By Dove Jones
georgia golf central
Atlanta's “New” Bobby Jones Golf Course
Atlanta’s oldest public golf course debuted in 1932 and was named after, with his blessing, the world’s most celebrated golfer and Atlanta’s favorite sporting son – Robert “Bobby” Tyre Jones, Jr. After winning his momentous and historic Grand Slam (the US Open, US Amateur, The Open Championship and The Amateur Championship) in 1930 Jones retired from competitive golf and returned to his Atlanta law practice and other golf projects closer to home, most notably the creation of Augusta National GC. Sadly throughout the years and after Jones’ passing too early in 1974 from syringomyelia, the Bobby Jones GC had seen better days and was in danger of being lost to development. In a remarkable leap of faith and perseverance this November saw the rebirth of the Bobby Jones GC; not only as a fitting tribute to the Jones legacy, but a gift to the future of the game. Almost a decade ago, Marty Elgison, an avid golfer and the Jones family lawyer for over two decades had the idea to renovate the original Bobby Jones GC to something worthy of Jones’ name. He enlisted Bob Cupp, another son of Atlanta and a worldrenown, award winning, golf course architect, to assist. What Cupp came back with was innovative and revolutionary, perfect as a nod to Jones and his achievements but also controversial and very expensive. Time and technology had moved on from the original layout of well under 7,000 yards and there was no room to expand given the confines of being located in Buckhead, one of the city’s most expense neighborhoods. In addition, the course had been laid out in a flood plain. Therefore it was always wet and the land was overgrown with vegetation and too many trees. Cupp’s 44
Dr. Robert T. Jones IV assumes his grandfather's famous pose
Superintendent Kyle Macdonald and his assistant "Rugby" solution? Take the existing course to dirt and rebuild as a reversible ninehole layout that could stretch to over 7,000 yards twice around from the tips. It would also be a nod to the Old Course in St Andrews that figured so prominently in Jones’ life as it too is a reversible routing. In addition, there would be room for a proper 40-station two-sided range, short game area and a 6-hole short course, the “Cupp Links” just for junior golfers 12 and under. But that was just the start of the
innovative concepts that will define this facility as a true “grow the game” municipal model well into the future. It takes a village, or in this case a city and beyond to create a project of this magnitude. The estimated price tag of over $25 million would have been enough to scare even the most seasoned golf industry professionals from starting, but not the key members of the Bobby Jones GC Foundation. Elgison enlisted fellow lawyer and past golf professional, Chuck Palmer, to spearhead the fund raising effort. To date the Foundation has raised over $23 million with under $4 million left to complete the capital project before turning over to the self-sustaining operations under the management of Atlanta-based Mosaic Company. The project has captured the imagination of golfers beyond Atlanta, much like the links of St Andrews draw visitors from all corners of the globe, so will the people of Georgia (as the course has a land lease with the state) be proud to share their golf oasis. What makes this project so special? First and foremost is the playing experience – It’s FUN! When I lived in Atlanta 20 odd years ago, fun was not the word I would have used – more like slog – just a means to get out and swing the club. Now it’s a layout that everyone can enjoy. Not to mention the superb course condition superintendent, Kyle Macdonald, and his team have created including smooth, fantastic true rolling greens, something the former course never enjoyed. The two nines, Azalea and Magnolia, play in opposite directions, so there are three routings. On various days players will play either the Azalea or Magnolia twice around and on certain days there will be a shotgun start on either nine and after all have completed nine holes they will move to the nearest tee on the opposite nine and play the course in reverse. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. On the day we played we started on Azalea No. 6 and after holing out on our 9th hole, Azalea No. 5, we then teed off in the opposite direction on Magnolia No. 5 to finish our eighteen on Magnolia No. 4 green. Even on days when playing either nine twice around the fact that it utiGolf Central • Volume 19, Issue 6