Living the good life
With nine world-class golf courses, some of the best boating, fishing, and hunting in the southeast, as well as camping, skiing, riding, shooting, antiquing, fine dining and luxury accomodations, and easy access to shopping and the arts, is it any wonder the Lake Oconee area is fast becoming one of the top vacation and relocation destinations in the country?
If you're new to the area, The Lake Welcome Center at 5820 Lake Oconee Parkway (Map), is your first stop for information about the Lake Oconee area, including attractions, current events, activities, lodging, restaurants, shopping, schools, churches, sports, libraries, and clubs and organizations. Offering newspapers, maps, and coffee, they're open 7 days a week to answer any questions you might have about the area. They can be reached by phone at 706-453-1630.
Golfing
When most people think of Lake Oconee, they think golf. And why not, with nine exceptional golf courses in the area. Rolling terrain, elevation changes, streams, mature trees, and proximity to lake water make each one a unique experience for the golfing enthusiast. Chief among the private courses are those of the Reynolds Plantation managed communities, which feature 99 holes of championship golf on five different courses, available exclusively to members and guests of The Ritz-Carlton Lodge and Reynolds Plantation.
The first course built at Reynolds Plantation was the Plantation Course, designed by Bob Cupp with the insight of U.S. Open Champions Fuzzy Zoeller and Hubert Green. Long a favorite of Reynolds members and visiting guests, the course was named “Best New Resort Course” by Golf Digest when it debuted in 1988. The Plantation clubhouse was renovated in 2002.
Great Waters features nine holes on Lake Oconee with incredible views. Former home to the Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf, this Jack Nicklaus signature course is a fixture on all of the major publications’ “Best Courses” lists. Most recently, the 2005 Zagat Guide to America’s Best Golf Courses rated Great Waters as one the 20 best courses in the country, and upscale newsletter Golf Odyssey rates Great Waters' back nine as the “Best nine holes in the Southeast”.
The National is a 27-hole masterpiece that makes great use of the rolling terrain, hardwood forests, and water views of the Oconee River Valley. Tom Fazio sculpted the three distinct nines through the natural terrain, making use of streams, ponds, and the lake to create a course named by Golfweek as one of America’s “Top Real Estate Courses”.
The Oconee course, designed by Rees Jones, makes use of great lakefront topography for its championship greens. Five sets of tees allow players to take on as much of that challenge as they desire. With a caddie service and the adjacent Reynolds Golf Academy, the Oconee provides a great golf experience. The new course has been showered with awards, including the #5 ranking in GOLF FOR WOMEN Magazine’s “50 Best Courses For Women” and “10 Best New Upscale Courses” in Golf Digest.
The Reynolds Landing Course boasts 18 championship holes, also designed by Bob Cupp. This legendary course offers naturally wooded terrain with rolling hills and lush fairways. Golfweek and the Atlanta Journal have ranked this course “Best in State.”
A new course, designed by Jim Engh, recently honored by Golf Digest as its first-ever Architect of the Year, is scheduled to open in 2007.
In addition to the Reynolds courses, Cuscowilla offers the highly-acclaimed Coore/Crenshaw designed course, winding through meadows, pine forests, and the shoreline of Lake Oconee. This course has Blue Tee rating of 72.2 and a slope of 132. Selected as one of America’s Best Courses by Golfweek Magazine (March 2001).
The Harbor Club Golf Course was the first design for award-winning architects Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish built east of the Mississippi. It has been selected as one of the Southeast’s 50 most distinctive development courses and one of Georgia’s fifteen best courses by Golf Digest. The Blue Tee stroke rating is 71.3 and the slope rating is 131.
There are four public courses in the area as well. The Uncle Remus Golf Club, located in Eatonton, offers a nine-hole course with driving range and clubhouse. The Blue Tee rating is 71.6 and the slope rating is 125.
