1003 Towne Lake Hills East, Woodstock; 770-592-9969; townelakehillsgc.com
STAFF: Paul Carey is the PGA Golf Professional; Chris Carlisle is the PGA Instructor.
PAR/YARDAGE: Towne Lake Hills is a par 72 with four sets of tees: Gold (6,784 yards); Blue (6,291); White (5,806) and Red (4,984).
COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 73.2/140 (Gold); 70.9/135 (Blue); 68.7/130 (White); 69.1/123 (Red).
ABOUT THE COURSE: One of metro Atlanta’s favorite daily fee facilities since it opened in the mid-1990s, Towne Lake Hills offers a quality, well-conditioned layout that nicely meshes challenge and playability. The challenge begins with its relative tightness off the tee, with the course featuring some relatively rugged terrain, a modest number of hazards and plenty of large, undulating greens that will give your putting touch a workout. With an exception or two, length is not a serious concern, although it is a definite asset on a few of the par 4s. Holes 3, 6, 13 and 16 are the strongest of a diverse group of 4s, with all but the 16th featuring demanding tee shots that are not especially accommodating to those who hit it left to right. The 3rd is the lone member of the group without a potentially perilous approach shot, with designers Arthur Hills and Mike Dasher making deft use of the terrain to enhance the challenge, as well as the visual appeal. Towne Lake Hills also sports one of the more interesting short par 4s around, with the 11th requiring a precise lay-up to avoid a wetlands area left, OB right and a row of bunkers through the fairway at the corner of the sharp dogleg left. Apart from the fairly lengthy 12th, the par 3s are on the short side and mostly unthreatening, although the hill that obscures the green on the 7th adds a little uncertainty. The par 5s include a mostly inviting trio before concluding your round with one of the more infamous holes in the metro area. The downhill 2nd, which features a huge, triple tier green fronted by a pond, is one of the most entertaining risk/reward holes around, with the short 5th well within reach in two for those who can capitalize on its downhill nature. The 18th, on the other hand, has trouble everywhere, starting with a tight tee shot and concluding with a significantly uphill third with little margin for error to a tough to hit target.