Played and reviewed on June 28, 2014, tee time 8:12 A.M.
Course Details:
Gold: yards 6741, rating 72.7, slope 134
Blue: yards 6282, rating 70.5, slope 129
White: yards 5637, rating 68.2, slope 118
Red: yards 5290, rating 70.6, slope 122
Located about 30 minutes from Warner Robins, GA, this award winning course was built by the Dunaway family and has been operated by them since it opened in 1997. The course was designed by Mike Young of Athens, GA and cut from the family’s own land that was used for hunting and farming. The gentle, rolling hills made this a natural place to build such a fine course.
Southern Hills is a must-play for golfers of all skill levels, not only because of its beauty, quality, serenity, and test of skills, it is the best value I can think of for any course I’ve played in Georgia.
I mentioned that it was an award winning course. Here is a list of awards from their web site:
The course has hosted several professional tournaments, to include the NGA ComSouth Classic, in which several Big Break alumni have played.
Practice area: Grade A-
The practice area is quite ample and can easily satisfy a few dozen golfers at a time. The range is large, the putting green is one of the best I the area, and the short game area is so good you will normally see several people utilizing it at once.
Practice Green– The putting green is very large and has plenty of holes and different breaks that you could find any putt you needed to for practice. The quality of the practice green is phenomenal and always exactly the same as those on the course. It is a very good place to get warmed up and acclimated to the speeds that you will be seeing in your round. The starter told me they try to always keep them running between 10 and 11. It is very easy to lose putts off the edges on a down-grain putt, but coming back against the grain can really alter the length of your putter. Getting your touch dialed in on this practice green is paramount to being able to putt on course.
Driving Range – The range at Southern Hills is at least 275yds long, as only the most solid of strikes will make it to the end. It is also pretty wide and able to hold all but the biggest of slices/hooks. The hitting area is all grass and generally in very good shape as they move the ropes quite often and mend the previous divot areas. There are several flags on false greens at various distances and a sign by the center of the hitting area gives you approximate yardages. The only downfall is that it sits between holes 9 and 18 and there is no fencing or other barrier keeping balls on the range. If you happen to have a shot from the left side of 9 or 18, still in-bounds, you will be standing close to the imaginary line that separates course from range. And if a tee shot ends up on the range, people want to go find their ball. Basically, you need to pay attention on these holes as it can get dangerous. And if you use a yellow ball, you really need to stay away from the range edges. A large bag of balls is $4.50 to non-members, and the pre-filled bags are available as you exit the pro shop and are much easier to transport to the practice areas.
Short Game Area – There is a very well-prepared chipping/bunker area separate from the putting green. The green is well sized with an ample amount of space around it’s circumference to spread out and practice a variety of shots. There are four separate bunkers, of varying depths and distances, around the green to practice just about any shot. The grass and rough areas are maintained to the same standards as the course—mowed and trimmed in the same manner as what you’ll be playing. Also, there are generally several dozen range balls just lying about on the short game area so you really wouldn’t need to grab a bag of range balls if you had no intention of practicing full swings on the driving range.
Layout: Grade A-
The layout at Southern Hills is simply awesome in terms of it being a challenge from whichever tee you are capable of playing from. I have yet to try playing from the 6700 yard Gold tees, as it looks rather daunting. The estimated 6300 yard Blue tees are a great mix of challenging risk/reward type holes. The White tees play around 5700 yards, and great for mid-to-high handicaps and maybe those not quite ready for the Senior tees, which play slightly longer than the Red, at about 5400 yards.
The Par 3s range from 120 all the way to 210 while the Par 5s range from 399 to 542 yards (Red to Gold). While some of the holes appear to be pretty easy on paper, there are several things to consider at Southern Hills; most obviously the terrain changes. Elevation changes make proper club selection vital on several holes. While some of the tee shots are uphill and you can simply swing away, there are several approaches and a couple Par 3s where elevation changes make a missed club selection very penalizing.
