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Ohoopee Match Club
Ohoopee Match Club
1400 Indigo Dr.
Cobbtown, GA 30420
United States
Overview
From Golf Digest Architecture Editor emeritus Ron Whitten:
I’ve been told Gil Hanse had first examined the site of Ohoopee Match Club as far back as 2006 considered it ideal for golf: gently rolling terrain with no severe elevation changes, and beautiful sandy soil deposited by the nearby Ohoopee River, perfect for drainage and firm, fast conditions. The ground around tiny Cobbtown, Ga., is also perfect for growing onions—it’s just northeast of Vidalia, world-famous for the Vidalia onion. Indeed, Ohoopee’s logo is a freshly picked onion, although if you look closely, its roots are three writhing snakes. Any symbolism pertaining to match play is uncertain; perhaps it simply suggests the sort of putts one will face.
What’s the composition of a course meant for match play? One might think it would contain lots of penal hazards, because a triple bogey on any particular hole would not be fatal in match play. Perhaps the targets would be smaller than normal, to level the playing field between big hitters and short-but-accurate golfers. That’s not the composition of the 7,325-yard championship course at Ohoopee. Hanse did produce dramatic visuals in this sandy locale that hark back to portions of Pinehurst and Pine Valley, from long expanses of sandy rough dotted with native plants to deep, foreboding pits of sand, but they’re mostly on the far perimeter of holes. The fairways, with one exception, are extremely wide, and almost no fairway bunkers eat into any landing area. It’s as though Hanse is encouraging golfers to swing away as hard as they can off the tee in search of birdies and eagles.
Indeed, five of the first seven holes, on a conventional 18, would be considered eagle opportunities: the 547-yard second followed by the even longer third (with a downhill approach to a deep green) and then the 525-yard sixth and 602-yard seventh, with a potential drivable par 4 at No. 4. On the second nine, holes in the range of 500 yards are back-to-back at 11 and 12, and the 14th is just 312 yards. On paper, that would seem to be eight holes offering potential drama.
But Ohoopee is not a conventional 18. The scorecard lists the second, sixth and 12th holes not as par 5s but at a par of 4½. The 14th isn’t considered a drivable par 4; it’s a par 3½. Par doesn’t matter, remember, because this is a match-play design. (The drink coasters in the clubhouse read, No One Cares What You Shot.) In the early 1900s, many courses had “half-par” holes listed on the card as bogey scores, where a half-par guaranteed the hole would not be halved in a match against the imaginary “Colonel Bogey.” That’s not the case at Ohoopee, where nobody plays alone. The half-pars on the scorecard were simply added as a bit of whimsy.
The ultimate targets are as generous as the fairways: big, rolling greens, many with lateral ridges, and big surrounds off the putting surfaces, tightly mowed turf and sand bunkers well removed from the edge of greens to encourage ground game approaches. The theory here, I think, is that at Ohoopee, no one should ever be out of the hole. There’s always hope when one has a decent pitch from a clean lie.
Another interesting aspect of Hanse’s design is that on several holes, the landing areas are obscured from view off the back tees, meaning a certain gamesmanship is removed. Players won’t know the fate of the opponents’ tee shot, so they can’t automatically play safe.
About
Awards



Ranking history:
100 Greatest: Debuts on our ranking at 34th, 2023-2024.
Best in State: Ranked second, 2021-'22.
Current ranking: 3rd.
Best New: 2019 Best New Private winner.
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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
“The match play concept is really fun. The holes are laid out in a way to maximum match play. I was very excited to play Ohoopee. Due to its lofty rankings, I was somewhat disappointed. The course is very solid, but did not match my excitement. The stretch from 6 to 8 were my favorite holes. It did not have the same feel as most Hanse courses, as I felt the greens and bunkering were somewhat docile."
Read More2025
Review
“This is one of those courses you never forget. The unique character to the different routings on the course and give you so much shot variety while also being extremely fun. Due to the match play nature of the course makes you approach the round different than you might normally."
Read More2024
Review
“The course changes every morning and afternoon with different routings and tee boxes. There are an extra 4 holes that are in play in addition to the “normal” 18 (A,B,C,and D holes), making 22 total. Some of the holes are par 4.5s and 5.5s and can be rerouted to interchange with each other. Designed to be a match play course so it discourages keeping a traditional stroke play score. Having wild animals (zebras, etc) is a fun touch too. There are so many shot options while playing. Wide open fairways, but bunker placement requires tee shot accuracy for best approach. Ball can also roll right into fescue/waste bunker from the fairway too (not really any rough). Quite a few blind tee shots, some elevation, making it harder to see. Waste area carries off the tee, but you could always play out of it. Bump and runs are plentiful here too."
Read More2024
Review
“Exceptional golf experience. Preferred the Championship Routing to the Whiskey Routing."
Read More2023
Review
“If you ge the invite, drop everything and go. Truly unique experience. The course is fabulous and the facilities are top notch. One of the best."
Read More2023
Review
“Ohoopee Match Club is one of the most unique golf experiences in the world. The club motto "nobody cares what you shot" is indicative of the club culture and style of play - match play. The course is designed with that in mind and has a lot of risk/reward shots that create a great match play setting. The villas and food are also spectacular. So if you are lucky enough to get an invite - run, don't walk to get there!"
Read More2023
Review
“It just doesn't get much better...relatively flat site but you would not know it. Brilliant routing. Exceptional greens. Very fun to play!"
Read More2023
Review
“Match Club" is a very appropriate name for this course that offers endless options on how to play each hole with tee boxes that wave "
Read More2022
Review
“Plenty of risk reward on this course. Must think your way around. Green complexes provide plenty of opportunities for a variety of shots. Conditions were firm and fast with excellent greens. Great use of the land with each hole unique to the other. The bunkers added plenty of challenge and also added to the aesthetics."
Read More2022
Review
“A truly unique setting. A true matchplay test, bold lines are either severely punished or rewarded. Birdies and pickups are possible at every turn. Large, undulating greens that provide multiple options for plays into the green or for a variety of recovery shots if the green is missed."
Read More2022