East Lake - Any chance as guest?

[Nelly11]

Hi all,

 

Not sure if anyone can speak to this, but greatly appreciate any best advice from someone familiar with East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta and the guest policies at the club.

 

My friend and I are making the journey from Toronto to Augusta for a practice round on Tuesday April 7th but leaving some time on either side for travels and some golf in Georgia. While I know Augusta is going to be great :taunt: and looking forward to it another one of my favourites is East Lake Golf Club. I have a cousin who lives near the golf course and I've been lucky enough to visit a couple years and watch the Tour Championship Thursday to Sunday. Just love it!

 

So that leaves me with my question. I'm curious... does anyone know if there would be any chance at getting out as a guest at East Lake? It would be an absolute thrill to play the course at some time, it is on my bucket list, so had to post and get some feelers in terms of whether this would ever be possible since it is a private club.

 

Thanks anyone who has any feedback!

[Malones19]

If you are member at a course have your HP or GM call/email their HP or GM to see if they are willing to open a spot. If you are member of St. George's, Mississaugua Weston, etc... you might have a better chance but it is always worth a try.

[GoStars]

From my understanding, East Lake is a bit different, because while it is a private club, it's 100% corporate memberships/tournament play. The proceeds from the club support a school and the revitalization of a once VERY downtrodden local area.

[mshills]

[quote name='GoStars' timestamp='1423511900' post='10918875']
From my understanding, East Lake is a bit different, because while it is a private club, it's 100% corporate memberships/tournament play. The proceeds from the club support a school and the revitalization of a once VERY downtrodden local area.
[/quote]

Former Atlanta resident here -- this is true.

Getting on as an unaccompanied guest is not impossible, but is going to be very difficult immediately before and after The Masters. If you are a member of a club in your area, your best hope is going to be for a reciprocal.

To be honest, unless you have a very strong hook-up / reciprocal / etc., a trip to Augusta for The Masters is best spent enjoying The Masters, IMO. Courses as far from Augusta as the east side of Atlanta and all the way over to Augusta increase their rates by at least a factor of two, some of them significantly more. With very few exceptions, these courses are just not worth the spiked rates.

[Nelly11]

Thanks Malones19. Unfortunately not a course member, but will email my PGA pro that I've done a some lessons with in the past. You never know, there might be a connection through someone that he knows that he may be able to connect me with. Worth a shot, however, remote the chance!

Thanks GoStars. I had heard about the tournaments as well. I tried a quick google search to see if there might be a charity tournament that week. Was not able to get any info right off the bat, but will keep checking to see if anything pops up. I did hear about this once too. Wish I lived closer or would check more frequently.

Thanks Mshills. My bad back and wallet would appreciate your advice;) I think we probably will spend most of our efforts on just enjoying the Masters like you say, but had to put out the feeler as I'd really like to make it happen some day.

Any more advice greatly appreciated!

[OutBackHack]

The week before and after the Masters are the busiest 2 weeks at East Lake....you can get on, if, as mentioned you can have a Pro at a recognized club put in a call for you. There are no charity events around that time, but guests manage to get on as 90% of the players at Masters time are from out of town.
If you need any further info feel free to message me.

[Capitalist!]

Guest fees used to be $185 + $65 for caddie... Even if you find an invite... Looking at $250 minimum

[PGAGUY85]

I believe that a lot of area courses open up their doors to the public the week before and after the Masters (maybe even more). They generate a LOT of revenue during this time and there will always be a guest fee in which I am sure they will not try and budge on it. The good ole supply and demand. Try Champions Retreat as well.

[Nelly11]

[quote name='OutBackHack' timestamp='1423579641' post='10923839']
The week before and after the Masters are the busiest 2 weeks at East Lake....you can get on, if, as mentioned you can have a Pro at a recognized club put in a call for you. There are no charity events around that time, but guests manage to get on as 90% of the players at Masters time are from out of town.
If you need any further info feel free to message me.
[/quote]

Thank you OutBackHack. Appreciate the glimmer of hope and offer to DM. I may be in touch as the date approaches. thank you

[Nelly11]

[quote name='Capitalist!' timestamp='1423589294' post='10925145']
Guest fees used to be $185 + $65 for caddie... Even if you find an invite... Looking at $250 minimum
[/quote]

That is a lot more than i had anticipated or hoped. Hopefully a good chunk of that would go towards helping the community inniatives in the East Lake area. Still on the bucket list though;)

[Nelly11]

[quote name='PGAGUY85' timestamp='1423595397' post='10925955']
I believe that a lot of area courses open up their doors to the public the week before and after the Masters (maybe even more). They generate a LOT of revenue during this time and there will always be a guest fee in which I am sure they will not try and budge on it. The good ole supply and demand. Try Champions Retreat as well.
[/quote]

Thanks PGAGUY85! Going to look into that course as well! Looks beautiful.

