OCONEE COURSE AT REYNOLDS PLANTATION

Course Architect: Rees Jones (Greg Muirhead, co-designer)
Year Opened: 2002
Location: Greensboro, Georgia
Slope: 143. Rating: 75.5
Par: 72
Yardage: 7,393
Hole-by-Hole: 1 - Par 5 579 Yds    10 - Par 5 595 Yds
                      2 - Par 4 419 Yds    11 - Par 4 421 Yds
                      3 - Par 4 438 Yds    12 - Par 4 380 Yds
                      4 - Par 4 385 Yds    13 - Par 3 260 Yds
                      5 - Par 3 188 Yds    14 - Par 4 467 Yds
                      6 - Par 4 372 Yds    15 - Par 3 192 Yds
                      7 - Par 5 520 Yds    16 - Par 4 447 Yds
                      8 - Par 3 218 Yds    17 - Par 5 567 Yds
                      9 - Par 4 460 Yds    18 - Par 4 485 Yds
                      Par 36  3,579 Yds     Par 36  3,814 Yds

Key Events Held: PGA Cup (2007).

Awards Won: Ranked #4 - Best Public Access Courses (GA) - Golfweek (2005-06),
            Rated #16 Best-in-State rankings (Georgia) - Golf Digest (2005),
            America's Top-100 Residential Courses (78th) - Golfweek (2005),
            America's Top-100 Resort Courses (46th) - Golfweek (2005),
            Top-100 Public-Access Courses in US (67th) - Golf Magazine (2004),
            #5 - 50 Best Courses for Women - Golf For Women Magazine (2003),
            Best New Upscale Courses - Golf Digest (2003),
            Top New Public-Access Golf Courses in US - Golf Magazine (2002).

Course Record: 62 (DeWitt Weaver).

Website: www.reynoldsplantation.com/oconee.htm

HISTORY:  Aptly  named after the  lake that Reynolds Plantation surrounds, The
Oconee  (Oh-KONE-ee) course  is  the  Creek Indian  name  for "Great  Waters".
Ironically, one of the other courses at Reynolds is named Great Waters.

Following in the footsteps of Jack Nicklaus and Tom Fazio, who designed two of
the  courses at  Reynolds, Rees  Jones  was called  upon to  create a  special
project.  Nicknamed as  the "Open Doctor" for his restorations work on some of
the  most  storied  venues  of  all-time, such  as  Baltusrol,  Hazeltine  and
Congressional to name a few.

Jones  did not disappoint with The Oconee, as he created a venue that supports
his  traditional  philosophy of golf architecture, featuring strategic design.
"We  have uncovered  a dramatic golf course  without changing a lot of what we
found when we got here."

How good is The Oconee. Well, within one year of opening, the course was rated
as  the  fifth best  course for women  by Golf For  Women Magazine. The honors
continue  to come in, as Golfweek just recently named The Oconee as the fourth
best Public Access Course in Georgia.

Thought of so highly, that the PGA of America has named The Oconee as the host
venue  for  the 2007 PGA Cup.  "We are very  pleased that The Oconee Course at
Reynolds  Plantation will serve  as host of the next PGA Cup, and that it will
provide  a  championship setting that will  be among the most memorable in the
history of this event," commented PGA of America President Roger Warren.

When  all was  said and done, Jones crafted a course that prominently displays
the  lake, as  it comes into play  on five holes, features numerous creeks and
waterfalls and meticulous bunkering. "We work to create courses that are fair,
challenging, continually interesting to play, and visually exciting."

REVIEW:  The  course opens  with a  solid par five,  stretching a whopping 579
yards  from the tips. Play down the right side of the fairway, as your opening
shot will bound towards the left on the sloping fairway. Framed by mounding on
the  right and a pair of traps left, the first landing area is quite generous,
so  getting off to  a good start should not be a chore. A decision needs to be
made  with your second shot. Although down hill towards the green, water looms
down  the left side from 90 yards out to the putting surface, culminating into
a beautiful waterfall. Going for it in two is pretty much out of the question,
so  layup down  the right, leaving yourself  a simple wedge to a fairly benign
green.  The  putting surface  bends around  the water, making  a left pin very
difficult. Don't get cute. Play out to the right and you'll make an easy par.

The  first of seven par fours over 400 yards in length, the second is a modest
419  steps from  the back  tees.  Bending slightly  to the  right and  playing
downhill,  your tee  shot must avoid the  large trap on the right. A short- to
medium-iron  will remain  to the  slightly uphill  and large  putting surface,
fronted  by a deep bunker on the left. The green slopes from back to front, so
remain below the hole for your best shot at birdie.

