Macon

Macon has a well earned reputation for barbecue and blues, as well as a strong assortment of golf opportunities.

The city, located almost in the heart of Georgia, is about an hour south of Atlanta and within an easy drive of all areas of the state. Its centralized location and the presence of the Ocmulgee River running through town, helped make Macon a spoke for the region's transportation. The military has always had a strong presence here, with nearby Warner Robins the site of an air base.

Among the musicians who claim (or have claimed) Macon as their home are Otis Redding, Little Richard, Mike Mills and Bill Berry of R.E.M., Jason Aldean and the Allman Brothers Band. (When Cher was married to Gregg Allman she could often be found shopping at the Piggly Wiggly grocery store.) The Georgia Music Hall of Fame is located in Macon, which is also the site of the adjacent Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

If you have any markers that can be called in, aim for a round at the private Brickyard at Riverside, a Mark McCumber-designed course that has hosted the Georgia Mid-Amateur Championship, many USGA and Georgia qualifiers, as well as an annual college tournament. You'll be hard pressed to find a more engaging host than owner Alfred Sams Jr.

There are some fine public options in the area, too. Bowden Golf Course in Macon is a shortish municipal that is fun for players of all skill levels. In nearby Perry, the daily-fee Houston Lake C.C. is a challenging layout that has hosted numerous qualifiers. Also worthy of the short list in Southern Hills G.C. in Hawkinsville, a Mike Young design that features elevation changes that are uncommon for the flat middle Georgia landscape.

Macon is suitable for golf activities nearly all year, although the average temperatures make any outdoor activity more difficult to enjoy in the summer, when it isn't unusual to have a series of 100-degree days.

And since you've got to eat, why not choose one of Macon's famous BBQ joints. Fincher's celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2010 and has sent meals into space on NASA flights. Fresh Air Barbecue and Satterfield's are others that draw locals and tourists.