Dave Sansom
Dave Sansom
Dave Sansom
Dave Sansom
Dave Sansom
Atlanta Athletic Club: Riverside
Atlanta Athletic Club: Riverside
1930 Bobby Jones Dr
Johns Creek, GA 30097-2499
United States
Overview
Robert Trent Jones built 27 holes for the Atlanta Athletic Club when it moved from East Lake in Atlanta to the northern suburb of Duluth (now called Johns Creek) in the late 1960s. When Joe Finger added a fourth nine on a high section of the property in the early 70s, the holes were broken into two 18-hole courses, the Highlands Course, host of the 1976 U.S. Open and 2001 and 2011 PGA Championships, and the Riverside Course.
Riverside was always viewed as the more friendly, non-championship course, though it hosted its share of prestigious tournaments as well. Rees Jones performed major work on both courses through the years, and the style of each came to resemble more his architecture than his father's or Finger's.
In 2022, Tripp Davis remodeled Riverside, rebuilding and reshaping each hole, each green site and the bunkers to tie them better into the landforms, creating new looks and several new holes in the process. Davis divided the par-5 third into a short par-3 and a dogleg-left par-4 with the new green pushed back against the Chattahoochee River, then combined the old fourth and fifth into a riverside par-5 that bends gradually right. The twelfth green was pushed back 80 yards to turn it into a par-5, the par-3 17th green was rebuilt with modified punchbowl shaping and water hazards near the greens at 14 and 18 were removed. Riverside finished second for the 2023 Best Transformation award, and there are some (including us) who would divide a 10-round split between Highlands and Riverside 5-5, or even 6-4 in favor of the latter.
About
Awards
ranking history:
Best in State: Ranked eighth, 2015-'16. Ranked ninth, 2017-'20. Ranked 12th, 2025-'26. Ranked 13th, 2011-'12, 2021-'22. Ranked 14th, 2013-'14. Ranked 17th, 2023-'24.
Previous ranking: 17th.
2025-'26 ranking: 12th.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Well done by Tripp Davis making this course a firm, but fair test. Near perfect condition. Large firm, undulating bermuda greens. Fairways were fairly straight forward but guarded by strategic bunkering. Shot options were aplenty through the course. A few great risk/reward holes with a nice assortment of par 3's."
Read More2025
Review
“Tripp Davis did a fantastic renovation here that plays substantially different than the original layout. Several key changes overall modernized the course and creates more thoughtful shot making and thinking off the tee. You can tell immediately that the course blends in much better with the surrounding land and contours. They removed a lot of trees to open up site lines to the river and the surrounding courses. You can see 16 flagsticks from the 12th green! They lowered tee boxes and greens and you can tell from the Highlands Course how the raised tee boxes are a totally different experience. Each green offers subtle humps and tiers and you can put 10+ quality pins on every green. They did a great job offering a mix of short and long par 3s, 4s and 5s. Numerous holes offer options off the tee to take on more aggressive lines to hit into greens and golfers get rewarded for taking more aggressive angles by having safer approaches into the greens. The new par 5 11th is the star of the remodel by pushing the green back behind a barranca that used to sit behind the green when it was a par 4. Now you can take the risk of trying to carry the hazard or lay up and have an easy wedge. The short par 4 12th is a great short 4 with the river on your right and a wicked green with challenging pins. The new par 5 18th added great strategic options by removing the lake that previously forced most golfers to lay up. Now you can enter the green from the right side if you try to take it on but face deep bunkers if you miss left. The new zoysia grass around the greenside bunkers is a win and the turf around the bunkers is much sturdier than bermuda. Overall a fantastic job that creates a completely unique experience than the Highlands course."
Read More2025
Review
“We played Riverside a few weeks before the US Girls Junior was to host the event. As a result, the course was in near perfect conditions. The experiences is quite different from the Highlands course, as after two holes, you drop down and play in the flats near the Chattahoochee River, which is beautiful. Although not as challenging as the Highlands, Riversides is a pure joy to play. A big Georgia golf course with pines lining the fairways. There is a lot of room off the tee, but with penal fairway bunkers. The highlight of the round for me was #9, a challenging long par 4 which requires a long iron second shot. There are no forced carries, thus allowing it to be playable for all. This is a course, I'd love to tee up any day of the week."
Read More2025
Review
“Really great shot options course. Can play any ball into the greens. Couple great risk reward holes. Great variety of par 3 holes to test all skill levels. Bunkers very strategic off tees. Greens are not overwhelming difficult but offer a sincere challenge on putts as you can’t find many straight putts. Played every club in the bag."
Read More2024
Review
“Really great shot options course. Can play any ball into the greens. Couple great risk reward holes. Short par 4 plus gettable par 5s. Great variety of par 3 holes to test all skill levels. Bunkers very strategic off tees. Greens are not overwhelming difficult but offer a sincere challenge on putts as you can’t find many straight putts. Played every club in the bag."
Read More2024
Review
“Course was firm and fast with the new green surrounds allowing for all options of short game shots to be played. The new holes have allowed for a round with many unique shots throughout the round."
Read More2024
Review
“The new renovation makes this 18 another Championship course. The fairways with zoysia makes it almost cheating on it. The ball sits up like it’s on a tee. I love the rerouting of holes 3, 4 and 5. The bunkering are as good as any I’ve played. One of the best things I enjoyed was the 45 minute tour of the history of Bobby Jones and the Sargents (George, Harold and Jack) involvement of AAC. Margaret (the historian) is full of knowledge. Do not pass up a tour."
Read More2024
Review
“Wonderful Renovation/remodel by Tripp Davis that brings much more interest to the bunkering, new contours to the green complexes, and strategic tree removal. Every club in the bag was tested for this panelist and routing provides solid variety in terms of direction of holes. Incredible Bobby Jones artifact displays throughout the clubhouse!"
Read More2024
Review
“Don't miss Riverside when visiting AAC. It is just as good as Highlands, and perhaps more fun!"
Read More2024
Review
“Located 36 miles north of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Completely redesigned by Tripp Davis, 2022 Great transformation of the property to make it fit into the existing terrain seamlessly and improving the infrastructure to maintain ideal playing conditions including: irrigation, drainage, structure of bunkers, greens and tees. Heavy tree removal."
Read More2023
