The hardest golf courses in Athens, Georgia
The hardest 18-hole golf courses within about 25 miles of Athens, Georgia, ranked by USGA slope rating from each course's longest men's tees, with course rating as the tiebreaker. 7 courses have complete, verified tee data.
Also covers Bishop, Statham, Watkinsville, Rutledge and Commerce.
Jennings Mill Country Club
Watkinsville, GA, USASlope rating 141, 74.3 course rating, Black tees, 7,004 yds
PrivateBob Cupp
- 3.5Conditions
- 4.0Layout
- 3.5Scenery
- 2.8Facilities
- Driving range
- Restaurant
- Bar
University of Georgia Golf Course
Athens, GA, USASlope rating 139, 75.1 course rating, Bulldog tees, 7,258 yds
PublicRobert Trent Jones Sr.
- 4.2Conditions
- 4.0Layout
- 4.3Value
- 3.4Scenery
- 3.3Facilities
Good deal for students, gets a ton of play so conditions are generally less than optimal. Solid straightforward layout.
Written by
@TjHicks
- Challenging
- Driving range
- Fast greens
Lane Creek Golf Club
Bishop, GA, USASlope rating 134, 72.6 course rating, Gold tees, 6,653 yds
PublicMike Young
- 3.3Conditions
- 3.3Layout
- 4.3Value
- 3.2Scenery
- 3.0Facilities
- Driving range
- Friendly
- Challenging
Red/Black
The Georgia Club
Statham, GA, USASlope rating 130, 74.6 course rating, Black tees, 7,283 yds
PublicDenis Griffiths
- 4.0Conditions
- 4.0Layout
- 4.5Value
- 3.5Scenery
- 4.5Facilities
- Driving range
- Must play
- Hidden gem
The Creek at Hard Labor Creek State Park
Rutledge, GA, USASlope rating 129, 71.4 course rating, Blue tees, 6,612 yds
PublicDenis Griffiths
- 3.0Conditions
- 3.5Layout
- 2.8Value
- 2.5Scenery
- 2.5Facilities
- Strategic
- Underrated
- Tourist trap
Double Oaks Golf Club
Commerce, GA, USA
Slope rating 128, 72.4 course rating, Gold tees, 6,823 yds
The Chimneys Golf Course
Winder, GA, USA
Slope rating 127, 71.4 course rating, Gold tees, 6,500 yds
How we rank
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Athens, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
FAQ
Jennings Mill Country Club is #1 on Course Vaults in and around Athens, Georgia at Slope 141 (74.3 course rating · Black tees · 7,004 yds). 7 courses qualify for this list.
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Athens, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
Slope rating is the USGA measure of how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer, from 55 to 155 (113 is average). Course rating is the expected score for a scratch golfer from the same tees.
Yes. It includes qualifying courses within about 25 miles of Athens, not only courses whose address is in the city.
This page was last generated Nov 12, 2026, 3:39 AM EST. Scores and eligibility are recomputed about every hour.
