In the picturesque, Mayberry-like town of Pine Mountain, Georgia, Callaway Gardens offers a celebrated golf experience set within a 13,000‑acre, year‑round resort, residential community and nature preserve.
Callaway Gardens combines championship golf with genuine Southern hospitality amid botanical gardens and abundant wildlife. The resort feels rooted in local tradition—where magnolia blooms and muscadine jelly are as much a part of the setting as the immaculate fairways.
The resort began as the vision of Cason J. Callaway, a former textile entrepreneur, and his wife, Virginia Hand Callaway. From former cotton fields they developed a nonprofit, family‑oriented golf and tennis retreat. Today, thousands of guests visit each year to enjoy fresh air, observe wildlife and unwind in a carefully preserved natural setting.
From Atlanta’s airport the drive to Callaway Gardens is roughly an hour southwest. Exiting the urban congestion, the route takes you through the southern foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, with lush, green scenery even in the height of summer.
Finding the resort accommodations can be a bit tricky and cell service is sometimes limited, but arrival is rewarded by warm southern greetings and helpful staff who direct visitors to their lodging.
Accommodations include one‑ and two‑bedroom Southern Pine cottages with living and dining areas, kitchens, fireplaces, screened porches and decks. Located about five minutes from the golf courses, these cottages offer generous space for clubs and a comfortable place to relax after a round. Other options on site include the Mountain Creek Inn and more upscale one‑ to four‑bedroom Mountain Creek villas.
A rental car is recommended to explore the property’s thousands of acres. Many guests begin at the Virginia Hand Callaway Discovery Center, which provides event information and houses the Discovery Café—one of eight dining choices at the resort.
Beyond golf, Callaway Gardens offers a wide range of outdoor activities: water skiing, tennis, skeet shooting, fly fishing, biking, hiking and aerial challenges. The TreeTop Adventure features zip lines, swinging bridges and suspended logs. The resort also hosts birds of prey demonstrations, a horticultural center and a butterfly house.
For golfers, the primary attraction is the two distinct 18‑hole courses, both recognized among the nation’s top courses by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine. A session at the Twin Oaks practice facility is a good way to warm up before playing.
Mountain View is a 7,057‑yard, tree‑lined layout designed by Dick Wilson and formerly the venue for the PGA Tour’s Buick Challenge. Its length and strategic design favor more experienced players. During the Buick Challenge era, the 539‑yard 15th hole—with water threatening from tee to green—was considered one of the most challenging par 5s in tournament play.
Lake View is the Gardens’ original course, opened in 1951, and offers a classic golf experience: straightforward in appearance but demanding enough to keep you focused. The original nine‑hole design came from a collaboration between Dick Wilson, J.B. McGovern and Cason Callaway.
Cason Callaway summed up his design philosophy: “I don’t like to halfway lose a golf ball. I want to find it instantly or know it’s gone forever. If a golfer looks up from his/her shot, I want them to be looking at something beautiful.” The result is a course framed by azaleas, dogwoods and rhododendrons, with broad fairways and scenic views.
In 1962 Dick Wilson and Joe Lee added nine holes (now Lake View’s front nine) to create an 18‑hole course that appeals to golfers of varying abilities. Its shorter length often lets big hitters leave the driver in the bag, but the course is no casual walk. Joe Lee introduced tricky, often elevated and tiered greens that require thoughtful approaches: bump‑and‑run plays can work, but many shots must fall and softly roll onto the greens to hold.
Lake View was renovated in 2002 and remains a satisfying, repeatable golfing experience. Water hazards affect nine of the 18 holes on this 6,051‑yard, par‑70 layout. When your game is on, enjoy the shimmering lake views; when it isn’t, a fishing pole might be a useful backup.
Hole 1 (338 yards, par 4)
This opening hole looks simple but requires discipline. Aim down the center to avoid tree‑lined trouble. A precise second shot over bunkers that guard the green is often required.
Hole 3 (337 yards, par 4)
Short fairways lull you into a comfort zone until you face deep bunkers protecting the green. Options include a controlled back‑spin approach, laying up short or attempting a side‑angle shot to bounce onto the surface—each carries its risk.
Hole 7 (346 yards, par 4)
The first hole to feature water presents wide views but a challenging carry. After crossing the hazard, the green sits tucked among trees on the right and requires a straight, confident approach.
Hole 9 (526 yards, par 5)
One of the course’s two par 5s, this hole runs beside thick scrub and trees where wildlife may roam. Strategic tee shots and careful recovery from errant bounces are often necessary, while a slow green can make putting more difficult than expected.
Hole 10 (163 yards, par 3)
Lake View’s signature hole, it’s both intimidating and beautiful. Tee shots come from an island position and require at least a 130‑yard carry over Mountain Creek Lake. Three large bunkers protect the green; the serpentine bridge and lake view reward a moment of admiration before you play the shot.
Hole 11 (384 yards, par 4)
This hole runs alongside the lake with trees and brush on the left. Two pines on the right create a narrow corridor into the green. A fronting bunker and a raised green demand a well‑carried approach.
Hole 17 (376 yards, par 4)
Although the fairway is generous, the dogleg left and a creek along the right require strategic placement off the tee. The shallow, bunker‑guarded green makes a precise short‑ to mid‑iron approach essential.
Hole 18 (365 yards, par 4)
The finishing hole doglegs right around Wren Lake. The oversized green extends toward the pond, creating a dramatic and scenic closing stretch.
Lake View Golf Course
Callaway Gardens
Intersection of Georgia highways 18 and 354
Pine Mountain, GA 31822
tel 800 225 5292
www.callawaygardens.com