Introduction
The Oconee Course at Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Georgia is one of 6 golf courses within the mega-resort. Designed by famed architect Rees Jones, The Oconee has the feel of a private club with a beautiful backdrop of water features and caddies to guide you through each visually stimulating hole.
Practice Facility
I am a huge fan of practice facilities that are positioned so that warming-up before a round moves closer to the first tee with each station. The first station was the driving range. The range was stocked with pyramids of golf balls, was well-manicured, and was plenty wide with a sufficient amount of greens and pins to calibrate distances.
The chipping green had several pins and a variety of lies to recreate any shot you may encounter during the round. The putting green was a few feet from the first tee and had plenty of contour and a dozen cups to hit to. Conveniently, it was only steps from the chipping green which allowed us to hit chips and putts right up until our tee time.
Customer Service & Amenities
There is a unique trend at Reynolds – the staff always goes out of their way to make you feel welcome. This trend is no different at the Oconee Course. There is always someone to take your bag, answer questions, or direct you to where you need to go.
The pro shop resides in the same building as the Linger Longer Steakhouse, which is a fantastic place to have dinner after your round (I highly recommend the Bacon on a Wire). The Oconee pro shop has a variety of items including anything you may have accidentally left at home. This is also the closest golf shop to the Ritz-Carlton and perfect for some retail shopping any day after you head back to your hotel room.
Beauty & Scenery
Mr. Jones did a fantastic job of utilizing the land that he had to work with and making it as visually stunning as possible. Each hole has something unique to offer. Whether its a view of the lake, a water feature, or simple change in elevation, the Oconee course was as picturesque as they come.
The par-4 12th hole was my personal favorite and is pictured below. A creek with several mini-waterfalls bisects the teeing grounds and wanders up the right side of the fairway all the way to the front of the green. It’s uphill and makes for a beautiful yet challenging hole.
Tee Shots
The tee shots at this course make you think. There are options to play safe or be aggressive for an easier or shorter approach into the green. Many of the fairways are wide enough where you can miss and still be in play, but several had trouble in landing areas unseen from the tees. This is where the forecaddies really benefited our group.
Approach Shots
Approach shots at the Oconee course are all about staying below the hole. The greens here are fast and undulating so utilizing your forecaddie and yardage book will help make the day less frustrating.
On the Oconee course, Rees Jones designed the approach areas so that each green had a clear run-up area giving players another strategy for each hole.
Greens & Surrounds
The greens at the Oconee course were fast and had hidden breaks that could deceive any golfer. The forecaddies were extremely valuable when it came to reading each putt. They certainly know the course better than most of the golfers who play here.
Missing a green at the Oconee course was not terribly punishing. Most of the land that surrounded each green was cut like the fairway and didn’t have extreme movement. I enjoyed this as it helped our group with our misses and ultimately led to better scores and faster play.
Conclusion
The Oconee Course at Reynolds is a premier course at the resort. Situated only a few steps from the Ritz-Carlton and at the opposite end of the range as the Kingdom, the Oconee course is a must-play for any golfer that comes to Reynolds Lake Oconee.
Zack Buechner
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Very nice review!! I am a Georgia resident and live less than 90 miles from Lake Oconee, but have yet to play this course (I have played the Harbor Club and Cuscowila). It is a course I want to get onto in the near future!!