Johns Creek, Georgia
The Highlands course at Atlanta Athletic Club is a pure championship beast, built for bold shotmaking and major moments. The layout is as demanding as its reputation—long, exacting, and beautifully maintained—delivering a badge-of-honor experience for every golfer lucky enough to play it.
Highlands embodies championship parkland golf: broad corridors twist across rolling Georgia terrain, inviting aggressive lines but punishing mistakes with mounding, strategic bunkering, and lightning-quick, elevated greens. True to the Robert Trent Jones legacy, the routing tests every club and celebrates bold shotmaking, demanding disciplined approaches and clever use of angles. The course is renowned for its tournament-caliber setup—narrow landing areas, water in play on pivotal finishing holes, and a brutal collection of long par 4s and daunting par 3s—while maintaining beautiful conditioning and a grand, big-club scale.
Robert Trent Jones Sr.’s design genius shines at Highlands, with Rees Jones’ renovations ramping up challenge and playability; future plans by Andrew Green promise even more architectural evolution.
This hefty par 5 snakes uphill, its landing zones defended by bunkers and subtle movement. It teases with a birdie chance but punishes greed.
Lay back off the tee for the perfect angle, then weigh your risks: play short for an easier approach or take on the bunker-guarded green in two.
Miss the landing areas and you’ll scramble for par; the approach is fraught with hazards for the careless.
Superb, championship-level conditioning with fast, firm greens virtually year-round.
Efficient member pace; rounds move quickly except during major-event prep.
Elite, tradition-steeped private club aura with major championship history.
Collared shirts and golf-appropriate attire strongly enforced—call ahead for precise standards.
Expect a steady diet of long approaches—spend range time with hybrids, fairway woods, and the 3- to 5-iron.
Speed is everything; acclimate to quick, championship surfaces to avoid early three-putts.
Don't let your ego pick for you—a move up in tees can transform frustration into fun on this brutal test.
The course’s length and back-nine elevation make stamina crucial, especially in Georgia heat.
Atlanta Athletic Club founded as a multi-sport organization.
Highlands Course opens at AAC’s new Johns Creek location, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr.
Fourth nine by Joe Finger finalizes the 18-hole Highlands routing.
Hosts the U.S. Open; Jerry Pate claims the trophy.
Hosts the PGA Championship.
Major redesign by Rees Jones precedes hosting the PGA Championship (won by David Toms).
Andrew Green slated to lead comprehensive renovation.
During the 2001 PGA Championship, David Toms launched a 5-wood into the cup at the brutally long 15th, a 260-yard par 3, making one of the most iconic holes-in-one in major history. The shot is etched into AAC folklore and elevated the status of the Highlands’ signature hole.
The Atlanta Athletic Club’s most enduring claim to fame is its original connection to Bobby Jones—the legendary amateur and Grand Slam winner grew up at the club’s earlier locations, defining its golden-era spirit and competitive soul. His presence is woven into the club’s DNA, fueling its championship ethos to this day.
TV never tells the whole story: reviewers point out how the back nine’s elevation changes and water-protected greens are more dramatic in person than on broadcast. Be ready for a pressure-filled finale that tests nerves as much as skill.
The club originally began without golf, focusing on athletics before building its world-class layouts—an evolution that transformed AAC into one of Georgia’s most famed private golf destinations, just a short drive from the home of the Masters.
Highlands’ 15th is one of golf’s most famous televised par 3s, site of a dramatic major ace.
AAC’s original home was downtown Atlanta, and it once owned the legendary East Lake course.
Legendary amateur Bobby Jones learned the game at AAC, shaping the club’s championship DNA.
Few courses in Georgia have hosted more elite men’s majors—U.S. Open and multiple PGAs.
The club’s founding pre-dates its golf history, beginning first as an athletic society.
Historic Tour Championship host with elite tour pedigree—bucket-list Atlanta track.
Modern championship layout often ranked among the state’s best.
Dye-designed, regular venue for championship golf in metropolitan Atlanta.
A freshly renovated, accessible public course—Atlanta city golf at its best.
Solid public track for an open-to-all round north of the city.
Johns Creek or Alpharetta for easy access to Highlands, top private clubs, and premium public options.
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: Oakland Hills Country Club (South Course) is a natural next stop after Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands Course): it asks for the same disciplined decision-making.
Why it matches: What links these two? A comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character — a familiar feeling, expressed in Aronimink Golf Club's own setting.
Why it matches: If Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands Course) is your kind of course, Atlanta Athletic Club (Riverside Course) is worth a look because it puts the same premium on presentation.
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