For instance, the very first hole is a big downhill 380 yarder from the Blue box. The tee box area here is the highest point on the course, so right from the start, you have to contend with a downhill fairway and a creek that cuts diagonally across the fairway at about 210-240 yards, depending what side of the fairway you hit. The smart play is about 220 down the right side as you’ll be looking at a much better angle into the green which goes back uphill again and is protected on three sides.
The best risk/reward hole is #8, which is a double dogleg par 5 that is downhill from the halfway point in to the green. If you can really swing away and get to a point on the fairway on top of the hill, you have about 245 remaining to the green, but it is all down the hill and makeable for many. The green is protected by a few bunkers up front but there is an ample apron area up front you could land the shot in and allow the ball to run up to the green. Getting on in two here is possible, playing smarter and getting par is even easier, but still, you need to hit your shots straight, as there really isn’t much of any kind of bailout area off the tee.
The 9[SUP]th[/SUP] comes back to the clubhouse, parallel to #1, and is completely uphill. With the range on the left, trees and #1 fairway on the right, you really need to hit it straight. The second shot on this hole is particularly difficult because of the continued uphill slope, a very well protected green (several bunkers), and the fact you can only see about the top 1/3 of the flagstick.
After you stop off at the clubhouse for refreshments, you’ll head to #10 which is another downhill/uphill hole, but this one is also doglegged about 80* to the left. There is a large bunker and trees to catch anything left and if you go long and through the fairway, count up another lost ball. The elevated green and uphill lie makes your second a tough one. Be happy with par.
Looking from the clubhouse towards the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] tee area.
The signature hole is a slightly downhill par 3 that, on first glance, appears relatively straightforward and relaxed, but I have played anywhere from a 7 iron to PW depending on wind and pin location. There is a small lake left and slightly in front of the green and bunkers close to the front edge will certainly catch anything that is short. If you’re long, you will have to chip/pitch back onto the green which runs quite quickly down to the front edge and the bunkers.
Pt 2 http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...s-Golf-amp-Country-Club-Hawkinsville-GA-(Pt-2)
Course Details:
Gold: yards 6741, rating 72.7, slope 134
Blue: yards 6282, rating 70.5, slope 129
White: yards 5637, rating 68.2, slope 118
Red: yards 5290, rating 70.6, slope 122
Located about 30 minutes from Warner Robins, GA, this award winning course was built by the Dunaway family and has been operated by them since it opened in 1997. The course was designed by Mike Young of Athens, GA and cut from the family’s own land that was used for hunting and farming. The gentle, rolling hills made this a natural place to build such a fine course.
Southern Hills is a must-play for golfers of all skill levels, not only because of its beauty, quality, serenity, and test of skills, it is the best value I can think of for any course I’ve played in Georgia.
I mentioned that it was an award winning course. Here is a list of awards from their web site:
- Selected among the Top 100 New Courses in the United States in 1998 when it opened.
- From 2002-2008, Southern Hills was given 4½ stars for in the annual “Places to Play” lists issued by Golf Digest.
- In 2002, a Golf Digest panel also voted Southern Hills one of the top five golfing values in the United States and third best for service in the entire country.
- Most recently it was chosen as among as a Must-Play course in Georgia by Golf Style Magazine.
The course has hosted several professional tournaments, to include the NGA ComSouth Classic, in which several Big Break alumni have played.
Practice area: Grade A-
The practice area is quite ample and can easily satisfy a few dozen golfers at a time. The range is large, the putting green is one of the best I the area, and the short game area is so good you will normally see several people utilizing it at once.
Practice Green– The putting green is very large and has plenty of holes and different breaks that you could find any putt you needed to for practice. The quality of the practice green is phenomenal and always exactly the same as those on the course. It is a very good place to get warmed up and acclimated to the speeds that you will be seeing in your round. The starter told me they try to always keep them running between 10 and 11. It is very easy to lose putts off the edges on a down-grain putt, but coming back against the grain can really alter the length of your putter. Getting your touch dialed in on this practice green is paramount to being able to putt on course.
