East Lake Golf Club

Detailed description of East Lake Golf Club

East Lake Golf Club, is a Private, 18 hole golf course located in Atlanta, Georgia.

Opened for play in 1906, East Lake is the oldest golf course in Atlanta. Tom Bendelow was the original architect. In 1913 the course was completely reworked by the classicist Donald Ross, whose layout survives as the basic design today.

In 1898 the Atlanta Athletic Club (AAC) was formed. It was a popular club located in downtown Atlanta. Football Coach John Heisman (think Heisman Trophy) was the ACC's athletic program director. In 1904 the AAC bought property about 5 miles east of Atlanta on which to build a country club and golf course. Tom Bendelow designed the original course. The course opened with seven holes in 1906. A full 18 hole course was finished the following year.

In 1913, famous golf course architect Donald Ross completely redesigned the course. He was called in by members to make the course a championship course.

In 1966 the AAC sold the course, in large part due to the deterioration of the surrounding neighborhood. The ACC moved it to its present home in what is now Johns Creek, Georgia. The ACC purchased 800 acres from a club member at the cost of $800 per acre.

In 1968, East Lake Country Club was formed. A group of members purchased the clubhouse and course and started operating the East Lake Country Club.

In 1994, famous architect Rees Jones restored Donald Ross' original golf course layout and that is the East LakeCourse today.

East Lake Golf Club is the home course of legendary golfer Bobby Jones. This is the course on which he learned the game. The Club is not only historic but philanthropic as well. Proceeds from operations - more than $20 million to date - support the East Lake Foundation, which has helped transform one of the nation's worst public housing projects into a thriving community.

East Lake's signature hole is the 168-yard, par-3 sixth plays from an elevated tee to a diagonally angled peninsula green. This particular green complex existed on the original Tom Bendelow course, where it served as the green at the par-5 16th and was one of the first island greens in America.

Par for the course is 72. From the back tees, the course plays to 7,196 yards. From the forward tees, the course measures 6,278 yards. The longest hole on the course is # 9, a par-5 that plays to 584 yards. The shortest hole on the course is East Lake's signature hole is the 168-yard, par-3 sixth hole.

Watch out for # 4, a 440 yard par-4 challenge and the #1 handicap hole on the course. The easiest hole is # 11, a 193 yard par-3.

East Lake Golf Club is the home of the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, the culminating event of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedEx Cup.