7000 Holiday Road, Lake Lanier Islands; www.lakelanierislands.com
STAFF: Brian Conley is the PGA Director of Golf; Ryan Keylon is the Superintendent
PAR/YARDAGE: Legacy on Lanier is a par 72 with four sets of tees: Black (6,580 yards); Blue (6,193); White (5,706) and Red (4,852).
COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 72.7/141 (Black); 71.0/137 (Blue); 68.8/130 (White); 69.7/128 (Red)
ABOUT THE COURSE: The course has changed names twice and undergone a renovation a few years ago, but retains its most obvious asset – the body of water that is part of the name. Lake Lanier is a visual presence and playing factor throughout the round, with only seven holes not impacted by the lake, the new par-3 10th among them. Don’t be deceived by the overall absence of length. The surprisingly stout slope numbers are a more accurate reflection of the challenge the layout presents, with a sizeable number of shots that have to negotiate the course’s scenic but sometimes intimidating
hazard. Legacy on Lanier is a relatively demanding course off the tee, with some narrow tree lines a factor along with the occasional presence of the lake. Several holes require forced carries over water, beginning with the perplexing third that will tempt big hitters and intimidate short knockers. The renovation added a decent amount of yardage to the course, but length is a serious factor on only a handful of holes. Holes 6 and 11 are now fairly lengthy par 5s, with accuracy still very much a factor from tee to green, as is the case on the inviting but dangerous opening hole, the first of the three par 5s that offer both scoring opportunities and plenty of trouble. There are a number of par 4s that present chances to hit short iron approaches, but on a few of them you may not get that chance of your tee shot is not well struck and well placed. The 12th hole, a similar but more benign version of the 3rd, begins a stretch of holes where the lake will swallow miss-hits or shots that drift a little too far right, with the long and perilous par-4 14th ranking with the most demanding holes you’ll encounter. The conditions are excellent, the views are picturesque and the entertainment value is extremely high, but your scorecard may not produce numbers to match the otherwise splendid experience.