Very greatful for the helpful tips of everyone on here. If anyone has any more thoughts about East Lake chances / opportunities or other courses that will be more affordable but a great experience in Georgia during this time any and all tips or advice welcome!

Meeting with my buddy tonight to start planning! Very excited.

[mshills]

Cuscowilla and Reynolds Plantation are the two major courses along Interstate 20 between Atlanta and Augusta. Access will be difficult around The Masters.

At Cuscowilla, if I remember correctly, you must stay at the resort to play, but it's well worth it. Great golf course, great service, mandatory caddies, it's fantastic.

Reynolds Plantation has six courses. One is completely private, no access. The other five, I do not remember which ones you can play without staying at the (excellent) Ritz Carlton, but if you haven't booked the hotel by this point....

Reiterate my belief that trips to The Masters are better spent enjoying The Masters and forget about play. Travel another time to play golf if you don't already have it arranged, because you will encounter limited to no availability at the better courses and ridiculous rates at some of the other options.

Are your flights into and out of Atlanta? If so, there are some options there not far from the airport.

[Nelly11]

[quote name='mshills' timestamp='1423598017' post='10926239']
Cuscowilla and Reynolds Plantation are the two major courses along Interstate 20 between Atlanta and Augusta. Access will be difficult around The Masters.

At Cuscowilla, if I remember correctly, you must stay at the resort to play, but it's well worth it. Great golf course, great service, mandatory caddies, it's fantastic.

Reynolds Plantation has six courses. One is completely private, no access. The other five, I do not remember which ones you can play without staying at the (excellent) Ritz Carlton, but if you haven't booked the hotel by this point....

Reiterate my belief that trips to The Masters are better spent enjoying The Masters and forget about play. Travel another time to play golf if you don't already have it arranged, because you will encounter limited to no availability at the better courses and ridiculous rates at some of the other options.

Are your flights into and out of Atlanta? If so, there are some options there not far from the airport.
[/quote]

Thank you mshills! We are thinking 2 rounds over the span of a week, so for us that is pretty light considering we are golf nuts and the snow in Toronto lasts much longer than ideal. I'm also dealing with a bad back so there are more reasons than one to go light on the golf as well.

Yes we fly into ATL late on the Saturday and out the following Saturday. We will probably be in Atlanta both at the outset and end to our trip for a night or two. I have some family in town near East Lake area / Decatur. Also south (Peach Tree City) and north of the city (close to bear's best i believe) but don't want to impose much but might be in those neighbourhoods. We are also thinking of driving out towards Savannah. I've never been out that way.

[mshills]

The Bears Best is quite good if you are up that way. It is FAR from the airport, however.

Wolf Creek is almost right next to the airport and is surprisingly good. A few goofy holes (blind tee shots) on the second nine but considering the convenience to the airport, it's a good option. The Coweta Club is about 20 minutes south of the airport on I-85 and was one of my favorite courses when I lived in Atlanta. Never crowded, good condition, and GREAT $ value. Crystal Lake and Eagle's Brook are a little further down I-75 and also were very good.

it's been 2 years since I moved away from Atlanta so my information might be a bit dated.

[Nelly11]

[quote name='mshills' timestamp='1423600020' post='10926479']
The Bears Best is quite good if you are up that way. It is FAR from the airport, however.

Wolf Creek is almost right next to the airport and is surprisingly good. A few goofy holes (blind tee shots) on the second nine but considering the convenience to the airport, it's a good option. The Coweta Club is about 20 minutes south of the airport on I-85 and was one of my favorite courses when I lived in Atlanta. Never crowded, good condition, and GREAT $ value. Crystal Lake and Eagle's Brook are a little further down I-75 and also were very good.

it's been 2 years since I moved away from Atlanta so my information might be a bit dated.
[/quote]

Thanks looks like a solid list of places after a quick google of each! We will be checking them all out in more detail tonight when we do some planning!

