Oak Mountain Championship Golf Club west of Atlanta remains an undiscovered gem
Housing development golf and seclusion might seem like mutually exclusive terms. But Oak Mountain Championship Golf Club somehow pulls it off, along with living up to its ambitious name.
At the Carrollton, Ga., golf course, an hour west of Atlanta, homes rarely encroach on the tree-lined holes. Even the wildest of slicers will be hard-pressed to reach any backyards. And forget shanking one into a parallel fairway. All 18 holes at Oak Mountain are tree-lined entities unto themselves.
"I highly recommend this course, outstanding condition, beautiful homes all around the course but do not come into play [except] on a few holes," wrote themob49 of Newnan, Ga., who gave Oak Mountain the highest ranking (five stars) of the three Atlanta-area golf courses he has reviewed at GolfNow.com. "Landscaping is beautiful. You can tell there is a lot of detailed work being done."
Opened in 1997, Oak Mountain remains something of an undiscovered gem because of its remote location, 12 miles south of I-20, and on a mountaintop. With a prime-time rate of $55, it's worth the extra drive time.
Ward Northrup, who has more than 30 projects on his résumé, most of them in the Southeast, built a muscular course which measures between 5,187 and 7,056 yards from five sets of tees.
The yardage can be daunting, especially on the 615-yard first hole. But the Bermuda fairways are wide, the bentgrass greens are large, and the course rating (73.0) and slope (138) provide evidence of the course's playability.
Spread over 403 acres, Oak Mountain has spared no expense with its lighted grass range and 11,800-square-foot putting green.
Of the 18 player reviews on GolfNow.com, 10 assigned five stars to Oak Mountain, the best percentage of any course within an hour and west of Atlanta. Oak Mountain's average rank of 4.4 stars places it ahead of other popular courses west of town including Orchard Hills Golf Club (4.2), Wolf Creek Golf Course (4.2), and Meadow Lakes Golf Club (4.1).
"I've played almost all courses on the west side of Atlanta, except the Frog and Chapel Hills. Oak Mountain is the best," wrote u000005667370 of Atlanta, who raved about the condition of the fairways and the fast greens, which were "like putting on glass."
With all the public golf options near Atlanta, some have hesitated to go the extra mile to Oak Mountain. But most who finally made the trip and posted a review the course on GolfNow.com expressed similar feelings to those of Trebono of Acworth, Ga.
"Had heard good things about this place, decided to give it a go. Very fun and interesting course, no two holes played alike," Trebono wrote. "Great condition and the greens rolled supremely well. Turf was excellent all around, even this late in the fall, despite not being very green. I was skeptical about driving so far for a $40 round, but I felt like it was worth it. Great views, the place must be stunning during spring and summer."
May 9, 2013
Kevin Dunleavy, Contributor
Kevin Dunleavy is a longtime resident of northern Virginia, a graduate of George Mason University, an award-winning reporter covering golf, colleges, and other sports for the Washington Examiner, and a single-digit handicap still seeking his elusive first hole-in-one. Follow Kevin on Twitter at @KDunleavy.