Course Name: Trophy Club of Apalachee
Designer: Steve Melnyk/Bill Bergin (1994)
Location: Dacula, Georgia
History: N/A
Conditions: 6/10, Conditions were pretty solid for a public course. The greens were smooth and rough was in good shape. The course also appeared healthy and green, and the pine needles looked fantastic.
Value: 8/10, I was able to play 18 with a cart and range balls for just over $30. This is very competitive, and certainly worth the price.
Scorecard:
Tee Par Yardage Rating Slope
Gold 71 6523 72.4 138
Players 71 6268 71.0 134
Blue 71 6002 70.1 129
White 71 5470 67.8 120
Red 71 4748 69.2 120
Hole Descriptions: Trophy Club is fairly tight, and is a prototypical suburban southern course winding through neighborhoods. The opening hole is a short 489 yard par 5 with out of bounds all along the left side. The entire fairway also slopes hard left, making anything with left spin unlikely to be found. A bunker 260 yards out on the right side of the fairway forces players to think twice about hitting driver. Playing only 270 yards, the 2nd hole is a strange little dogleg right par 4 with trees that block the green. Players who can hit a left-to-right ballflight can theoretically reach this green, but I don’t see any problem hitting mid-iron in play here. A large bunker at the edge of the dogleg catches drives that run through the fairway. The first of 5 par threes, the 3rd hole plays 161 yards over a creek and bunker to a large kidney-shaped green. Playing 380 yards, the uphill 4th hole is a tight, tree-lined hole that plays as the number 1 handicap. The 5th hole is their signature hole – a medium length 351 yard par 4 that plays straight downhill. The fairway ends at about 280 yards and gives way to a giant valley. Once you carry this valley and hit the green, beware of the extreme back-to-front slope. Apparently this green had to be flattened several years ago, because people were putting it into the valley!
At only 438 yards, the 6th hole is an interesting dogleg right par 5 that is certainly a birdie opportunity with a straight drive. This hole plays downhill off the tee to a fairway lined by trees on both sides. The dogleg occurs at about 250 yards, but big hitters can cut the corner here and have only mid-iron in. Two bunkers short left of this green make for a challenging up-and-down. My favorite par 3 on the course, the 161 yard 7th hole features a challenging green with several hazards surrounding it. Playing only 276 yards, the 8th hole is meant to entice you into going for the green. The left side is fairly open but dense forest guards the entire right side and three brutal bunkers guard this green. I was rather underwhelmed by the 9th hole, a straightaway 341 yard par 4 that plays uphill to a large green.
The back 9 starts off strong with a long, slender, downhill 424 yard par 4 with a creek running through the hole at about 220 yards. At 176 yards, the 11th is a bland par 3 playing to a large green. The 12th hole is a gentle dogleg left playing a stout 408 yards uphill. Finding this tree-lined fairway is necessary if you want any chance at making par. After a long 194 yard par 3, the 14th is a strong 514 three-shot par 5 that plays uphill the entire way. Tight and tree-lined, the second shot here is completely blind.
At 157 yards, the short 15th was the blandest par 3 on the course, only notable for a metal shed behind the green that acts a backstop for long approaches. The finishing three holes are pretty fantastic tests. At 369 yards, the 16th runs straight uphill to a narrow back-to-front sloped green. A bunker on the right side of this fairway 230 yards out catches many drives including mine. The 17th is a beautiful downhill 500 yard par 5 that plays straightway with houses on both sides of the fairway. A strategically placed bunker just short right of the green makes it so you have to carry your approach shot to the putting surface.. At 403 yards, the intimidating finishing hole is a strong hole unlike the final hole on the front side. Playing uphill and to the left, this hole features a water carry of at least 160 yards to reach a generous tree-lined fairway.
General Comments: There’s some great variety in these holes, and the designer used the natural terrain and elevation changes to make this course extremely aesthetically pleasing. The range wasn’t in amazing shape, but driver was allowed which is a plus. Pace of play was slow, and the course seems like the kind of course that gets a ton of play.
Verdict: This is a fun course with some great holes and views. It’s affordable and in pretty good condition, making it an option for those in the Atlanta area, an area that is saturated with very good golf.
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