[Capitalist!]

Cherokee Run... A Palmer course in Conyers might be more reasonably priced....

[crazy8golfer]

[quote name='mshills' timestamp='1423600020' post='10926479']
The Bears Best is quite good if you are up that way. It is FAR from the airport, however.

Wolf Creek is almost right next to the airport and is surprisingly good. A few goofy holes (blind tee shots) on the second nine but considering the convenience to the airport, it's a good option. The Coweta Club is about 20 minutes south of the airport on I-85 and was one of my favorite courses when I lived in Atlanta. Never crowded, good condition, and GREAT $ value. Crystal Lake and Eagle's Brook are a little further down I-75 and also were very good.

it's been 2 years since I moved away from Atlanta so my information might be a bit dated.
[/quote]Bears Best is the only one worth playing. Forget the others

[Twitch12]

[quote name='Nelly11' timestamp='1423509195' post='10918561']
Hi all,

Not sure if anyone can speak to this, but greatly appreciate any best advice from someone familiar with East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta and the guest policies at the club.

My friend and I are making the journey from Toronto to Augusta for a practice round on Tuesday April 7th but leaving some time on either side for travels and some golf in Georgia. While I know Augusta is going to be great and looking forward to it another one of my favourites is East Lake Golf Club. I have a cousin who lives near the golf course and I've been lucky enough to visit a couple years and watch the Tour Championship Thursday to Sunday. Just love it!

So that leaves me with my question. I'm curious... does anyone know if there would be any chance at getting out as a guest at East Lake? It would be an absolute thrill to play the course at some time, it is on my bucket list, so had to post and get some feelers in terms of whether this would ever be possible since it is a private club.

Thanks anyone who has any feedback!
[/quote]

Most of the previous posters are correct, with one exception. The course is not 100% corporate. All new memberships are corporate. There are still 35 or so members that have private memberships. Most were grandfathered in and have been members since the early/mid 90's. I have a work acquaintance that is an individual member and I play with him 6-8 times a year. East Lake is incredibly busy around Master's time. They host a lot of charity events throughout the year. That may be your best bet to play the course. It obviously would not fit in with you Augusta trip. The course is good, but the experience is great. There is something about stepping onto the course where Bobby Jones played that is just special. If you get the chance to play it, walk around the clubhouse and check out the memorabilia. The tour championship plays the course as a par 70, but it plays as a par 72 the rest of the year. They make #5 and #10 hard par 4's for the tour guys. The course isn't that long and honestly not that tight, but the greens are difficult. Large, fast greens with lots of movement. The caddies are top notch and the service is amazing. I played the course right before the tournament and then spent two days watching the pros play it during the tournament. It is in the best shape in the month leading up to it. If you play it, hit it from the tour tees on #6 and #18. Those holes become very difficult when you do that. Best of luck and enjoy Augusta. I will be there on Wednesday.

[Nelly11]

[quote name='Twitch12' timestamp='1423707997' post='10935655']
[quote name='Nelly11' timestamp='1423509195' post='10918561']
Hi all,

Not sure if anyone can speak to this, but greatly appreciate any best advice from someone familiar with East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta and the guest policies at the club.

My friend and I are making the journey from Toronto to Augusta for a practice round on Tuesday April 7th but leaving some time on either side for travels and some golf in Georgia. While I know Augusta is going to be great and looking forward to it another one of my favourites is East Lake Golf Club. I have a cousin who lives near the golf course and I've been lucky enough to visit a couple years and watch the Tour Championship Thursday to Sunday. Just love it!

So that leaves me with my question. I'm curious... does anyone know if there would be any chance at getting out as a guest at East Lake? It would be an absolute thrill to play the course at some time, it is on my bucket list, so had to post and get some feelers in terms of whether this would ever be possible since it is a private club.

