Good maintenance is the key to stellar golf at Reunion Country Club near Braselton, Georgia
HOSCHTON, Ga. -- Most of the people who visit Reunion Country Club come from less than 30 minutes away.
The rest of the golfers in the Atlanta area don't know what they're missing.
The Mike Riley design offers a challenging layout that includes plenty of elevation changes, wetlands, hazards, water and sand. If you don't see it on one hole, wait a minute and it's bound to pop up. Riley has used every tool at his disposal to create a course that most visitors find playable again and again.
"Every hole is different," said Gary Niedermeyer, who lives nearby and has played Reunion many times. "I think what makes it challenging is that there are no two holes alike."
Reunion is located in Hoschton, about 45 minutes northeast of Atlanta off Interstate 85. It's also convenient to Athens and Gainesville. The golf course will play about 34,000 rounds in 2013, a number hurt by the abnormally high rainfall in north Georgia.
Reunion is another option to golfers who have played the nearby Chateau Elan courses and seek an upgrade from the average daily-fee course.
"I think we're the most challenging course in our area," General Manager Dave Moreshead said. "And our conditions are better than most."
Reunion Country Club: The golf course
Reunion sports some nice bentgrass greens. They've considered a switch to one of the popular new Bermuda grass varieties, but that's probably at least three years away. There's no reason to change right now; these greens are fine.
The fairways and tees are outstanding. The fairways don't have bare spots, and the tees are flat and grassy.
"The course is very well kept up," Niedermeyer said. "The greens are always in great shape."
The course is unique because it's a par 72 that includes five par 3s and five par 5s. The yardage is misleading; it plays 6,936 yards from the back tees, 6,602 from the second set and 6,003 from the whites. The forward tees are 5,006 yards.
The elevation change is noticeable on the very first hole. The opening tee shot on a long, dogleg-left par 5 comes from high above the fairway but must carry a hazard and find the landing area.
The signature hole is no. 8, a scenic par 3 over a pond to a stone-stacked green. This one is a handful from back at 194 yards but even a handful from the white tees at 161.
"That's a good hole, especially from the back tee," Moreshead said.
The most interesting hole is no. 7, a par 5 that is believed to be the only hole in the state with two separate greens. The staff changes the hole location each day, alternating between the left green and the right green.
The hole plays shorter when the left green is used. It is guarded by a large bunker, the price that comes along with the 35 yards you save in distance. The green on the right is not only farther, but the green is also smaller.
The most difficult hole is the 15th, a 90-degree dogleg to the right that requires a long, accurate drive and an equally challenging approach shot. The par 5 plays 447 from the back tees, which would require a 300-yard drive to reach the optimum layup area. The uphill approach shot to the green must carry a hazard to a green that's cut out of the hill and avoid the two bunkers protecting the right side. There's a sliver of a bailout area on the right side.
"That's all you want in a golf hole right there," Moreshead said.
Otherwise the course rolls up and down the country side, the woods never too far away. There are many hazards that cut across the fairway, often at strategic positions, that require a player to play strategically.
Reunion Country Club: The extras
The Reunion C.C. staff is friendly, from the guys in the pro shop to the starter to the rangers who float through to ensure a steady pace of play. There is plenty of room on the practice tee, and the balls aren't all beaten up. The practice green is large enough and has enough undulation to get you ready for the course. There's also a chipping green.
There is a halfway house that's just off the eighth and also accessible for players on their way to the 12th tee. The pro shop is compact but has everything you need, from shirts and hats to tees and balls.
The golf course is in the middle of a nice housing development. Private memberships are available and come with unlimited use of the driving range, but Reunion is open to the public each day. There are also driving range memberships available.
Reunion Country Club: The verdict
Golfers in northeast Georgia should not miss Reunion. It's certainly on par with the highly acclaimed Chateau Elan courses that are a couple of miles away.
The course is properly maintained -- the fairways are very good, the traps have good sand and the greens are quality.
It may take one time around the layout to get the hang of places you'll want to avoid, but if you play the proper set of tees, you should be in for an enjoyable experience. Be prepared to ride, though; this is not a walker's course, as there are some significant drives from green to tee.
October 8, 2013
Stan Awtrey, Contributor
Stan Awtrey spent 25 years as a sports writer with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He is editor of Golf Georgia, the official magazine of the Georgia State Golf Association, and writes a weekly column for PGATOUR.com. His work has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines and Web sites.