As soon as Lanier Islands’ Director of Golf – Mike Miller – and his staff learned that the lakeside resort’s 18-hole course had been named #2 among the top public, semi-private and resort courses in the state of Georgia by GolfAdvisor.com for 2018, the team starting examining ways to secure the #1 slot for 2019. Golf Advisor - a popular online tee time booking engine – has become the go to place for many golfers when traveling or looking for golf away from their home.  The site examined 4,742 reviews of 197 courses as the basis for their rankings.

“To be designated #2 in the state out of nearly 200 courses, this speaks volumes for our staff here at the golf course – from our cart staff, starters and rangers to our pro shop staff and beverage cart attendees – all of whom interact with our guests each visit in an effort to enhance their experience,” said Miller. “I think it also says a lot about our superintendent and golf maintenance staff members who work behind the scenes to keep our course in top-notch shape year-round. We take our online presence and the feedback we receive from guests to heart and stay on top of the feedback we receive. These rankings are based on our guests’ feedback, which makes it all the more special.  I find it incredible that 2018 was the third wettest year in the history of the state, and yet we still managed to have an amazing year at Legacy Golf Course.  We are looking at every opportunity we can to make 2019 even more amazing as we vie for the #1 spot next go-around.”

Miller points to a number of factors that set Legacy Golf Course apart from other resort, public and semi-private courses in Georgia. For a number of years, Lanier Islands has offered a “one price gets you everything” policy. Golfers at Legacy Golf Course get to enjoy 18 holes of golf, greens fees and range balls – along with complimentary food and non-alcoholic beverages in the clubhouse – all for one price. The condition of the course has also proven a real game-changer for the resort. Whereas many North Georgia courses feature Bent Grass, Legacy boasts Bermuda Greens – which have a tendency to run true and fast well into the dog days of summer and beyond. What is perhaps most compelling about this particular resort course is that it is every bit as challenging as it is breathtaking. 12 of 18 holes are located on or within sight of the lake, making for a scenic yet exciting water hazard-filled day of golf.

In partnership with Swing King for 2019, the resort has introduced a Hole-in-One challenge at Hole #10. Every golfer has a shot at winning $1,000 if they make a hole-in-one at the Par 3 hole. For a $5 upgrade, they could win $10K and for a $10 upgrade, they could win $20K. Even better, all shots are filmed and golfers who score a hole-in-one are given a DVD of the moment when they took the shot of a lifetime. This August, Legacy Golf Course will also play host to the PGA Jr. League State Championship – representing what would equate to the “World Series” for one of the fastest growing golf programs for players 13 and under. It serves as a great way to introduce an entirely new generation of golfers and their families to the #2 course in the state.

In addition to this most recent accolade, Lanier Islands has consistently secured Certificates of Excellence from TripAdvisor for its customer service and guest experience resort-wide. It was also just named Best of Weddings by The Knot for 2019, won a Couple’s Choice Award from WeddingWire and was recognized as Best of 2019 winner by Wedding Spot.