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Royal Lakes Golf & Country Club
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About
Royal Lakes Golf & Country Club is situated in the heart of South Hall County. The course sprawls across 150 acres of rolling countryside with natural wetlands comprising 19 of those acres. The golf course has a traditional Scottish links design that also incorporates a few mountain holes. It's a layout that will always keep you guessing. It may not be the most formidable golf course in the area, but it shouldn't be underestimated either. The course strikes a good balance between being forgiving enough for high handicappers and challenging enough for more advanced players. The par 3s are tough and the diverse par 4s come in all shapes and sizes. Royal Lakes Golf & C.C. is a shot maker's layout that requires accuracy and thoughtful strategy. The most memorable hole on the golf course is the par-5 11th, which features an intimidating island green.
| Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 72 | 6980 yards | 73.6 | 139 |
| Blue | 72 | 6550 yards | 69.0 | 109 |
| White | 72 | 6210 yards | 68.0 | 108 |
| Gold | 72 | 5810 yards | 67.0 | 107 |
| Silver (W) | 72 | 5340 yards | 65.0 | 105 |
| Red (W) | 72 | 5325 yards | 66.0 | 106 |
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black M: 73.8/139 | 412 | 496 | 342 | 395 | 218 | 399 | 144 | 417 | 578 | 3401 | 553 | 441 | 466 | 178 | 376 | 337 | 386 | 218 | 420 | 3375 | 6776 |
| Blue M: 71.8/131 | 394 | 476 | 315 | 366 | 182 | 375 | 128 | 383 | 495 | 3114 | 509 | 405 | 466 | 174 | 351 | 311 | 378 | 198 | 390 | 3182 | 6296 |
| MGA M: 71.0/129 | 394 | 476 | 315 | 366 | 135 | 375 | 119 | 383 | 495 | 3058 | 509 | 405 | 466 | 166 | 351 | 311 | 378 | 140 | 390 | 3116 | 6174 |
| White M: 69.8/125 W: 75.9/138 | 377 | 437 | 303 | 361 | 135 | 370 | 119 | 332 | 474 | 2908 | 488 | 383 | 446 | 166 | 332 | 266 | 369 | 140 | 379 | 2969 | 5877 |
| Gold M: 68.8/117 W: 73.9/134 | 375 | 396 | 292 | 334 | 120 | 308 | 103 | 306 | 452 | 2686 | 467 | 370 | 435 | 160 | 327 | 256 | 357 | 126 | 357 | 2855 | 5541 |
| Silver M: 66.9/113 W: 71.8/125 | 353 | 382 | 266 | 307 | 105 | 299 | 99 | 262 | 413 | 2486 | 450 | 339 | 423 | 137 | 290 | 233 | 331 | 125 | 331 | 2659 | 5145 |
| Red M: 63.7/110 W: 68.8/116 | 328 | 368 | 239 | 248 | 72 | 230 | 83 | 226 | 389 | 2183 | 379 | 301 | 405 | 106 | 266 | 211 | 303 | 104 | 302 | 2377 | 4560 |
| Handicap | 11 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 13 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 6 | 14 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 2 | |||
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Handicap (W) | 6 | 2 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 12 | 18 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 15 | 11 | 13 | 7 | 17 | 5 |
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Reviewer Photos
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Photo submitted by u000005609108 on 09/30/2023
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Photo submitted by u000001473329 on 08/28/2022
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Photo submitted by sunnywu536 on 09/24/2020
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Photo submitted by fishyracer24 on 08/28/2020
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Photo submitted by baldeagle218 on 07/15/2020
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Photo submitted by kjdaven on 06/04/2020
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Why. this is not helping stop the spread. Photo submitted by Emcdew on 03/29/2020
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Photo submitted by fishyracer24 on 06/27/2019
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Hole 11 Green Photo submitted by baldeagle218 on 05/17/2019
Past customer, will return
Enjoyed an afternoon of golf on a late, but pleasant December day. Course is in good shape for time of year.
The course has several very fun holes and some good risk reward holes especially number 9. It was in decent shape for the day after Christmas in the rain. The greens were much better than I expected after the drastic weather changes we've had in the area. One thing that killed it for me was that a slow playing twosome was sent out between a fairly speedy foursome and the threesome I was in without a tee time.
For the price, if it was closer I would definitely be back but it isn't quite worth the hour drive each way. I'm glad I gave it a shot but not sure I'll be back any time soon.
Beautiful Day
All in all a great round of golf. Great weather for December, nicely manicured greens, well tended bunkers, extreme pin placements, and a friendly helpful staff. Only drawbacks were a slow group ahead of us and a cart that died on the 14th hole. Plan to play there and you wont be disappointed.
