Ohio Golf Journal October 2019

“We did something to every hole on the golf course,” Nicklaus said. “For example, the 9th hole still plays downhill and over the water, but it’s got a little more room now for the average golfer. The par-3, 8th hole was totally redone and the new hole is much better. The lake at the 11th now comes into play and we took a bunker out on 12, so golfers will have a more generous fairway. At 13, we took the green back to the water, rather than leaving it away from the water. “It’s one of the really great pieces of property that I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with,” .ICKLAUS ÚRST SAID SEVERAL YEARS AGO Travelers have visited the Reynolds region, about halfway between Atlanta and Augusta, for more than 100 years and many made it a family retreat. In 1979 the Oconee River was dammed, creating what is now Lake Oconee with more than 350 miles of shoreline that twists and turns into numerous inlets and small bays in the region. The area supports four boating marinas as well. The Landing WAS THE ÚRST CLUB TO BE BUILT ON ,AKE Oconee. It was designed by Bob Cupp and opened for play in 1986. The course winds through natural woods and over rolling terrain with three holes wrapping along the lake shoreline. It is a challenging course known for fast greens and demanding shots. The Preserve Course was created in 1988 by Cupp, along with Fuzzy Zoeller and Hubert Green. The course never touches Lake Oconee but plays along numerous smaller water hazards and is heavily wooded with the native tall pines. The fairways are wide and forgiving, but also the rolling topography produces many uneven lies. In 2016 the course had some upgrades completed by Cupp, including a new routing called the ‘Quick Six’, a loop of six short holes that can be played in about one hour. Rees Jones built a traditional and classically structured course, the Oconee , which opened for PLAY IN 4HE /CONEE #OURSE IS ONE OF THE ÚNEST public courses in Georgia and has received national accolades fromGOLFmagazine, Golfweek andGolf for Women. Each hole is a unique experience, but holes share the similarities of rolling terrain framed by tall Georgia pines with large receptive greens – all intermixed with Lake Oconee shoreline, ponds and creeks that require navigating around but are gorgeous to view. Fairways are wide and although tree-lined, the areas under tree canopies are cleaned out so a lost ball is rare. A personal favorite stretch is holes 15-18. The 15th is a slightly downhill par 3 to a large green on a peninsula formed by two smaller inlets of water off Lake Oconee. Very tranquil. It’s followed by the par 4 16th hole going back in- land with a creek running the entire length of the fairway and splitting hitting zones (the 12th hole is similar and stunning). The 18th hole is one of the ÚNEST ÚNISHING HOLES IN GOLF q A PAR WITH SOME TEETH and a fairway that runs all along the shoreline with wonderful views of a massive portion of the lake. 4HE COURSE OVERALL OFFERS ÚVE SETS OF TEES THAT AVAIL TO a huge challenge from the tips, but a gorgeous day spent outdoors from tees more forward. The National has three nine-hole layouts that can be mixed and matched to create an unparalleled