Thanks anyone who has any feedback!
[/quote]

Most of the previous posters are correct, with one exception. The course is not 100% corporate. All new memberships are corporate. There are still 35 or so members that have private memberships. Most were grandfathered in and have been members since the early/mid 90's. I have a work acquaintance that is an individual member and I play with him 6-8 times a year. East Lake is incredibly busy around Master's time. They host a lot of charity events throughout the year. That may be your best bet to play the course. It obviously would not fit in with you Augusta trip. The course is good, but the experience is great. There is something about stepping onto the course where Bobby Jones played that is just special. If you get the chance to play it, walk around the clubhouse and check out the memorabilia. The tour championship plays the course as a par 70, but it plays as a par 72 the rest of the year. They make #5 and #10 hard par 4's for the tour guys. The course isn't that long and honestly not that tight, but the greens are difficult. Large, fast greens with lots of movement. The caddies are top notch and the service is amazing. I played the course right before the tournament and then spent two days watching the pros play it during the tournament. It is in the best shape in the month leading up to it. If you play it, hit it from the tour tees on #6 and #18. Those holes become very difficult when you do that. Best of luck and enjoy Augusta. I will be there on Wednesday.
[/quote]

Thank you Twitch12. Reading this is exactly the reason that it is on my Bucket List so high to play East Lake. What an amazing description of the experience. The history, the charm, the conditions, the service. The two extra strokes!

That is a great idea on #6 and #18. Those are both unbelievable and demanding par 3's. The pros make it look easy, but you can even tell watching them that these are not easy holes. Would close my eyes and try to shoot for the middle anywhere. Actually just saw a picture of 18 without the grandstand and it looks so much different / better as well. Neat little rolling hills all around the green.

Any / all info that continues to trickle in is appreciated! We have started to lay out our timelines and travel for the week. It looks like Sunday or Monday (april 5,6) would be the day we will be playing somewhere in the Atlanta area. Hopefully East Lake!

[OutBackHack]

Before you book anything that is public be sure to call and check on their aeration schedule. A club that actually cares about the paying patrons will wait until after the Masters before they aerate, but many do not....check 1st!

[Gxhwh]

[quote name='Twitch12' timestamp='1423707997' post='10935655']
[quote name='Nelly11' timestamp='1423509195' post='10918561']
Hi all,

Not sure if anyone can speak to this, but greatly appreciate any best advice from someone familiar with East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta and the guest policies at the club.

My friend and I are making the journey from Toronto to Augusta for a practice round on Tuesday April 7th but leaving some time on either side for travels and some golf in Georgia. While I know Augusta is going to be great and looking forward to it another one of my favourites is East Lake Golf Club. I have a cousin who lives near the golf course and I've been lucky enough to visit a couple years and watch the Tour Championship Thursday to Sunday. Just love it!

So that leaves me with my question. I'm curious... does anyone know if there would be any chance at getting out as a guest at East Lake? It would be an absolute thrill to play the course at some time, it is on my bucket list, so had to post and get some feelers in terms of whether this would ever be possible since it is a private club.

Thanks anyone who has any feedback!
[/quote]

Most of the previous posters are correct, with one exception. The course is not 100% corporate. All new memberships are corporate. There are still 35 or so members that have private memberships. Most were grandfathered in and have been members since the early/mid 90's. I have a work acquaintance that is an individual member and I play with him 6-8 times a year. East Lake is incredibly busy around Master's time. They host a lot of charity events throughout the year. That may be your best bet to play the course. It obviously would not fit in with you Augusta trip. The course is good, but the experience is great. There is something about stepping onto the course where Bobby Jones played that is just special. If you get the chance to play it, walk around the clubhouse and check out the memorabilia. The tour championship plays the course as a par 70, but it plays as a par 72 the rest of the year. They make #5 and #10 hard par 4's for the tour guys. The course isn't that long and honestly not that tight, but the greens are difficult. Large, fast greens with lots of movement. The caddies are top notch and the service is amazing. I played the course right before the tournament and then spent two days watching the pros play it during the tournament. It is in the best shape in the month leading up to it. If you play it, hit it from the tour tees on #6 and #18. Those holes become very difficult when you do that. Best of luck and enjoy Augusta. I will be there on Wednesday.
[/quote] +1. You are the guy really know the truth. I have an old but very nice member in my club, who is still the individual member of East Lake.
Bear's Best increase their price from around 60-80 bucks to $250, which is not worth at all. Walk during the PGA Championship is totally different than play. But We all need this first time exciting experience in those special course. Good luck.