Bobby Jones Golf Course - The Magnolia Nine

For Atlanta golfers -- and visiting golfers, for that matter -- the new Bobby Jones Golf Course is a gift that should keep on giving. It's just one of a handful of reversible golf courses throughout the country, but it's very unique, even among that group.

This is a completely new design by the late Bob Cupp. And there are really no similarities between what was here before and what Cupp and later his son Bobby Cupp completed. It's nine holes one way and nine mostly entirely different holes the other way, so you definitely feel like you're playing two entirely different golf courses when you play the Magnolia Course vs. the Azalea Course.

My only issue with the course right now is the design of the ninth holes on both courses. Both are par 5s that are pretty much right next to each other (the Azalea is considerably shorter and perhaps reachable in two), but they don't seem well defined, Our group, even with the help of GPS in the carts, was confused on how we should play the holes, especially off the tee. Playing the course multiple times would probably clear up the confusion, but this is the only reason I didn't give the course five stars right off the bat. With that said, if I lived in Atlanta, I would play this course regularly.

Some other cool innovations included the LongLeaf Tee System. Each hole has eight different teeing options, which are suggested not by handicap, but by the golfers' average drives, so all players can reach greens in regulation.

The facility now has great practice facilities, which is a huge boost to this part of Atlanta, which lacked any sort of quality range for at least 10 miles.

And now golfers (as well as tennis players) have new, safer parking options, thanks to parking garage that sits underneath the 12 new hardcourts that were added to Bitsy Grant Tennis Center. It's a symbiotic relationship between golf and tennis I've never seen before.

And finally, conditioning on the fairways and greens is perfect. The Tif-Eagle greens rolled flawlessly. And because of the new model (this course is run by a foundation with involvement from multiple golf associations and serves as the home to the Georgia State University golf team), you can expect conditions to remain top notch. And with dynamic green fees ranging from $40 to $80, including the advanced Greg Norman Experience-equipped Club Cars, that's a pretty good deal.