a result of COVID. For the second time in a row I arrived at the course having booked a time through Golf Now several days in advance, only to be told that they did not have me scheduled at the time I had reserved. To their credit, they did not turn me away, but sent me to the starter to be slotted in. Upon seeing the starter, it was clear he was struggling to manage getting all the golfers off. It turns out he had my name at the expected time (contrary to what I was told when I checked in), but there were four other players claiming the same time, which is of course one too many. The starter called the Pro Shop for help sorting it out, but they were not helpful. They were simply simply saying there were only four people checked in, which was contradicted by the five people surrounding the starter. In the end, the four most assertive of us got off at the appointed time and one fellow was left out (I do believe he was slotted in shortly after). the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth. I don't want to have to fight my way on to a course when I've reserved a tee time - especially on a crowded course in the autumn season when daylight is limited. It was a good thing I got off when I did, because pace of play was very slow - right at about five hours, so we finished just as the sun was going down. I hope they figure things out soon, but I'd be hesitant to recommend the course until after Covid has passed and volumes are normalized.
Governor's Towne Club
Played On 08/04/2020Great course; greens still recovering from aeration
This is one of the better courses in Atlanta open to the public. GTC is a big course with plenty of long holes, (it stretches out to 7,300 yards from the tips) and a few intimidating forced carries. It is not particularly tight, so there is some rook to air it out. Notable holes include the par 4 4th, a long dogleg left with the green perched on a hill, the par 3 ninth, which requires a carry over water (over 200 from the back tees), the nearly drivable par 4 tenth and the long par 4 18th, a strong finishing hole. It is worth noting that the front is significantly more difficult than the back (300 yards longer from the tips), so if you’re feeling worn out when you make the turn, it will get easier.
At $65 during the week and $90 on the weekends, I would call this a value course, but the cost is fair considering the premium conditions. If you feel like treating yourself I definitely recommend it.
Note that at present (early August 2020), the greens have recently been aerated (which regrettably is not noted on golf now), so it probably makes sense to wait 2-3 weeks to make the trip and experience the normally smooth greens.
Heron Bay Golf & Country Club
Played On 08/02/2020Another decent south side course
Continuing my exploration of what the South side of Atlanta has to offer in terms of golf, I had an enjoyable round at Heron Bay. The course is long and challenging (I had played the tips, which were 7,300 yards; players can modulate difficulty and length by moving forward). Course conditions were fine. I'd give it three and half stars. Tees were mostly good, fairways were lush and rough was reasonable. The greens were slow and soft which is what I'd expect at moderately priced course with bent grass greens in the heat of the summer (I struggle to understand why courses try to use bent grass with the heat in this part of the country - you have to leave it way longer than optimum or it will burn out in the summer). Having not played here before I got burned on a couple holes from ignorance, but look forward to getting my own back next time I play it.
Crystal Lake Golf & Country Club
Played On 07/26/2020Challenging course; good change of pace if willing to travel
As I live on the north side of town, I had to travel a fair distance to get here, For those looking to add some new variety to their usual rota of courses, I'd recommend this course. It is a challenging and interesting layout with plenty of distance (>7,200 yards) from the back tees. I've given the conditions 3 stars, but I think 3.5 stars would be more fair. The greens were soft and slow, but we're in the heat of the summer and for less than $50, I didn't feel cheated. it was not crowded on Sunday afternoon, so pace of play was swift and etiquette appropriate. Playing by myself, I had a two-ball let me through on 10 and ceded ground myself to another single who was playing so fast I couldn't keep up.
To be clear, if I lived closer, i would be a regular visitor to this course. As it is, I will be back at some point.
Thanks so much for coming out to the course! We appreciate your feedback, and hope to welcome you back again very soon!
Bear's Best Atlanta
Played On 07/25/2020Good good in good shape
This is a fun track And in in good shape right now. They have their bent greens looking good and running well - better than some others I’ve seen recently. I find the holes up from the flood plain more enjoyable than those along the river. The long par 4 18th is a difficult but great finishing hole. Rates at the course are often pricey, but it’s a good value at $50. I’ve seen slow pace of play here before, but today there were no issues.
Awesome! We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. Thank you for the 4 stars! We aim for a 5-star experience, so we always welcome feedback for improvement. Thank you for playing Bear's Best Atlanta.
Heritage Golf Links - Legacy Nine
Played On 07/19/2020As expected
Heritage is a fine course with a number of challenging holes - notably 4, 5, 9, 11, 12 and 18. Plenty of golf course if you play from the back tees. There are some other courses that are in a little better shape as it seems to get a lot of play, but it is not a major issue and if you get the twilight rate it’s good value for money. I play it 3-4 times a year and will continue to do so.
Thank you for sharing your experience, and we hope you'll come back to see us again soon!