Driving Range – The range at Southern Hills is at least 275yds long, as only the most solid of strikes will make it to the end. It is also pretty wide and able to hold all but the biggest of slices/hooks. The hitting area is all grass and generally in very good shape as they move the ropes quite often and mend the previous divot areas. There are several flags on false greens at various distances and a sign by the center of the hitting area gives you approximate yardages. The only downfall is that it sits between holes 9 and 18 and there is no fencing or other barrier keeping balls on the range. If you happen to have a shot from the left side of 9 or 18, still in-bounds, you will be standing close to the imaginary line that separates course from range. And if a tee shot ends up on the range, people want to go find their ball. Basically, you need to pay attention on these holes as it can get dangerous. And if you use a yellow ball, you really need to stay away from the range edges. A large bag of balls is $4.50 to non-members, and the pre-filled bags are available as you exit the pro shop and are much easier to transport to the practice areas.
Short Game Area – There is a very well-prepared chipping/bunker area separate from the putting green. The green is well sized with an ample amount of space around it’s circumference to spread out and practice a variety of shots. There are four separate bunkers, of varying depths and distances, around the green to practice just about any shot. The grass and rough areas are maintained to the same standards as the course—mowed and trimmed in the same manner as what you’ll be playing. Also, there are generally several dozen range balls just lying about on the short game area so you really wouldn’t need to grab a bag of range balls if you had no intention of practicing full swings on the driving range.
Layout: Grade A-
The layout at Southern Hills is simply awesome in terms of it being a challenge from whichever tee you are capable of playing from. I have yet to try playing from the 6700 yard Gold tees, as it looks rather daunting. The estimated 6300 yard Blue tees are a great mix of challenging risk/reward type holes. The White tees play around 5700 yards, and great for mid-to-high handicaps and maybe those not quite ready for the Senior tees, which play slightly longer than the Red, at about 5400 yards.
The Par 3s range from 120 all the way to 210 while the Par 5s range from 399 to 542 yards (Red to Gold). While some of the holes appear to be pretty easy on paper, there are several things to consider at Southern Hills; most obviously the terrain changes. Elevation changes make proper club selection vital on several holes. While some of the tee shots are uphill and you can simply swing away, there are several approaches and a couple Par 3s where elevation changes make a missed club selection very penalizing.
For instance, the very first hole is a big downhill 380 yarder from the Blue box. The tee box area here is the highest point on the course, so right from the start, you have to contend with a downhill fairway and a creek that cuts diagonally across the fairway at about 210-240 yards, depending what side of the fairway you hit. The smart play is about 220 down the right side as you’ll be looking at a much better angle into the green which goes back uphill again and is protected on three sides.
The best risk/reward hole is #8, which is a double dogleg par 5 that is downhill from the halfway point in to the green. If you can really swing away and get to a point on the fairway on top of the hill, you have about 245 remaining to the green, but it is all down the hill and makeable for many. The green is protected by a few bunkers up front but there is an ample apron area up front you could land the shot in and allow the ball to run up to the green. Getting on in two here is possible, playing smarter and getting par is even easier, but still, you need to hit your shots straight, as there really isn’t much of any kind of bailout area off the tee.
The 9[SUP]th[/SUP] comes back to the clubhouse, parallel to #1, and is completely uphill. With the range on the left, trees and #1 fairway on the right, you really need to hit it straight. The second shot on this hole is particularly difficult because of the continued uphill slope, a very well protected green (several bunkers), and the fact you can only see about the top 1/3 of the flagstick.
After you stop off at the clubhouse for refreshments, you’ll head to #10 which is another downhill/uphill hole, but this one is also doglegged about 80* to the left. There is a large bunker and trees to catch anything left and if you go long and through the fairway, count up another lost ball. The elevated green and uphill lie makes your second a tough one. Be happy with par.
Looking from the clubhouse towards the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] tee area.
The signature hole is a slightly downhill par 3 that, on first glance, appears relatively straightforward and relaxed, but I have played anywhere from a 7 iron to PW depending on wind and pin location. There is a small lake left and slightly in front of the green and bunkers close to the front edge will certainly catch anything that is short. If you’re long, you will have to chip/pitch back onto the green which runs quite quickly down to the front edge and the bunkers.
Pt 2 http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...s-Golf-amp-Country-Club-Hawkinsville-GA-(Pt-2)
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