There’s a very good reason that Atlanta is the permanent home of the PGA TOUR’s Tour Championship: it’s a year round golf mecca, for fans and players alike! Often overlooked by its southern neighbor Florida, Atlanta has a deeply-rooted golf history. The aforementioned Tour Championship takes place each Fall at East Lake Golf Club. East Lake is the oldest golf course in Atlanta and was the home course of golf legend Bobby Jones. The Tour Championship is the culmination of the entire PGA TOUR season, where the top 30 players from the year compete for $1.5 million dollars for the tournament, and a $10 million season long bonus to the winner.
With all of golf’s biggest names descending on East Lake each Fall, it puts a spotlight on Atlanta’s golf scene, but the other 51 weeks out of the year have something for every golfer and golf fan as well! ATL is home to nearly sixty public golf courses, ranging from inexpensive municipal courses all the way up to the Tom Fazio designed masterpiece, The Frog Golf Club. So whether you are a discerning golfer who likes to play the best courses, or a casual weekend golfer more interested in drinking beer with his buddies than making birdies, you will find it all in Atlanta.
One of the most interesting golf outlets in Atlanta is the Amateur Golfers Association. The AGA is a wonderful organization aimed at promoting the competitive amateur golf with an emphasis on fun. Open to all players carrying a USGA handicap, the AGA puts on over thirty tournaments a year for the everyman golfer who wants their shot at playing golf like the pros. The tournaments follow all the rules of golf that the professionals follow and there are three divisions. The TOUR series is the flagship division, and there are also flights for the Players division and the Winter Hardcore series for those who want to keep the rust off their games in the winter months and don’t mind playing in inclement weather. The USGA handicap system allows players of all levels to be competitive. This brilliant idea is some of the most fun you can have on the golf course!
Greg S. is PlayYourCourse’s featured pro in Atlanta, Georgia. Greg is a PGA certified teaching professional with fifteen years of experience to accompany his impressive playing resume. He is a scratch golfer who still regularly competes, so while he can handle even the most experienced golfers’ intricate goals, his fundamental understanding of the golf swing makes him the perfect pro for players just learning the game as well. He loves meeting new people and helping improve every player’s game, so no matter your goals, he is ready to help your game!