Golf in Georgia
Overview
Find places
This page explains golf in Georgia. The sorter handles the local question by city or ZIP.
Golf in Georgia
Georgia's Department of Natural Resources operates seven state park golf courses, including The Creek Course at Hard Labor Creek State Park, offering award-winning play at public rates. Laura S. Walker State Park near Waycross has an 18-hole course with junior and senior pricing.
Published local price
Stone Mountain Golf Club (Stone Mountain Park, GA; two 18-hole courses); rates not posted statically; tee times booked via third-party system; ParkPass ($10/day or $70/yr) required for park entry in addition to greens fees; rates vary by season and tee time
stonemountainpark.com · as of 2026Where to go
Golf score
4th of 51 states for retirement golf
Golf score blends year-round playability (34%), playable access (16%), affordability (16%), course pedigree (12%), and statewide course density (22%).
Courses
A sample of marquee courses across Georgia, with where to play and how to book.
Reversible nine with double greens that plays a different way each day · Bob Cupp
A reborn Atlanta muni built on the city's first public course, where the same nine flips direction day to day. Walking is welcome and weekday rates stay reasonable.
Opened 2018 · $$ · Slope 120
Lake Oconee touches nine of the last ten holes · Jack Nicklaus
A Jack Nicklaus design where the back nine hugs Lake Oconee at nearly every turn. It is a cart ride between holes, so plan for a riding round on this one.
Opened 1992 · $$$$ · Slope 143
Photo: Jim Mandeville (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Scottish-style links in the north Georgia mountains, water on ten holes · Denis Griffiths
Set in the mountains near Young Harris, this resort course winds through wildlife preserves and streams. You get big elevation views with a links-style layout that rewards a steady tee shot.
Opened 1995 · $$$
Oceanfront dunes, ospreys, and sweeping Atlantic views along the coast · Walter Travis
A Golden Age Walter Travis design on the coast, restored and reopened as a full 18 in 2025. Walking is allowed, so you can stroll the dunes with the ocean in view.
Opened 2025 · $$$
Winds through tidal wetlands with views of the downtown Savannah skyline · Bob Cupp and Sam Snead
Across the river from downtown Savannah on Hutchinson Island, this resort course threads through tidal marsh. The skyline views and former Champions Tour pedigree make it a memorable day out.
Opened 1999 · $$$ · Slope 138
Former Buick Challenge host laid out among the gardens of Pine Mountain · Joe Lee
This Pine Mountain resort course once hosted the PGA Tour's Buick Challenge and still tests your shotmaking. It plays through the famous Callaway Gardens, so there is always something pretty to look at.
$$$ · Slope 136
One of two championship eighteens set among creeks and lakes near Columbus · Joe Lee
A Columbus-area municipal with two full eighteens and rates that stay friendly. The West course gives you a roomy, well-regarded layout without the resort price tag.
$ · Slope 137
We've mapped 17 courses across Georgia so far.
What Georgia costs
Cost of living
96
BEA index, U.S. = 100
State income tax
~4.5% state income-tax planning rate
Social Security
Not taxed
How people start
Most metros list city-run courses with published fee schedules. Those set the affordable floor before any private club enters the picture.
Many courses post a reduced weekday senior rate and a season pass. The difference between pay-per-round and a pass is the number that usually drives the yearly cost.
In warm states the season runs most of the year; in cold ones it is a few months. The yearly cost is rounds-per-year times rate, plus cart and equipment.
Towns in Georgia
The City of Atlanta operates four public golf courses, including Alfred Tup Holmes and Browns Mill, both well-regarded affordable options; the Fore Pass program offers unlimited rounds at Tup Holmes for $13.50 per visit without a separate fee schedule. Candler Park Golf Course, a shorter 9-hole layout near Druid Hills, is another city-operated course popular with casual players.
City of Atlanta GolfThe Club at Savannah Harbor on Hutchinson Island, designed by Robert Cupp and Tom Fazio, is the area's most prominent public-access resort course; the Georgia State Parks system operates courses at nearby state parks and holds a periodic State Parks Golf Cup competition. Savannah's moderate year-round climate supports nearly year-round play at area municipal and semi-private facilities.
Georgia State ParksCommon questions
Georgia's Department of Natural Resources operates seven state park golf courses, including The Creek Course at Hard Labor Creek State Park, offering award-winning play at public rates. Laura S. Walker State Park near Waycross has an 18-hole course with junior and senior pricing. Towns like Atlanta, Savannah have their own local options.
Georgia has a cost-of-living index near 96 (U.S. = 100), about a 4.5% state income-tax planning rate, and does not tax Social Security. The full state guide breaks down property tax, sales tax, and long-term-care costs, each sourced.
Sources
The life your money is for