Atlanta Athletic Club: Highlands

No course on our rankings has highlighted the value of new turfgrasses better than the Highlands Course at Atlanta Athletic Club. It sets the standard for quality everyday conditions as well as for major championships at Southern venues. Its tees and fairways are Zorro Zoysia, which can withstand Atlanta’s coldest winter days. Greens are state-of-the-art TifEagle Bermuda, smooth and pure. Approaches and surrounds of greens are TifGrand Bermuda, which allows them to be mowed very tight for additional bounce. The rough is Tifway 419 Bermuda, a great old standby. The club also recently upgraded its irrigation system. Because each turf has different water demands, a precise individual-head system was installed, each head controlled by the superintendent with a smartphone app, applying moisture only where needed and thus saving water and money. No longer will an errant shot at Atlanta Athletic Club land behind an irrigation box. There are none anymore. The club recently announced the current Rees Jones-developed architecture will also be given a refresh when Andrew Green begins a major remodel in 2028.