The Creek at Hard Labor is one of the State of Georgia's public courses and offers golfers a natural course design without houses or human encroachments. Deer and wildlife abound in this course, which is situated in the largest state park in Georgia, providing a pleasingly difficult round.
Little Fishing Creek, the 18-hole course at the Little Fishing Creek Golf Course facility in Milledgeville features 6,700 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72. The course rating is 72.1 with a slope rating of 127 on Bermuda grass. Designed by Gary Player, this course opened in 1981.
The Greene County Country Club, a 9-hole, par 72 course in Greene county, offers 3276 yards of golf for those interested in a smaller course.
A Sportsman's Paradise
The Georgia Lake Country is about more than just water. The Oconee National Forest stretches across 115,000 acres of the area. As the only National Forest within the Georgia Piedmont, it provides unlimited opportunities for recreation and wildlife, including campgrounds, boat launches, horse and all-terrain trails, picnic areas, and wildlife viewing areas. For additional information on all of the Georgia Lake Country's outdoor activities, visit Discover Georgia Outdoors.
Fishing
Of course, when most people think of Lake Oconee, they think fishing, with largemouth bass being the prime catch, but the lake is also home to redeye, shoal, smallmouth, spotted, Suwanee, striped, white, and hybrid striped bass, as well as channel and flathead catfish, sunfish, bream, and crappie. Daily catch limit on the lake is 50 fish total, but individual breed limits vary. For more information on fishing limits, boating regulations, and area marinas, visit the Georgia's Lake Country website.
For in-depth Lake Oconee fishing reports, including advice on what's biting where and which lures/bait to use, check out Georgia Outdoor News. Another area fishing site, Have Fun Fishing, offers daily fishing and weather reports, as well as other useful information for interested anglers.
And for those fisherman who either don't own a boat or are from out of the area, Todd Lowe at Lake Oconee Guide Service specializes in largemouth bass trips for the entire family, corporate meetings, or a day out with friends. Let a pro show you how to land the big one. Phone 706-453-1956.
Hunting, Shooting, and Archery
The Lake Oconee Shooting Club, located on Sparta Highway just outside Eatonton, is situated on 188 acres and offers 5 skeet and trap fields, including an international skeet field, a two-story covered five stand, a 12-station sporting clays, outdoor archery practice range, 3D 20 station archery course, and a 6300 square-foot club house with Pro Shop, banquet room, and private meeting room. For information, Contact Brandi Cooper at 706-485-4557.
The following websites offer a wealth of information on Georgia hunting season dates and regulations, as well as other outdoor sports and activities:
Georgia Wildlife
Georgia Outdoors
Big Game Hunt.net
Camping
There are several camp sites in the Georgia Lake Country. Located on 5,804 acres near Madison, Hard Labor Creek State Park offers 63 tent/RV campsites, 12 equestrain campsites, 20 cottages with cable TV, pioneer group campground, 24-hour park attendant, 18-hole Creek Golf Course, 30 horse stalls, riding ring, boat ramp, nature trails, boat rentals, group and individual picnic shelters, fishing, and swimming beach with bathhouse.
Georgia Power operates three 85-acre parks on Lake Oconee with full-service campgrounds as well as day-use areas; Lawrence Shoals (706-485-5494), Old Salem (706-467-2850), and Park's Ferry (706-453-4308). Each has a large picnic pavilion that may be reserved for groups of 30 or more, as well as equipped playgrounds, boat ramps, and a beach with a beach house, bathrooms, and dressing areas.
Equestrian
Southern Cross Guest Ranch is a premier, year-round, full-featured guest ranch, horse farm, and bed & breakfast, offering riding and accomodation packages for everyone from the beginner to the experienced horse lover. Located outside Madison, Georgia, it is convenient to I-20 and the Lake Oconee area. Phone 706-342-8027
There are several boarding and riding stables in the area, including the Harbor Club Equestrian Center (706-453-1122), Lake Oconee Equestrian Center (706-485-8720), Furlong Farms (706-342-7044), and Four Seasons Farm (706-342-7577).
