10 Best Golf Destinations Within Driving Distance of Atlanta
Atlanta sits in the centre of the strongest drivable golf region in the southeastern United States. Within five hours in any direction, the city connects to coastal Lowcountry courses, Appalachian mountain golf, Alabama's extraordinary value trail, and the Sandhills of North Carolina. The diversity of terrain and design philosophy available within a single tank of gas is remarkable. Atlanta golfers do not need to fly to play great golf. They need to pick a direction and drive.
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Alabama
The Trail comprises eleven complexes across Alabama, with 26 courses designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and his firm. Ross Bridge in Birmingham, the Judge Course at Capitol Hill in Prattville, and the Fighting Joe at Shoals are the standouts, and none of them charge more than $80 for a green fee. The quality-to-price ratio is the most extreme in the country. A three-day RTJ Trail road trip from Atlanta, hitting Birmingham, Prattville, and Montgomery, covers six or more championship-calibre courses at a total green fee outlay that would not cover a single round at some resort destinations.
The RTJ Trail is the best value in American golf, and it starts less than two hours west of Atlanta.
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Hilton Head is a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Atlanta, and the barrier island offers approximately twenty courses with a consistently high quality floor. Harbour Town Golf Links, host of the RBC Heritage, is the anchor. The Palmetto Dunes courses and the Robert Trent Jones layout at Palmetto Hall provide strong secondary rounds. The island's atmosphere, quieter and more refined than most golf destinations, suits couples and small groups who want to balance golf with beach time, cycling, and dining. The Lowcountry setting, with live oaks and marsh views, gives Hilton Head a visual character distinct from any other destination in the region.
Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Kiawah Island is five hours from Atlanta and offers five courses, headlined by the Ocean Course, Pete Dye's Atlantic-front design that hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2021 PGA Championship. The resort's other courses, including Osprey Point and Turtle Point, provide quality rounds at more accessible price points. Kiawah is a more contained destination than Hilton Head, with the resort controlling most of the island's golf and hospitality infrastructure.
The Ocean Course is among the most expensive public-access rounds in the country, and the wind and difficulty make it among the most challenging.
Reynolds Lake Oconee, Greensboro, Georgia
Reynolds is 90 minutes east of Atlanta on the shores of Lake Oconee, and the community offers six courses by designers including Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Bob Cupp, and Rees Jones. The Oconee Course by Rees Jones is the most accessible to non-members through resort stay-and-play packages, and the lakeside setting provides a different character from the coastal or mountain courses elsewhere on this list. Reynolds functions best as a quick overnight trip from Atlanta, with the proximity and the quality of the courses justifying a weekend that does not require a five-hour drive.
Sea Island, St. Simons Island, Georgia
Sea Island is five hours southeast of Atlanta on the Georgia coast, and the resort operates three courses that have hosted the PGA Tour's RSM Classic. The Seaside Course, a Tom Fazio redesign of the original Colt and Alison layout, plays along the Atlantic and the Black Banks River with ocean views and coastal wind. The Plantation Course and the Retreat Course round out the portfolio. Sea Island is a full-service resort in the Kohler or Pinehurst mould, with accommodations, dining, and non-golf activities integrated into the experience. The green fees and resort rates are premium, and the quality matches the price.
Pinehurst, North Carolina
Pinehurst is a five-hour drive from Atlanta, and the destination offers the deepest collection of courses at a single resort in the country. Pinehurst No. 2, the Donald Ross masterpiece restored by Coore and Crenshaw, is the centrepiece, but the resort's nine total courses include strong designs by Tom Fazio (No. 8), Gil Hanse (No. 4), and Rees Jones (No. 7). The village of Pinehurst is small and golf-focused, and the sandy Sandhills soil produces firm, fast playing conditions year-round. For Atlanta golfers willing to commit to the drive, Pinehurst offers the highest concentration of quality golf at a single address.
Savannah and the Georgia Coast
Savannah is four hours from Atlanta and serves as a gateway to several quality courses along the Georgia coast. The Club at Savannah Harbor on Hutchinson Island offers a Sam Snead-influenced resort course with views of the Savannah River and the city skyline. Further south, the courses on Jekyll Island provide public-access golf on a barrier island with historic character. The broader Georgia coast between Savannah and Sea Island is less developed for golf than the South Carolina coast, but the combination of Savannah's dining, architecture, and atmosphere with a few rounds of golf makes for a well-rounded trip.
Brasstown Valley Resort, Young Harris, Georgia
Brasstown Valley is two hours north of Atlanta in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Denis Griffiths course occupies mountain terrain with elevation changes and views that rival any mountain course in the Southeast. The resort is modest in scale, which keeps rates reasonable, and the mountain setting provides welcome relief from Atlanta's summer heat. Brasstown Valley is not a destination that appears on national lists, but for Atlanta golfers seeking a quick mountain golf retreat, it is well positioned and well maintained.
Barnsley Resort, Adairsville, Georgia
Barnsley is an hour north of Atlanta in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains, and the Jim Fazio-designed course provides a quality resort experience within day-trip range of the city. The course uses the rolling terrain and creek-lined valleys of the property, and the resort's broader amenities, including a spa, sporting clays, and a strong food program, make Barnsley a viable overnight trip for couples and small groups. The proximity to Atlanta is the primary advantage. The quality of the golf and the resort experience make the trip worthwhile.
Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Georgia
Callaway Gardens is 90 minutes southwest of Atlanta, and the resort's Mountain View Course, designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee, has been a fixture of Georgia golf for decades. The course is well-maintained and plays through the pine and hardwood forests of the Pine Mountain ridge. Callaway's broader resort, with its gardens, lake activities, and family programming, makes it a natural destination for mixed-interest groups. The golf is solid rather than spectacular, but the convenience and the complete resort package make Callaway a reliable option for Atlanta golfers seeking a quick weekend trip.
The Atlanta Advantage
The geographic position of Atlanta creates a rare situation: a major American city with quality golf destinations in every direction, spanning coastal, mountain, lakeside, and plains terrain. No other major Southern city offers this range within a five-hour driving radius. The practical approach is to treat the region as a circuit, cycling through the RTJ Trail for value, Hilton Head and Kiawah for coastal golf, Reynolds and Sea Island for resort quality, and the North Georgia mountains for summer relief. An Atlanta golfer who drives to a different destination each month from March through November will not run out of quality courses or run out of new terrain.