Achasta, Formerly Birch River Golf Club (Semi-private)

639 Birch River Drive, Dahlonega
706-867-7900; www.birchriver.com

STAFF: Tom Fowler is the Golf Professional; Jeff Bridwell is the Superintendent.

PAR/YARDAGE: Birch River is a par 72 with four sets of tees: Black (6.964 yards); Blue (6,425); White (5,796) and Green (4,999).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 73.5/140 (Black); 70.8/132 (Blue); 68.0/124 (White); 68.8/124 (Green).

ABOUT THE COURSE: The Nicklaus Golf Club at Birch River is the first course outside the Lake Oconee area acquired by the owners of Reynolds Plantation, but will not be the last. The company’s first expansion comes just north of the Atlanta area, with the course easily accessible for golfers along Georgia 400 corridor. Birch River, the annual host of the qualifier for Atlanta’s PGA Tour event, is a solid but very playable test, with first class conditions and a quality Jack Nicklaus Signature layout. Birch River measures a little short of 7,000 yards from the back tees, with only a handful of holes where length is a major factor, especially on days when they’re playing into the wind. Although the course is located with proximity of the North Georgia mountains, the layout has almost no elevation changes.

The main geographic feature is the Chestatee River, which runs through the course and impacts play on a majority of the holes. With a few exceptions, there is plenty of room to drive the ball, with tree lines a rarity and the river usually far enough removed to lessen its impact. Both nines include a par 5 where the river is most definitely a factor, and close with demanding par 4s that are a handful for shorter hitters. The river crosses just in front of the reachable par-5 4th, making for a risk/reward second. The 15th is among the state’s most intimidating holes, with the second shot over a wide stretch of river to a narrow landing area one of the most daunting shots you’ll face. Fortunately, other than the long par-4 18th, with water hugging the right edge of the fairway up to the green, and the dogleg 9th, with an equally difficult second shot, the rest of the course is considerably softer, with mostly gentle greens complexes and a relatively tame group of par 3s.

City Club Marietta (Public)

510 Powder Springs St., Marietta
770-528-4653; www.cityclubmarietta.com

STAFF: Al Morrison is the Golf Professional; Ken Dixon is the Club Manager.

PAR/YARDAGE: City Club Marietta is a par 71 with three sets of tees: Blue (5,721 yards); White (5,396) and Red (4,715).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 68.2/122 (Blue); 67.0/119 (White); 67.4/114 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: The shortest regulation course in the metro Atlanta, but also among the most enjoyable places to play and not the easy mark the yardage numbers might suggest. The absence of length enables golfers who don’t ordinarily tee it up from the tips to do so, and get some idea of how things are for more talented golfers by hitting a number of short iron approaches. The yardage figures on at least a few of the holes are quite deceiving, with a trio of par 4s in the 350-yard range playing significantly longer because of their uphill nature. But length isn’t what City Club Marietta is about. The greens complexes are plenty challenging, with the large, rolling putting surfaces among the most demanding in the metro area. Although there are a few holes with generous landing areas, the layout has its share of extremely narrow tee shots, and some decisions are required regarding club selection off several tees.

Water is seriously in play on only three holes, and those are among the more interesting on the course, including two of the three very interesting and diverse par 5s. The 8th is one of the best par 5s in all of Atlanta, with ample length, a sharp dogleg, frequently visited woods, and a pond fronting a wide, shallow, multi-tiered green. Both 4 and 14 are much shorter, but require considerable accuracy off the tee. Bunkers fronting the green on the downhill 4th make getting close to front pin positions next to impossible, with the second shot on the slightly quirky 14th having to negotiate water on one side and a tree line on the other. The over-water 12th is the best of an otherwise inviting group of par 3s, with the mostly short group of par 4s offering come scoring opportunities if you can find the fairway, hit some deft approaches and solve the puzzle of the frequently sloping putting surfaces. A lot of ifs. Conditions are typically excellent, and the compact nature of the layout is very conducive to walkers.

Jennings Mill Country Club (Private)

1500 Chambers Court, Bogart
706-548-3266; www.jenningsmillclub.com

STAFF: Larry James is the Golf Professional; Kirk McKinney is the Superintendent.

PAR/YARDAGE: Jennings Mill is a par 72 with five sets of tees: Black (7,004 yards); Gold (6,589); Blue (6,274); White (5,790) and Red (5,106).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 74.2/138 (Black); 72.9/135 (Gold); 71.6/131 (Blue); 68.8/125 (White); 71.4/127 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Among the state’s stronger layouts, Jennings Mill gave the top players on the Nationwide Tour a decent test last year and will again host the Athens Regional Foundation Classic this month. The addition of a few new back tees has stretched the course to a fraction over 7,000 yards, but other than a stout quartet of par 4s, length is not a serious concern for tour players. Atlanta-based golf course architect Bob Cupp, one of the most highly-regarded designers in the country, has created a diverse test of golf with an interesting mixture of holes. They include one of the state’s more intriguing short par 4s (No. 3) and a somewhat quirky par 5 that plays as the ninth hole for the members and the 18th for the tournament. The tournament 18th has a risk/reward element, but its island fairway makes it more of a three-shot hole for all but the most adventurous players.

