The hardest golf courses in Augusta, Georgia
The hardest 18-hole golf courses within about 25 miles of Augusta, Georgia, ranked by USGA slope rating from each course's longest men's tees, with course rating as the tiebreaker. 14 courses have complete, verified tee data.
Also covers Evans and Keysville.
Vintage/Independent
Mount Vintage Plantation & Golf Club
North Augusta, SC, USASlope rating 152, 75.6 course rating, Black tees, 7,224 yds
PublicTom Jackson
- 4.5Conditions
- 4.0Layout
- 4.0Value
- 5.0Scenery
- 4.5Facilities
- Challenging
- Driving range
- Fast greens
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta, GA, USASlope rating 148, 76.2 course rating, Masters tees, 7,545 yds
PrivateBobby Jones & Alister Mackenzie
- 5.0Conditions
- 4.6Layout
- 4.1Scenery
- 4.6Facilities
Augusta National is a very challenging experience for me. Everywhere I turn is a reminder of a moment in golf history. It’s sensory overload and it’s very distracting. The greens are mesmerizing and I could spend hours on each one.
Written by
@Gdub201
- Pristine
- Must play
- Caddies
Palmetto Golf Club
Aiken, SC, USASlope rating 143, 73.7 course rating, Tournament tees, 6,695 yds
PrivateAlister Mackenzie
- 5.0Conditions
- 4.6Layout
- 4.1Scenery
- 4.2Facilities
True old-school golf club with no frills, full of McKenzie trademarks, super charming, historic, and lowkey atmosphere. Not over-manicured around the edges, but conditions tee to green are excellent - they focus on the important stuff. Green complexes are brilliant and fun.
Written by
@isaac
- Challenging
- Must play
- Pristine
Sage Valley Golf Club
Graniteville, SC, USASlope rating 142, 76.3 course rating, Back tees, 7,344 yds
PrivateTom Fazio
- 5.0Conditions
- 4.6Layout
- 4.6Scenery
- 4.3Facilities
Always in perfect condition. Routing leaves something to be desired but overall very playable and enjoyable. The whole experience is what makes it so good. Amazing food, drinks, locker rooms, etc
Written by
@SEGolfer
- Pristine
- Caddies
- Must play
Bluff/Island
Champions Retreat Golf Club
Evans, GA, USASlope rating 142, 75.5 course rating, Championship tees, 7,218 yds
PrivateJack Nicklaus & Arnold Palmer
- 4.0Conditions
- 4.3Layout
- 4.7Scenery
- 3.8Facilities
Champions Retreat (Island/Bluff 9) is a sneaky good golf course. Always in excellent condition, with fast greens that make you think. I also love the atmosphere around the clubhouse, where all the buildings sit close together and create a little village feel.
Written by
@jensencastle
- Driving range
- Pristine
- Hidden gem
West Lake Country Club
Augusta, GA, USA
Slope rating 140, 73.7 course rating, Blue tees, 6,857 yds
Bartram Trail Golf Club
Evans, GA, USA
Slope rating 138, 71.9 course rating, Black tees, 6,706 yds
Forest Hills Golf Club
Augusta, GA, USA
Slope rating 137, 74.2 course rating, Black tees, 7,084 yds
Augusta Country Club
Augusta, GA, USA
Slope rating 131, 73.0 course rating, Gold tees, 6,947 yds
The River Golf Club
North Augusta, SC, USA
Slope rating 129, 73.1 course rating, Black tees, 6,847 yds
Midland Valley Country Club
Graniteville, SC, USA
Slope rating 127, 72.1 course rating, Blue tees, 6,849 yds
Applewood Golf Course
Keysville, GA, USA
Slope rating 124, 71.5 course rating, Blue tees, 6,935 yds
Aiken Golf Club
Aiken, SC, USA
Slope rating 121, 67.9 course rating, Blue tees, 6,048 yds
Augusta Municipal Golf Club
Augusta, GA, USA
Slope rating 116, 68.1 course rating, Blue tees, 5,987 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 Augusta, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
FAQ
Vintage/Independent at Mount Vintage Plantation & Golf Club is #1 on Course Vaults in and around Augusta, Georgia at Slope 152 (75.6 course rating · Black tees · 7,224 yds). 14 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 Augusta, 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 Augusta, not only courses whose address is in the city.
This page was last generated Nov 12, 2026, 3:38 AM EST. Scores and eligibility are recomputed about every hour.
