Part of that comparison is due to the opening holes at both staring with pars of 4-5-4-3 with the second at both playing downhill and the fourth at both playing across a valley. Both courses were built on the site of former nurseries. After having played Bluejack National, which I do not consider to be close to Augusta National, I would agree with this statement. Many people say that Peachtree is the closest course in the USA to Augusta National. Peachtree and Augusta National sit on nearly perfect rolling/hilly land that add a tremendous amount to the strategy and variety of shots that one has to hit it order to play well. For me the question became: “which course has the better land?” In the end I could not quite make up my mind. I decided instead to think of Augusta National as having “smoother” changes in terrain other than on its fifth and sixth, while at Peachtree the land movement is more abrupt on more holes.
Maybe he desired not to be boastful to be fortunate to be associated with both clubs. Jones was trying to find a way not to critique either course due to his affection for both.
That did not make sense to me, having played both courses. The one item that seemed inconsistent with the course itself comes in the form of a letter that is on display in the clubhouse written by Bobby Jones where he describes the course as not having as dramatic of change in land movement as at Augusta National. The course is tranquil despite one’s score. The wonderful routing perfectly moves one around the land offering a splendid mixture of doglegs and up and downhill shots. The terrain is rolling and often hilly leading to unexpected surprises, variety and beauty. Therefore I concentrated on looking at the course, particularly the greens. I knew I would not likely score well given the length unless I had my best day ever of chipping and putting. We could not see the ball until I nearly walked on it with about one quarter of it visible while the rest was embedded. For example, we barely found my third shot on the second hole, a downhill par 5, which I was certain had cleared the stream short of the green. The Atlanta area had both tornados and thunderstorms the day before ending around 5AM, dropping several inches of rain. We played the medal tees at 6659 yards but our host estimated the course was playing closer to 6900 yards, which is too long for me, although my two playing companions had the length to handle it. There was no sunshine during the round so the course did not get much assistance in drying out. We played it on a very wet day, with the first tee time of the day. His illness struck him just after the front nine opened for play, so he did not play the back nine. The front nine also benefited from input from Robert Tyre Jones (Bobby Jones) who hit shots on the holes. Jones’s first big design and he produced a masterful golf course. This is a credit to its designer, Robert Trent Jones. There are perhaps only a couple of “average” holes on this course which are on the back nine. As I played the course for the second time on March 26, 2021, I was struck by how strong the course was from the very first hole to its finish. Peachtree is about as perfect as an inland/parkland golf course can be found in the USA. Fairways were converted to zoysia grass and tree pruning has allowed old vistas to be enjoyed once again. On the back nine, the par five 10th plays to one of the largest greens in the country when originally built.Ī renovation program has improved the course immeasurably in recent years. The par five 2nd hole gives an early indication of what lies ahead during the round, setting out along a ridge before it falls over a creek to a split fairway that leads to a pond-protected green. Fairways follow the natural contours of the landscape, often leading to enormous greens that are well protected by sand, water or both.
Peachtree ga full#
Peachtree’s glorious location bears more than a passing resemblance to nearby Augusta National, certainly in terms of the tall pines, azaleas and dogwoods in full bloom. Sadly, he would never play the completed course at Peachtree Golf Club. The original 9-hole course was completed in October 1947 but the following year, Bobby Jones was diagnosed with syringomyelia, a spinal condition that first caused him pain, then paralysis. Bobby and Robert were not related but Robert started to use his middle name “Trent” when Peachtree finally opened for play. Bobby Jones was the inspiration behind Peachtree and Robert was the architect. Peachtree Golf Club is located in Atlanta and it’s the course that the Joneses built.