Atlanta Country Club in Georgia has reopened its golf course following a renovation by Beau Welling Design. The Willard Byrd layout first opened in 1956 and went on to host the inaugural Players Championship in 1974 and the Atlanta Classic on the PGA Tour between 1967 and 1996. While most of Welling’s work has been executed in honour of Byrd’s original design, the par-three third and par-five eleventh were substantially redesigned. On the third, tees were expanded by 40 per cent and shifted to the left, with the green and greenside bunkers altered slightly. At the eleventh, the fairway was lowered by an average of eight feet and the green was lowered by 25 feet to bring the pond right of the green more into play. A front greenside bunker was removed, and the green was reshaped to slope front-to-back. Changes have also been made to “recalibrate the bunkering strategy”, with hazards now also featuring liner from Bunker Solution. “For many years, Byrd’s design challenged the game’s greats as a prominent venue for championship golf,” said Welling. “With this renovation, Atlanta Country Club will no doubt continue to be a true test for the elite player, but I’m even more excited about what this will do for the membership and their guests who will enjoy the elevated playability and sense of community that we hope to inspire with all our designs.” Photo: PGA Tour Welling focuses on playability at Atlanta CC Photo: Nick Kelley, courtesy of Rodeo Dunes Photo: DMK Golf Design 19
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