An interesting battle is being waged for the No. 2 position in the Georgia state ranking (we don't anticipate Augusta National being moved off the top spot anytime soon). Just four years ago, Ohoopee Match Club, a 2018 Gil Hanse/Jim Wagner design in the scrubby south-central part of the state, didn't have enough ballots to qualify for the America's 100 Greatest Courses ranking (it now does, and is listed at No. 36). It did, however, have enough to qualify for Best in State, and its scores placed it second, ahead of perennial runner-up Peachtree Golf Club, the great Robert Trent Jones/Bobby Jones collaboration in Atlanta. Then, Peachtree turned the table and scored higher, earned back the second spot in 2023 and held onto that place again this year and in fact extended its lead to over a point.

Change has come elsewhere, too. As is true across the country, Georgia has been a hotspot for renovation. Nine of the top 20 courses have executed or are in the midst of remodels, and two will go under the knife soon: Capital City’s Crabapple Course by Tom Fazio this summer; and the Atlanta Athletic Club’s Highlands Course, ranked No. 162 nationally and host of past U.S. Opens and PGA Championships, in 2028 by Andrew Green. Green made the biggest noise this year following his major remodel of East Lake that produce a jump of 44 places from No. 150 to No. 106. Times are good for private clubs.

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