The remaining three par 5s are all reachable in two by the Nationwide players, with the narrow, watery 16th offering the hope of an eagle with the chance of a double bogey. The par 3s are hazard free and not especially lengthy, with the tournament 17th an example of how a 153-yard hole can test your game without any serious trouble in play. The shape and contour of the putting surfaces provide a good portion of Jennings Mill’s challenge, with the greens on the small side and several featuring a healthy amount of hope. Although they are not nearly as intimidating for the Nationwide Tour pros as they are for the members, the demanding handful of par 4s are still a stiff test for the tournament participants, with four in the 470-480 range. A few of them also feature relatively narrow fairways, but for the most part, Jennings Mill is on the generous side off the tee, with a few holes requiring a greater degree of accuracy.

River Pines (Public)

4775 Old Alabama Rd., Alpharetta
770-442-5960; www.riverpinesgolf.com

STAFF: Phil Wagoner is the Golf Professional; Mike Perpich is the Director of Instruction.

PAR/YARDAGE: River Pines is a par 70 with four sets of tees: Blue (6,511 yards); White (6,002); Silver (5,185) and Red (4,279).

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 70.2/129 (Blue); 67.2/119 (White); 64.3/111 (Silver); 64.1/105 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Among the Atlanta’s area most popular daily fee facilities since it opened in 1990, River Pines offers a comfortable (but not too comfortable) and walk-able layout, quality course conditions, reasonable rates and a prime location, along with one of the best practice facilities in the state headed by a nationally-recognized instructor (Perpich). At just over 6,500 yards from the tips, River Pines is on the short side, but with just two par 5s, plays to a par of 70 and features a formidable group of par 4s. The three shorter sets of tees are very friendly for its female, senior and junior clientele, one of the reasons for the facility’s widespread acceptance. The excellent Denis Griffiths design provides a variety of challenges, with a nice mix of narrow and generous fairways, long and short holes, differing greens complexes and a healthy number of hazards in play. River Pines is the rare course that players who hit the ball modest distances can play from the back tees and not be overwhelmed, although the frequent presence of hazards creates danger both off the tee and on approach shots.

The mid-length par 3s, two of which run parallel to the Chattahoochee River, are fairly tame, as is one of the two par 5s – the uphill eighth. The 17th, however, is among the testier holes on the course, with water in play on every shot, including a risk/reward second for longer hitters and a perilous layup for the distance challenged. The heart of River Pines’ challenge is its par 4s. Other than the short but tight ninth, each of the dozen two-shotters offers a test to one degree or another, with hazards in play on eight of the other 11. Length is a factor on only a hole or two, with accuracy, some sound strategic thinking and a sound short game more of a concern. The greens have some size but not a great deal of undulation, although several have subtle slopes that can make for some very touchy pin positions at the edges. All in all, one of the best all-around daily fee facilities in the state, with an adjoining par-3 nine adding to its appeal.

Orchard Hills Golf Club (Public)

600 East Highway 16, Newnan
770-251-5683; www.orchardhills.com

STAFF: Wyatt Detmer is the Director of Golf; Dano Korytoski is the Assistant Professional.

PAR/YARDAGE: Orchard Hills is a 27-hole layout with three nines, each having four sets of tees. The approximate average yardage is: Gold (7,000 yards); Blue (6,500); White (5,950); Red (5,200).

COURSE RATING SLOPE: (average) 73.2/132 (Gold); 70.9/123 (Blue); 68.1/115 (White); 68.7/118 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: One of the most popular courses on Atlanta’s south side for 15 years, Orchard Hills has lived up to its motto of “Southern Hospitality with a Scottish Links Flavor.” While the newer Rock Garden nine has been well received by the club’s clientele, the original 18 (Orchard and Logo nines) is still the heart of the course. At just over 7,000 yards from the Gold tees and over 6,550 from the Blues, the original 18 has some length, but apart from a handful of holes, length is not a serious factor. With only a few holes featuring any elevation changes of note and mostly generous fairways without a great deal of surrounding trouble, Orchard Hills offers the opportunity to swing away with the driver.

Some gnarly native grasses occasionally pose a problem to errant tee shots, but with minimal tree lines, the course is among the friendliest around off the tee, although the Rock Garden is not quite as forgiving. There is not a great deal of water in play other than five of the six par 3s, with a few tee shots requiring modest carries and just two approach shots to water-guarded greens, both on shortish, visually appealing par 4s of modest yardage. The bunkering is also modest, but there are some well-placed traps along fairways and around greens, with the large putting surfaces producing their share of three-putts, even without a serious amount of undulation. The original 18 includes a number of unassuming but stout par 4s along with a trio of over-water par 3s of varying lengths, with the newer nine interspersing a trio of short par 4s with a few holes of significant length. The course is free of development and walkable, with its location along I-85 part of its appeal.