Taking advantage of the natural contours of the land, acclaimed golf course architect Jim Fazio succeeded in crafting a 7,513-yard championship masterpiece that plays even better than it looks. The Currahee Club golf course is playable for all skill levels, with at least five tee boxes on every hole. Boasting astonishing 360-degree panoramic and multi-state views of Lake Hartwell and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains, the world class course features rolling fairways, dramatic elevation changes and generous sloping greens.
Located in the foothills of the Appalchian mountains, Currahee offers one breathtaking view after another from its stunning JimFazio design. Although not as well known as his brother Tom, Jim is more of an architectural artist that his brother, and he has painted a picture at Currahee that is a must see for anyone with a great appreciation for the visual appeal a skilled golf course designer can create when presented with such a splendid canvas.
The awe-inducing views begin on the first hole, with Lake Hartwell visible in the background from the elevated tee, which is perched 165 feet above the fairway.
But the sheer beauty of the hole, and the 17 that follow it, is balanced by the challenge Fazio’s layout poses. With a sizeable number of hazards in play, tree lines and native grasses off the fairways and large, undulating greens well-protected by bunkers, Currahee will put every aspect of your game to the test.
Then there’s the rolling nature of the terrain, which will produce some slightly uneven lies from the fairway and leave you with sharply uphill pitch shots if you miss to the low side on one of several greens perched at the top of a hill.
The course rating and slope numbers attest to Currahee’s challenge. The course can play as long as 7,500 yards, with the Currahee tees around 7,200 and rated at 75.2/148. The Member tees are a playable 6,665 (73.0/140), with the Alternate tees a nice fit at around 6,050 and rated at 70.1/134. The forward tees are a stout test at 72.3/135, measuring 5,325 yards.
Because of the amount of trouble in play and the challenge posed by the changes in elevation, tee selection is vital. Spratlin relates that some people who have tried to bite off more of Currahee than they could chew have gotten a little indigestion.
“If you play the proper set of tees, nobody doesn’t like it,” he said. “We have at least five sets of tees on every hole.”
If you play the proper set of tees, Currahee is not especially long, with the exception of a hole or two. The long par-4 seventh is the most demanding hole on the course, playing 431 from the member tees and 397 from the next set with the second shot all carry over water. There is a strip of fairway that serves as a lay-up area, but you still have to deal with the water to reach it.
Currahee also features an impressive 48,000 square foot clubhouse, which was painstakingly furnished by the original owners, who did not scrimp on the details and left the new owners with a first class product they can proudly display to prospective members.
For more information read this month’s FORE Georgia or go to www.curraheeclub.com/golf To book a tee time call 706.827.1800