Echelon Golf Club

Great place. Outstanding conditions considering the rain we’ve seen...can’t wait to play again...

In July 2012 I played Echelon Golf Club for the first time during a visit to Atlanta. It was a great experience - excellent layout, challenging holes, great routing and very nice surroundings (beautiful houses up in the hills). So I was happy when I recently had to opportunity to play Echelon again. Unfortunately this time the experience was very disappointing, mainly due to the extremely poor course conditions.

My first impression was good, a beautiful club house had replaced the trailer from 7 years ago. That's pretty much where the positive ended... To start I received a rental set (Cobra F7) which was up for replacement and definitely not worth $50. Club heads for the driver, fairway wood and hybrid were complete worn with no profile left what so ever. This made it very hard to launch the ball and get any sort of trajectory.

Even worse were the course conditions. I didn't mind the fact the course was yellow/brownish instead of green, which was due to the time of year (late Winter). Not a pretty sight but understandable. Greens were actually green, although very sandy. What made the course unplayable was the fact it was complete soaked - every tee box and fairway was very muddy and had water standing everywhere, making it completely impossible to hit a decent shot. Mud went flying everywhere on every single shot as I splashed my way around the first few holes. I knew the course would be somewhat wet as it was cart-path only (making some very length walks from cart to ball and back due to the hilly terrain) but this was ridiculous. When I decided to quit after 9 holes and informed the pro shop I was told the course had been like this for the last months due to heavy rainfall in the area. I understand the impact this has on a course but it would've been nice if I was informed about this upfront - ideally via a note on the website during booking but definitely at check-in. If I would have known I would have decided no to play and save the effort of traveling.

Upon my request I did receive a fair refund for the green fee ($25, half of what I paid) but no refund for the clubs. So I basically paid $75 for a completely unplayable course and spent a good bit of time traveling from and to Atlanta. All-in-all a disappointing experience which will not make me come back this time of year. It would be good if customers are informed upfront about the extreme course conditions and it would be appropriate to adjust the green fee accordingly (even better would be to close the course for the next few weeks, allowing it to recover). Currently it's just a really bad experience at what is a great course when played at the right time of year.

From the minute I drove up and met Pete at the bag drop I knew it was gonna be a good day. Although Atlanta has seen record rainfall in the beginning of this year the course still was in great shape although very wet. The greens have been sanded and punched but still rolled very well and you could tell that they would be superquick during the summer. Overall a great day and a great course, I will definitely return to

Greens are rolling a 10 and putting was a joy.

Bermuda still sleeping, Wait till the March wake up.

If you don’t like Hills of Hideousness .. just play the front 9. The back 9 is a painful experience. When a par 4 plays 500 yards uphill it’s no longer fun for most players.

This course was in very good shape for this time of year and weather conditions. Will be coming back in the spring or summer to see the beauty in this course

Great course! Very challenging and tiring. Cart Path Only on this course can be very strenuous. That wouldn’t have been an issue though, had Echelon not booked foursomes to tee off every 10 minutes. Maybe if I were Dustin Johnson I could be on the greens in one or two strokes, but I don’t hit the perfect shot every time. We gladly let the group behind us, play through at the turn, but the next foursome was right behind them. No ranger in sight. Ridiculous. Bartender? was present but he seemed to hate the fact that he had to be there. I’m sure I’ll be back but I’ll make sure it’s not cart path only.

Course conditions were a little wet. Greens were in great shape. Cart path only today. Made walking to and from cart very tiring. Will definately play again when weather is warmer and grass is green.

I have played this course before and it was in better condition. When I pay $90 for a round I expect the course to be in great shape. The greens on the front nine were pretty rough but, were fast and smooth on the back. None of the bunkers had been raked and were hard as a rock. It’s really a shame that a Rees Jones course is not loved by the owners. Another thing that I didn’t like was being paired up with another twosome. When a course is $50 and busy, I understand but, we all pay the extra money for an extraordinary round. I think this is one of the toughest and trickiest layouts in Georgia. It’s an absolute work of art. I hate to see beer cans and other trash laying around all over it. I just wish that the management will get it back together before they lose the course. With all of the courses in our area, (many of which are in a lot better shape) you can have a more satisfying round for a lot less money. This track should be $60-$65. If you want something nice, ride over to Barnsley or wait until they get it together at Echelon, or bring the price down. Also, don’t bother with the food in the clubhouse. It’s disgusting.

The course is challenging especially the greens, but the landscape, view, amenities, friendliness and flexibility of the staff makes up for the struggles in a few holes.

A friend and I enjoyed a fantastic round today! The weather was perfect. The course was great. I ighly recommend this experience to anyone wanting to challenge their game.

Way too many hills and awkward tee boxes to be even remotely enjoyable.

Just a great great course. I’ve played about every course north of Atlanta and this is among my top 2 or 3 favorites. It’s a big boy course, super well designed, and isn’t needlessly tricked up like many other courses. Great condition. The 2 “long” par 5’s are as good as you will find anywhere. And 9 and 18 are absolute monsters. Not for the faint of heart, but this place is a gem. Highly recommend.

Awesome course, great conditions tee to green. This is the first course I have played that I’d consider 5 stars in the ATL area. I have played River Pines, Cobblestone, Bridgemill, Wolf Creek, and Bears Best. The greens were rolling quick and true compared to other courses in Northern Atlanta. Love the golf course! Only thing keeping me from coming back in the near future is the price tag. It’s worth every penny if you can get a discount/hot deal though. Anything less than $60 is fantastic for this track. Definitely in the best shape out of all the ATL public courses I’ve played.

Course greens wereslow but held shots well

If you like BIGelevation changes thrn you will love this course. Views are spectacular careful driving carts because of steep inclines

I got a hot deal for 48$ including the fees

Have played here before when the course conditions were ideal. Today the greens were in maintenance mode, very hairy and slow, which I get as greens have to be aerated throughout the year. Unfortunately, some of the greens had zero grass in many spots with nothing but a sandy base in the line of some putts. The fairways were in great shape and the tee boxes must have had recent treatment with some form of pesticide (hopefully not) or fertilizer application because they smelled awful akin to the smell of cow manure. I actually considered quitting as I started to taste the smell. To that end, I get that maintenance is required and overall, Echelon is a great layout ready to test the best of golfers. Will probably wait until mid to late fall to play again when not in maintenance mode and I would, without hesitation, recommend Echelon as a must play.

Website said the greens were previously aerated but would be back to normal on Tuesday 9/11. Greens were still completely unplayable. Normally one of the best courses in Atlanta.

Overall, my experience was great. The course was in great shape, except the greens had recently been punched and then sanded, so they were bumpy and slow. This was really the only issue with the course, which is typical after this process.

The layout is good. The course is long and challenging with some beautiful elevation changes and views.

This is a tough course. The greens were pretty rough today having just been Aerated, but otherwise the course is in great condition. It is a hard course, so be prepared!