CHALLENGE YOURSELF on the lush, emerald fairways and bent-grass greens of The General, our Jim Fazio-designed championship golf course. Ranked #5 in the state by Golf Week ( public and resort courses, 2007), this par 72 layout plays to 7,350 yards from the back tees, and is a true test for golfers of any skill level. The course blends into the surrounding landscape, providing beautiful vistas of the mountains and the estate. If you’re going to take on The General, take plenty of ammunition. And there’s no better place to stock up than our Golf Shop. The Golf Shop is fully equipped with the finest clubs, accessories, and apparel, and is also home to our golf professionals, who are always there to help guests make the most of their game.

“The General” With its serene vistas, flawless greens & arguably the best collections of par 3’s in all of golf, “The General”, is one of the most desirable & highly sought after courses to play in the Southeast. Opened in 1999, “The General” has been ranked in the top 20 in the state by Golf Digest for three years running.

This par-72 course was designed by veteran course architect, Jim Fazio, and opened in July of 1999. Fazio designed the course to blend into its natural surroundings, following the same principles held by Andrew Jackson Downing, the 19th century landscape architect, who believed that man-made elements should appear as if they fit into the natural order of the landscape. In keeping with Downing’s philosophy, Fazio supervised the moving of only one-quarter of the earth typically sculpted at new courses. From the more than 1,000 acres available, Fazio personally selected the 378 acres that the course occupies.

Through the valley and the woods For the first two holes, golfers might just believe they’re in Scotland instead of northern Georgia, But hold the bagpipes; because once they reach Hole #3 all such thoughts vanish. At “The Alley”, one of Barnsley’s challenging par three’s, golfers enter a hardwood forest. Tall reeds, cattails and thick brush underneath a tree-lined fairway offer a tricky hazard to the green’s right side.

The three other par three’s are even more challenging. Hole #8 has been dubbed “The Descent” and will leave golfers speechless. The tee-shot on this hole descends close to 100 feet to a soft, sculptured green. It provides entrée to the Black-eyed Susans and other flowering varieties that reside in the protected area behind the green. Hole #14, or “Mountain View”, is one of the most striking, featuring a full-on view of Wolf Cave Mountain and the neighboring peak. An abrupt descent of nearly 100 feet immediately tests a golfer’s nerve and club selection. Two bunkers and Dry Run Creek, which feeds into a pond, collect errant or tentative shots.

Hole #17 closes the course’s amazing collection of par three’s. The illusion from the tee would indicate that the putting surface pitches from front to back, with marshy wetlands beyond awaiting all “fliers”. A deep and flash-faced bunker offers silent vigil in front of the green for anything that dares to be short. A glassy pond at the right front constitutes hazard number three of a daunting trio of entrapments. Altogether, the par three’s range from 120 to 266 yards and require several different clubs from 12 tee boxes.

Call the Golf Shop at Barnsley Gardens Resort at 770-773-2555
to schedule a tee time or a lesson