CARTERSVILLE COUNTRY CLUB (Private)
1310 Joe Frank Harris Parkway, Cartersville; 770-382-1611
STAFF: Scott Hamilton is the Golf Professional; Bryan Miller is the Superintendent.
PAR/YARDAGE: Cartersville Country Club is a par 72 with five sets of tees – Black (6,904 yards); Blue (6,572); White (6,223); Gold (5,370) and White (5,052).
COURSE RATING.SLOPE: 73.2/137 (Black); 71.2/132 (Blue); 70.0/123 (White); 66.2/117 (Gold); 70.5/120 (Red).
ABOUT THE COURSE: One of the best low-key private clubs on the fringes of metro Atlanta, but one that is not especially well known outside its immediate area. The club opened with nine holes in the mid-1950s, added another nine 17 years later and was renovated in 2001, with the most prominent changes a number of back tees that lengthened the course a good bit. Even with the added length, Cartersville Country Club remains a comfortable layout, and one that its members can thoroughly enjoy after repeated rounds. The course includes a diverse group of holes in terms of difficulty and strategic approach, with some wonderful old-style holes that you simply no longer see on modern layouts. The interesting nature of the design begins on the first tee shot, which must negotiate a large tree at the corner of the dogleg left, with big hitters able to fly it and others having to work their around it. A few sharp doglegs that turn in both directions require some precision, but it is a relatively forgiving course off the tee for the most part, with some tree-lined exceptions along with a hazard or two.
Although there are no individual holes that have serious length, the only truly short hole is the par-4 10th, one of the more entertaining examples of the value of a two-shot hole that barely exceeds 300 yards. There are multiple options to play the hole, with features an elevated tee and a small, angled green hidden behind trees, sand and a creek. Position the ball properly and you’re thinking birdie. Miss it in the wrong place and a crooked number enters the picture. The 10th is one of a number of holes affording scoring opportunities, with mostly gentle but subtle greens complexes rewarding quality shots. After a mostly straightforward opening nine, the inward half has a little more flair, with several hazards in play along with a fairly lengthy par 3 though a very narrow chute of trees that will knock down anything not hit extremely straight. All in all, a splendid traditional style course with a relaxing pastoral feel and just the right amount of challenge.