Pets
The Lake Oconee area is now home to an 11,000 square foot, state-of-the-art pet care facility, the Harmony Pet Resort in the Village at Harmony Crossing. The facility offers luxurious long-term accomodations, day care, pet pampering, grooming salon and day spa, pet boutique, and top-notch veterinarian care (including 24-hour emergency care) at Harmony Crossing Animal Hospital next door. Among the amenities are elevated bedding, all-natural treats, group play, dog bone-shaped pool, tree climbing time for cats, and holiday meals.
Shopping
If you prefer your hunting and tracking to be more of the consumer variety, the Antiques Trail of Georgia winds through the Georgia Lake Country, with shops in Madison, Greensboro, and Eatonton. Among some of the highlights are Madison's downtown Saffold House, Madison Markets, Antiques on the Square, Attic Treasures, and The Antique Galley on Main Street. Greensboro offers the Greensboro Antique Mall, Dreamcatchers Antiques, as well as several other small shops in the downtown area. In the immediate Lake Oconee area, there's Magnolia Antiques & Consigns For Designs, and in downtown Eatonton, the newly-opened Eatonton Market is located at 109 N. Jefferson Avenue near the Courthouse. Further information on Georgia antiquing can be found at Georgia Antiques Online.
If your taste runs to newer items with a personalized flair, there are several gift and specialty boutique-type shops in the area, including Fiddlestix and Willow Tree in Eatonton, and at Lake Oconee Mandevilla, East River Arts Incorporated, Fishtales, Sweet Treats Emporium, and A Fish Called Pheobe are sure to offer a unique shopping experience.
Medical Facilities
There are several area hospitals and medical complexes serving the Lake Oconee area. Putnam General Hospital in Eatonton, Morgan Memorial Hospital in Madison, and Minnie G. Boswell Memorial Hospital in Greensboro offer 24-hour emergency and routine care. Less than an hour's drive away in Athens, Athens Regional Medical Center and St. Mary's Hospital offer full-service, state-of-the-art care. St. Mary's Hospital is also Georgia's leading medical facility for stroke patients.
The Cowles Clinic complex, located on Linger Longer Road near the entrance to Reynolds Plantation, offers a complete healthcare system staffed with leading physicians and clinicians in 23 specialties, including:
Georgia Center for Total Cancer Care
The Atlanta Cardiology Group
Cowles Clinic Internal Medicine
The Athens Neurological Associates and Sleephealth Clinic
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Southeastern Pain Specialists
Cowles Clinic Pediatrics
Advance Rehabilitation Physical Therapy
Village Podiatry Group
Southeast Retina Center
Precision Sports Inc.
Cowles Clinic Center for Urology
The Vascular Institute of Georgia
Cowles Clinic Imaging Center
Cowles Clinic Laboratory Services
and coming soon Dermatology and Ophthalmology
Culture and the Arts
Area arts organizations sponsor a number of activities for local artists and writers, as well as scheduling and sponsoring area concerts and events. They include the Eatonton-Putnam Arts Foundation, the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center, and the Greensboro Arts Alliance (706-467-3325).
There are several venues to view and/or purchase art by local and national artists. Genuine Georgia at 101 N. Main Street in Greensboro offers venues for display and sale of Georgia artists. Other area galleries include The Magnolia Art Gallery on Market Street at Lake Oconee, the Madison Museum of Fine Art at 290 Hancock Street in Madison, and the newly-opened Saville Art Gallery at 122 W. Marion Street in Eatonton.
The Linger Longer Living cultural lifestyle series offers opportunities for residents to broaden their cultural perspective at Reynolds Plantation with classes in free-form water color painting and discussions about art, books or theology. Interested parties can enjoy an evening of performance or take a daylong jaunt to an art museum. Classes begin monthly, and the portfolio of exhibits, artists, and performances vary. Contact the Member Concierge at 706-467-1111 for more information, or email Marie Garrison.