You'll  get  a real sense of  what Rees Jones  was trying to accomplish at The
Oconee  when you  stand on the third tee. A downhill, sweeping dogleg-left par
four,  framed  by trees,  mounding and  sand. Start your  drive at the fairway
bunker and turn it right to left towards the center. This will set up a medium
iron to an elevated green that's 36 yards deep. Miss left and you'll end up in
a  deep,  cavernous bunker.  Making par  or birdie  on any  of the first three
holes,  which rank  as some of the  toughest on the course, will set you apart
from your foursome.

The  fourth hole  is  one of  the  simplest on  the  course. Straightaway  and
downhill  to the  green, the  key here  is to  drive in  the fairway,  leaving
yourself a short-iron to an accommodating green. Down the right off the tee is
the  best play, as shots will kick towards the fairway. The putting surface is
less  undulating than most, with a large bunker on the right and chipping area
back-left. A definite birdie chance, so take advantage.

One of many signature holes on The Oconee, the fifth is first par three on the
course  and it's a gem. Several tee boxes give the player many options on this
downhill  one-shotter. A pond  and a wide trap front the green with a W-shaped
bunker  deep.  The putting surface is  very shallow, making club selection all
important.  With the wind  in your face and a back-right flag, this could be a
real round-breaker.

Location,  location,  location. That's what the  sixth hole is all about. Just
372  yards from  the back tees, this  dogleg right plays downhill off the tee.
The  key ingredient is  to avoid the fairway bunkers flanking each side of the
landing area. With that in mind, a hybrid or fairway-metal should be plenty to
dissect the landing zone. A short-iron awaits to a long, undulating green that
slopes  from back to  front. Leaving here with anything worse than a four will
be disappointing.

The  shortest  of the four par  five's at The  Oconee, the seventh can be had,
well,  that's  what I thought. Playing  downhill off the tee and then straight
uphill  towards the  green, the  hole is  beautifully framed  inside the  tall
stands  of pine trees down both sides. Another generous fairway will set up an
attempt  to get home in two, however add a couple of clubs to your shot, as it
plays  20  yards longer. Two enormous  bunkers guard both sides of the putting
surface, that falls hard to the front. It should be an easy birdie hole, but I
made seven from the left trap, so beware.

Another great par three, the eighth can stretch to 218 yards or play as little
as  127.  The green  sits well  below the tee  box, so  club selection is very
difficult,  especially since the green is 40 paces deep. Sand occupies most of
the  left side, so bail right if you're going err. Trees stand tall behind the
green, making for an appealing setting.

Grip  it and rip it. That should be your motto when standing on the long, par-
four ninth. Your first real view of Lake Oconee is quite daunting as you stand
on  the  tee, not to mention  the stiff breeze  coming off the water into your
face.  A 200-yard  blast is needed just  to reach the fairway on this 460-yard
monster.  The Lake  runs down  the  entire right  side  of the  hole and  most
certainly  comes  into play  with your  approach. A mid-  to long-iron will be
required  to  reach the putting surface  that juts out towards the water. Sand
fronts  the fairly long green, so play left if in doubt and rely on your short
game to make par. I did.

The  back nine begins with a massive par five stretching a whopping 595 yards,
easily  the  longest hole  on the  course. A very  generous fairway, just stay
clear  of  the 40-yard long  trap down the right  landing area. No problems in
laying  up, as the short grass is wide open. Your approach plays downhill to a
sloping green that's fronted on the right by a large bunker. A shaved chipping
area  surrounds the  remaining portions of the green, so club selection is key
in attacking for birdie.

A  sweeping dogleg-right par four, the 11th is framed by trees down both sides
and  a  fairway bunker on the  left. Playing downhill  off the tee, a down the
right  blast can  leave just a short-iron to the elevated putting surface. The
green  is only 31  paces deep, but is quite slick from back to front. The real
danger  lies in  the bottomless bunker guarding the left-front. Stay below the
hole for any chance at three, let alone four.

Another  favorite hole at The Oconee is the par-four 12th. Just 380 yards from
the  tips, the  sensational dogleg-right, uphill gem features a babbling brook
running  down the entire  right side of the hole. Sand frames the left landing
area  as  you head  towards the green.  The putting surface  is well above the
fairway,  so take an  extra club or two to be safe. Short and right is wet, so
bail  right if  you must. On paper  it's a birdie chance, but in reality, it's
ranked the second handicapped hole.

