How to Play the Best Golf in Georgia
Georgia's most famous course is one you will never play, but its bookable golf is seriously underrated: Sea Island's coastal courses host the PGA Tour every fall, Reynolds Lake Oconee stacks six courses around one lake, and spring and fall here are as good as American golf weather gets.
Photo: Seaside Golf Course via Google.
Where Georgia's golf is, and how it works
Traveling golfers should think of Georgia as three trips. The Golden Isles on the coast, anchored by Sea Island on St Simons Island, are the headline: a five star resort with three courses, a colony of Tour pros and the PGA Tour's RSM Classic each fall. Lake Oconee, ninety minutes east of Atlanta, is the inland resort answer, where Reynolds Lake Oconee wraps six courses and a Ritz-Carlton around miles of shoreline. Atlanta itself is mostly private golf with some strong daily fee play around the metro.
And then there is Augusta. Be clear about the reality: Augusta National is among the most private clubs on earth, East Lake and Peachtree likewise admit members and guests only, and Ohoopee Match Club is invitation territory. In Georgia the great private rooms stay shut, but what you can book is more than good enough to build a week around.
The Georgia rounds worth playing
Sea Island, Seaside Course
The state's best bookable round: seaside golf through marsh and dunes with origins in the 1920s work of Charles Alison, rebuilt into today's par 70 of 6,945 yards by Tom Fazio in 1999, folding in a Joe Lee nine from 1974. The PGA Tour decides the RSM Classic here every November. Indicative 2026 fees run $395 in spring and $425 in late fall, and note the big caveat: Seaside is closed May 1 to October 18, 2026 for renovation work, so time the trip around it.
Sea Island, Plantation Course
Rebuilt in 2019 by St Simons locals Davis Love III and Mark Love with architect Scot Sherman, the Plantation is a love letter to golden age design: a Biarritz first green, a Redan third, squared off plateau greens and deep coffin bunkers across a par 72 of 7,060 yards. It shares the RSM Classic rota with Seaside and gives a Sea Island stay its second distinct personality, with a giant putting course by the clubhouse for the evening.
Reynolds Lake Oconee, Great Waters
The pick of the six Reynolds courses, an early Jack Nicklaus signature design from 1992 whose back nine plays along Lake Oconee for one of the prettiest closing stretches in the South. A stay at the resort or The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds unlocks the whole rotation, from Tom Fazio's National to the Plantation course, which makes Lake Oconee the easiest multi course base in inland Georgia. Rates vary by course and season, so confirm when booking the room.
The Golden Isles beyond Sea Island
The coast around Sea Island carries honest, affordable golf that rounds out a week: the King and Prince resort's marshside Hampton Club layout on St Simons, and Jekyll Island's state owned courses, where Georgia's golfing public has played among the live oaks for generations at green fees a fraction of the resort tier. None of it is bucket list golf; all of it is a pleasant second round on a coast built for it.
Atlanta and the watching brief
Atlanta's great courses, East Lake of the Tour Championship and Bobby Jones legend, Peachtree, Atlanta Athletic Club, are members and guests only, so for most visitors the city is where you watch golf rather than play it. If you are passing through, the metro's better daily fee and university courses fill a morning, and the Bobby Jones Golf Course, the city muni reworked in his honor, makes a fitting pilgrimage stop before a flight.
Rankings are the editorial desk's verdict on bookable golf. Course facts verified June 2026; access changes, so always confirm directly before booking.
Indicative green fees and access
| Round | Indicative 2026 fee | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Seaside, Sea Island | $395 spring, $425 late fall | Resort and club guests; closed May 1 to Oct 18, 2026 for renovation |
| Plantation, Sea Island | Below Seaside's rate; confirm with resort | Resort and club guests |
| Great Waters, Reynolds | Varies by season; confirm with resort | Reynolds and Ritz-Carlton resort guests |
| Jekyll Island courses | Modest state park rates | Fully public |
| Augusta National, East Lake, Peachtree | Not applicable | Private; members and guests only |
Fees verified June 2026 from published resort information and course listings; they vary by season and day and change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking. Check live availability with our tee time partner.
When to go and how to base yourself
Spring and fall are Georgia's gift. March to May brings azaleas, mild sunshine and Masters week electricity statewide, and late September to November is just as good, with the RSM Classic capping the coast's season in November. Summers are hot and humid everywhere but most playable on the breezy coast; winter golf at Sea Island is regularly pleasant, which is exactly when the 2026 renovation calendar makes planning matter.
Base at Sea Island for the coastal trip, with The Cloister and The Lodge as the five star anchors and St Simons Island's villages for value. For the lake trip, stay on property at Reynolds, where the courses, marinas and the Ritz-Carlton spa sit minutes apart. The two combine well: Atlanta arrival, three nights at the lake, then four on the coast, in either order. Fee depth is in our Georgia green fees guide and the month by month call is in when to play Georgia.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts for a Georgia golf trip.
Plan your Georgia golf trip
We time the trip around Sea Island's calendar, pair the coast with Lake Oconee and book the rooms that unlock the tee sheets. Tell us roughly when and who is traveling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Georgia golf questions
Can visitors play Augusta National?
No. Augusta National is strictly private, with play limited to members and their guests. For most golfers the realistic route inside the gates is a Masters ticket through the official ballot, not a tee time.
How do you play Sea Island's Seaside Course?
Seaside is open to Sea Island resort and club guests, so a stay puts the tee sheet within reach. Indicative 2026 fees are $395 in spring and $425 in late fall; note the course is closed from May 1 to October 18, 2026 for renovation work. Always confirm directly before booking.
Can you play Reynolds Lake Oconee without being a member?
Yes. Reynolds Lake Oconee opens its courses, including the Jack Nicklaus designed Great Waters from 1992, to guests staying at the resort, including The Ritz-Carlton there. Rates vary by course and season, so confirm directly when you book the stay.
When is the best time to play golf in Georgia?
Spring from March to May and fall from late September to November are the prime windows, with mild sunshine and the courses in peak shape. Summer is hot and humid, while the coast at Sea Island stays playable and pleasant through much of the winter.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designers, dates, par figures and indicative fees verified June 2026 from published resort information and leading course databases. Last reviewed June 2026.