| backyard traveler |
While gallivanting around Northeast
Georgia, golfers may also check
out the semi-private Cateechee
Golf Club just outside Hartwell.
e course design boasts only two
holes that lay side-by-side, a rarity
in course design for Georgia. is
unique layout allows each hole to be
framed by wooded areas or a creek,
and no two holes play alike.
Much like the state park courses,
Cateechee’s environmentally conscious
course design only minimally
changed the natural topography.
Cateechee was the rst course in
the state and the 16th in the nation
to earn the Audubon International
Signature Sanctuary designation.
e award honors the course’s
sustainable resource management
practices and long term stewardship
of the property.
Several Athens-area public and
semi-private courses continue to
entertain regional golfers. A favorite
among the Lake Oconee and Athens
area is the University of Georgia
golf course. As Athens’ only true
public course, it provides a demanding
layout designed by Robert Trent
Jones and updated by Love Golf
Design. In 2021, Golfweek ranked
it fth in its “Best Courses You Can
Play: Georgia” lineup.
While the Lake Oconee area is
widely considered a golfer’s paradise,
the moniker can be attributed
to the state as a whole. State park
courses oer unmatched beauty and
readily capture the many regional
settings of Georgia. Other area public
golf courses provide residents
and visitors with a variety of courses
and challenges to play and enjoy.
So next time you wonder how you
can possibly support your golng
habit, consider going public; it’s no
longer the second-best option.
SPRING 2022 | LAKE OCONEE LIVING 77