Great value for money
Handicap: 10-14
Plays: Once a week
Great value for money
I normally reserve four star ratings for the very best courses you can play locally and only the very elite get a five star. Although there are better quality courses around the Atlanta area, this one gets an extra star for the great value for money. Some may find some of the holes a little quirky as they require an iron or utility club off the tee but I actually enjoy that sort of thing. The course is also on the short side even from the back tees so that too may put a few players off. Again, this is not a big deal for me. There are for sure some challenging over-water approach shots to contend with not least the Par 5 on the back nine. This a very odd hole which if I played it again knowing what I know now, I would likely use two mid irons and a long wedge to get home. It sounds odd I know but with the water coming into play twice, that would probably be the right way to go for me. It maybe isn't worth a huge long drive to get there on a regular basis but I would certainly recommend taking the extra time to play this course at least once.
Impressive
It is definitely my top 5 courses.Well worth of 45 minute drive.
Good golf course
Comparing to other courses
Nice view and good condition
Great value for money
I normally reserve four star ratings for the very best courses you can play locally and only the very elite get a five star. Although there are better quality courses around the Atlanta area, this one gets an extra star for the great value for money.
Some may find some of the holes a little quirky as they require an iron or utility club off the tee but I actually enjoy hat sort of thing. The course is also on the short side even from the back tees so that too may put a few players off. Again, this is not a big deal for me.
There are for sure some challenging over-water approach shots to contend with not least the Par 5 on the back nine. This a very odd hole which if I played it again knowing what I know now, I would likely use two mid irons and a long wedge to get home.it sounds odd I know but with the water coming into play twice, that would probably be the right way to go for me.
It maybe isn't worth a huge long drive to get there on a regular basis but I would certainly recommend taking the extra time to play this course at least once.
Royal lakes
Love this track. Some challenging shots but can score well. Greens in good shape. Friendly staff. Played solo and finished in under 3 hrs
Course in excellent condition
Course is in excellent condition, Greens are extremely smooth and putt true. Several holes have very challenging, over water shots.
Good Course, will play again.....
Found this course to be moderately challenging from the tips. Good features and bunkers that can ruin your day. Water in play on many of the holes. Overall, course was in good shape but some of the greens were rough with brown spots on about half of them. Did not have an opportunity to try the food in the clubhouse but the fare looked to be OK for a clubhouse grill. Would have liked to see the refreshment cart more than twice though
Royal Lakes
Excellent course, pace of play outstanding. Recommend to anyone wanting a course with varying degrees of difficulty.
A Gem that needs some more work
The greens have recovered from the late summer aeration, but are still not good with many bare and rough areas. The fairways and most tee boxes were in very good condition. Bunker grooming is poor. The rough is longish, but fair (you can find your ball). The black tees are back, giving us older somewhat skilled hackers a reasonable length blue tee option. Overall, Royal Lakes is a bit pricey for the current conditions.
We appreciate your feedback and sorry to hear that the conditions may not have been up to par. We have informed our staff and crews on the matter and are working hard to rectify the situation and make this the best Royal Lakes possible for your next round. Come back and see us again we look forward to your visit!
Great course
Beautiful challenging course!! Greens were in great shape!!
Thanks so much for being a fan of Royal Lakes! We can't wait to see you back for more.
Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. This comment is not intended as a criticism of anyone’s opinion. I am commenting on the use of GolfNow and/or Golf Advisor as a resource to help me and others make decisions on the courses to play. For this reason, I rate the course for almost every round that I play as the golf club experience is not static. I selected this review for comment because it was offset from my review of the same course by 1 day and illustrates the difference between opinions.
I will play courses between 2 and 5 stars based on value. My use of star ratings is based on course attributes and not related to value. Details in the review helps support the basis of the rating for each attribute.
It is very difficult to get an overall five-star rating out of me as five stars means the following irrespective of price:
1. Greens are smooth and appropriately paced for the degree of tilt. No worn areas around cups or pins.
2. Fairway and tee box turf is full and tightly mowed. Divots are filled.
3. Bunkers are groomed.
4. Rough is mowed to an appropriate height for the type of course and grass. Golfers should not routinely lose balls in the primary rough.
5. Course is free of leaves and other debris.
6. Staff attends to clubs, carts, check-in, starting and on-course services. All staff is pleasant, efficient and courteous.
7. The pace of play is managed. Under normal circumstances this means no more than a four-hour round. A 4.5-hour round may be acceptable when appropriate to the situation.
