UGA Golf Course continues to win national recognition

Monday, August 8, 2022

by Caroline Craig and Michael Pannell

View article in the Auxiliary Roundup Newsletter (PDF)

A wide photograph of a bridge crossing over a pond on the UGA Golf Course.

The UGA Golf Course has made quite a name for itself over many years, and the recognition for that has increased in recent months. In 2021, the course and its team received state and national recognition for their offerings and service to patrons. Golf Advisor’s Golfers’ Choice 2022 awards featured the UGA Golf Course in several categories, all based on customer reviews from the previous year.

For 2021, the UGA Golf Course ranked #1 in the state of Georgia, #1 in collegiate courses, and #10 nationally. Additionally, the course ranked in the top 25 for friendliest courses and 17th overall for course layout. For more information about these rankings, please see the March edition of the Auxiliary Roundup Newsletter.

The golf course’s most recent award is the top ranking for college golf courses for student golfers. GolfLink ranked UGA #1 for student golfers and focused its attention on the course’s facilities and amenities for players, as well as its affordability for students.

The public, along with students, have very much enjoyed the course. Michael Nunneley is a weekly player at the UGA golf course and has a membership. Just like other players, Nunneley loves the UGA course for its classic design and attention to detail.

“I love the layout, some of the holes are super fun and have big challenges. You have to really think about where you’re going to hit your next shot, especially going onto the greens,” Nunneley said.

The UGA Golf Course is not only for the public, but it is also where the Bulldog golf teams play. A course of this caliber plays a significant role in the success of the teams and overall player development. The UGA Golf Course is home to the #13 ranked UGA Men’s Golf team and #23 ranked UGA Women’s Golf team. There is no question about why it ranks #1 on the collegiate course list.

“Having the #1 ranked collegiate course only five minutes from campus is a major asset for our program. The UGA course stands the test of time as it has hosted over 10 different NCAA Championships,” Head Coach Josh Brewer said.

This player development further applies to the golfer’s future career on tour as the UGA golf course has helped develop many professional golfers like Jillian Hollis, Bailey Tardy, Harris English, Brendan Todd, Chris Kirk, and Bubba Watson.

Trent Phillips recently finished his illustrious collegiate career at UGA and is playing on the Mackenzie Tour in Canada. “I think it’s a challenging course that tests your entire game and it has the length to prepare you for tour golf,” the now professional golfer said. “The greens have lots of slope, so you have to be precise with iron shots. It’s one of the harder collegiate courses when they grow the rough and get the greens fast.”