It's hard to enjoy a par three that's 260 yards long, but the 13th is awesome.
At  least  in beauty  that is. With  eight different tee  boxes, this hole has
plenty  of options. Downhill to the green, your first shot must clear the lone
trap  that fronts  the green. This trap however can encompass small cities, as
it  begins 100 yards  short of the putting surface. This deep abyss can ruin a
round, so lock and load. The green is long from back to front and quite quick.
It  comes as  no surprise that it's one  of the four hardest holes on the back
nine.

The  14th  is a downhill,  dogleg-right monster of  a par four, stretching 467
yards  from the back buttons. The object on this brute is to bypass the series
of  traps down  the right side of the  fairway. Play down the left, as all tee
shots  will move  towards the  right. A  medium-iron will  remain to  a fairly
shallow  green with one deep trap, front-left. Tall pines make for a beautiful
backdrop  on the second-longest par four on the course. Birdies will be scarce
and bogeys plentiful.

Playing  directly over  a finger of water from Lake Oconee, the par-three 15th
can  certainly be construed  as one of the signature holes on the course. When
the  breezes  freshen from the lake,  this one-shotter can be quite a handful.
Just under 200 yards, a long-iron will be required just to reach the slightly,
elevated putting surface. A wide bunker splashes in front of the green, making
your  tee  shot even more  difficult. The putting surface  is only 30 paces in
length  and  fairly benign.  A back-left  pin could  make for  one of the most
difficult pars on the course.

A  cascading waterfall  and a creek run  down the left from the green and past
the  tee box into Lake Oconee, that's what awaits on the 16th. This time its a
dogleg  left,  uphill  par four  of  447  yards  in  length. A  wide,  rolling
fairway  awaits  your drive,  but make sure  you take an  extra stick for your
approach  shot, as the water crosses directly in front of the putting surface,
one of the tightest on the course. Just 10 paces deep, the green is two-tiered
and  very  fast. This  is not a  hole to become  aggressive, especially with a
front flag.

A  real good chance  of getting one back, the 17th is a long, straightaway par
five.  Off the tee, the key is missing the fairway traps on either side of the
landing  area. Your  second, which plays downhill towards the green, should be
played  out  to the left,  avoiding the 55-yard  bunker on the right. Although
Lake  Oconee  provides a  wonderful backdrop,  the water  should not come into
play.  The  putting surface  is not tricky,  unless of course  you land in the
greenside traps and need to get up and down to save par.

It's  hard to believe that the final hole, the longest par four on the course,
is rated as the 16th easiest on the scorecard. Trust me, it is not. Start with
a  drive over water that must carry over 200 yards to reach the fairway. A big
sweeping  draw  is the play  on this dogleg  left, as you  aim for the pair of
traps in the distance. Now you're left with a 200-yard plus poke to one of the
biggest  greens on  the course, with sand  left and right and water, yes, Lake
Oconee,  behind the  surface. So  the  bottom line  is, a  485-yard par  four,
doglegging to the left, water left and long, sand guarding the green and a 41-
yard long, diamond-shaped putting surface. Write to me if you make par.

OVERALL:  There  are many  words and  thoughts that come  to mind when talking
about  The  Oconee course at  Reynolds Plantation. Player friendly, fair, rock
solid  and a  challenge. But  the  words that  best describe  this course  are
majestic, breathtaking and sensational.

If  someone put  a gun  to my  head and  made me  pick my  favorite course  at
Reynolds Plantation, I'd be hard-pressed not to say The Oconee. All the tracks
at Reynolds have something special, but The Oconee is for everyone.

Multiple tee boxes, ranging from 5,100 to over 7,300 yards. Generous fairways,
beautiful scenery, undulating putting surfaces, plenty of hazards, a challenge
for  all  levels. Upon completion of  the course, Jones commented, "I feel the
course  we've created  is playable  for both  the scratch  player and  regular
golfer."

Let's not forget the spectacular conditioning of the golf course, the enormous
practice  facility,  a grandiose  clubhouse, thoughtful  staff and it's within
walking  distance from  the Ritz-Carlton Lodge to boot. Beauty and imagination
along  with lush, rolling carpets, tremendous pines, dogwoods, oaks, magnolias
and cherry trees lining all fairways.

After  playing all  of the  venues at  Reynolds Plantation,  and loving  every
minute of it, I'll always come back to The Oconee.