8. Practice facilities exist, are functional and neat. The facilities must include areas for practicing all elements of the game. Practice balls must be regulation (not restricted flight) and in good condition.
9. Golf carts, if used, must be clean and in good operating condition.
10. Restrooms must be clean and well maintained.
11. The course must have a grill or other facility that serves food and drink. The food must be of good (not great) quality with efficient service.
My approach sets the bar high for 5-stars. This is not an unreasonable standard for a top-shelf golf club.
Below five stars the most common item driving down a rating is pace of play. I impose no limit on how far down that poor pace of play management can drive a rating. A golf club with maintained hardpan fairways and sand greens can get two stars. A six hour round on an otherwise five star course may get one star. My average rating is 2.8 which is below 3 because of golf clubs with poor pace of play management. Repeated slow play is usually needed to get a 1-star rating and a do not play recommendation.
As background: I am a weekend golfer with approximately 2,500 rounds across 150 golf courses.
A great track.
The 11th hole is one you'll put on your best golf hole list. Greens were just aerated but tees and fairways were excellent.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the course especially the 11th hole! Come back soon.
Fun layout but horrible greens
I have played this course several times. In fact, I played the course on back to back days (Mon and Tues). I really like the layout of the course and the conditions of the course were very good EXCEPT the greens. I have played public, municipal golf course with better kept greens. I have NEVER seen as many unrepaired ball marks on greens as I experienced at Royal Lakes. Not only were the greens terrible with unrepaired ball marks all over the greens, many of the greens had larges patches of dirt where no grass was growing. It will be a while before I return to play the course. Besides having TONS of ball marks, the greens were VERY inconsistent. One green was long and shaggy and had not been mowed in a couple days. The next green would be cut at the proper length and would roll fast. It is very difficult to adjust to the speed of the greens when the greens are not even close to being consistent from green to green.
I would not go back and play until the greens have been redone and renovated.
We appreciate your feedback and sorry to hear that the conditions may not have been up to par. We have informed our staff and crews on the matter and are working hard to rectify the situation and make this the best Royal Lakes possible for your next round. Come back and see us again we look forward to your visit!
Good course that needs some attention
I have played Royal Lakes many times over the past 10 years. This is a very good and somewhat challenging layout. The course is not in its best condition. While I hope that they do not change the bent grass greens. The greens are stressed. About 3 greens are in poor condition. The Bermuda fairways are good, but not great. Some fairway areas are stressed and have thin grass. The rough is moderately high, but not so high that lost balls are a problem. Several bunkers need repair. Many need some grooming. I recommend Royal Lakes if the price is right (less than $50). In good condition, this should be a $75+ course. The Blue tees are now the back tees. This makes the par 3's brutal if there is any wind. Hole 8 can play 200 plus and hole 14 can require a 225-yard water carry to a smallish green.
Thanks for leaving your feedback we appreciate the time you took to leave the detail here and we are working hard everyday to make this the best Royal Lakes G&CC possible for your next round. Come back and see us!
nice course, needs work
fairways were in great shape. greens were terrible, like putting on the cart path.
We thank you for playing at Royal Lakes and taking the time to review our course and the facility. We hope to see you again and we're working towards patching up anything we may have missed, thank you for letting us know!
Disappointed
Went to this course on Sunday, based off of the glowing reviews from several co-workers of mine. However, I was greatly disappointed in the condition of the course. The tee boxes and greens left a TON to be desired. The greens were incredibly slow and had black spots all over them. The tee boxes on some holes felt like I was teeing off from the rough.....
Left there and went to Chicopee Woods later that afternoon. That course was in BEAUTIFUL shape.
I live closer to Royal Lakes and Reunion, but without question, I will drive the extra few miles to Chicopee Woods for a better experience.
We regret to hear the course conditions were not up to par. We are addressing the conditions at the course and we hope you give us another shot this season.
Don't go for the greens
The greens were in horrible condition. Sand, dirt, hallmarks, all over the putting services. We were told holes five and six putting greens are in bad condition, but almost every putting green was in bad condition. The fairways and tea boxes are in good shape, very long rough at this time. Difficult to find your ball if you hit it off of the fairway. Have played this course many times in the past, enjoy the play out. Will not be back for a few months, hope their greens heal.
We appreciate your feedback and sorry to hear that the conditions may not have been up to par. We have informed our staff and crews on the matter and are working hard to rectify the situation and make this the best Royal Lakes G&CC possible for your next round. Come back and see us again we look forward to your visit!
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Sweet! Thanks so much for playing here and glad you loved the challenge.