Lookout Mountain Golf Club--Lookout Mountain, GA
There comes a time in a golfer's life when he plays a course that changes his point of reference on the game of
golf. The day I played Lookout Mountain (my first Raynor course) was that day for me. I am unsure if I can really
explain what happened to me that day and/or the feelings coursing through my body that day and my mind ever
since...but I will try my best in the following paragraphs.
By the time I finally got to play this course, I had been studying golf course architecture for a good while. I was
educated concerning Seth Raynor, Charles Banks, the history of the course, the Raynor/MacDonald template and
I anxiously looked forward to playing the course.
As I drove up Lookout Mountain, the excitement really began pumping through my veins. Then I saw the course
and my excitement began to wane and I thought I had wasted my time on this 2 and 1/2 hour trip. You see, the
appearance of the course is not that fantastic. The clubhouse is not impressive either. The driving range is,
once again, not good.
Then I played the course and something happened. "Highpoint" was first. The view from this, the #1 tee box is
pretty nice. The mountain views, the course, were all nice...not stunning like Currahee, but nice. I played the
hole very well and hit some great shots. I continued around the course then I came to #4, "The Biaritz", and all
the magic embedded in the Raynor/MacDonald template holes hit me. Wow!!!! Next was "The Bowl", perhaps the
coolest hole at Lookout Mountain. Next up was "The Short Hole". The boulder that is used as a tee box on this
hole is so cool that I really can't describe it. Then the bunkering on "The Long hole" made it clear to me that this
might be the most well designed course I have ever played. I won't continue to bore you by describing every hole,
but I will simply say that if you haven't played a Raynor or MacDonald course...you must!!!
In fact, I was so overwhelmed by my experience I wrote the following to the COO, Head Pro, and Superintendent at
Lookout Mountain...
Gentlemen...
I wanted to reach out to you and say thank you for letting me enjoy your course yesterday.
I have found that some courses overwhelm you right away with something eye catching or visually amazing...a cliff,
a waterfall, an island green, something like that. And initially you love the course and think it is the greatest thing
right away. But as the days pass, you find yourself unable to remember the holes you played, and that "wow"
factor of the gimmick seems to fade away and you realize the course itself wasn't that good.
But then you play a course like Lookout Mountain. Without question, the views of the mountain scenery are very
nice...but not "WOW"...I would describe the course as attractive, nice looking, but not stunning. However, once
you begin to play it, that is where the "WOW" happens. Given it is a Raynor course, you've got the template
holes...redan, eden, Biaritz, alps, etc. And although he takes some criticism for using his template, I think the
holes are absolutely fantastic. I think about it like this, if you have the magic formula which tests all the aspects of
someone's golf game...why monkey with it. The old saying goes; don't fix it, if it ain't broke. Mr. Raynor's
template certainly isn't broke.
Here's the kicker on the course...as my day passed yesterday, I kept thinking about the double I made on the
Redan hole. How I could have played it differently? Next time I will do "x" instead of "y". I found myself thinking
about all the different holes throughout the night...and in fact this morning as well.
In my opinion, that is the mark of a great course. You remember the holes, the course, and you can't wait to try it
again. Fun for the average golfer and a continuous challenge for the great golfer. Frankly, East Lake in Atlanta
is a course like that. It doesn't have the "wow" factor that some of these exotic courses have...but I find myself
thinking about playing 12 again, finally hitting the green on 18, not bogeying 1. Things like that.
Bottom line...your course is fantastic and to be compared to East Lake (one of the most highly regarded courses
in the world) is meant to be a compliment of the highest magnitude. I hope you take it that way...
...I sincerely wanted to thank you again for allowing me the privilege to play Lookout Mountain. It is certainly a
gem and, in my opinion, a national treasure.
To put some more constructive and useful information in this write up, I think is fair to say that this course is the
anti-thesis of Cascata. Where Cascata may not be an overwhelming challenge to a good golfer, it is nevertheless
mind-blowingly beautiful. Lookout Mountain is not mind-blowingly beautiful, although it is attractive and charming.
However, it is challenging.
It is not challenging due to length or even narrow fairways…as is the case with some neighborhood courses I've
played. It is challenging in that every shot must be thought out. You never, ever get your distance to the target,
grab your club and let'er rip. Never! The course is too hilly, too slanted, the approaches are protected by very
strategically placed bunkers, many of the greens are slanted and some shellbacked. Every shot must be thought
out in order to score well. The course is the ultimate duel between player and course architect.
Some nuances…
There are so many bunkers, most of them disguised or tucked away, I dubbed this course "The Land of the
Hidden Bunker".
On your chips into the green…beware the slope of the green. I think it is fair to say that there are not any flat
greens on the course…in fact the 18th has three tiers!
From the tips the course measures 6,485. The old AW Tillinghast quote certainly applies here, "it ain't how far,
but how good" and this course is certainly good.
The bottom line is this...had this course been maintained at the level that most of the courses are that I've played,
it would have scored well enough to rank #1 on my list of favorites.