Henry County's newest golf course opens in October, with a sneak preview Saturday for the public.
Canongate at Heron Bay was built next to the 1,100-acre Cole Reservoir on the Henry-Spalding line. It is the eighth golf course in metro Atlanta owned by the Canongate company, based in Sharpsburg.
Golf course architect Jeff Burton said the course is challenging and interesting for golfers at every level.
"The design is conscientious about the tee and bunker placements," Burton said. "There is nothing here that couldn't be played with a putter, yet it's challenging for professionals, at nearly 7,400 feet from the back tees."
Ken Guerra, Canongate corporate marketing director, said that the Canongate philosophy has been to provide affordable private courses that are fun to play. The first course, Canongate I in the Sharpsburg-Palmetto area, "remains one of our most popular, despite all the changes in the clubs, balls and methods of play over the last 39 years," Guerra said.
Heron Bay memberships are still available, one reason for giving the public a look at the course from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Besides golfing clinics and contests, the event will feature food and family fun, Heron Bay marketing director Susan Wilson Tucker said.
"Canongate is a company that is very family-oriented," Tucker said. "We are looking into providing a pool or other activities for children at Heron Bay, plus we have peewee clinics, times for teens and seniors."
Donnie Conner of Griffin, a longtime golfer who recently became a member at Heron Bay, said he likes the company "because they offer multiple courses, exceptionally maintained and very affordable."
Members can play all the Canongate courses. The other courses include Flat Creek, Braelinn and Planterra Ridge in Peachtree City; Chapel Hills in Douglasville; Mirror Lake in Villa Rica; and White Oak in Newnan.
Canongate at Pinecrest, near Hilton Head Island, S.C., is scheduled to open in October.
Tucker said the entry fee for Canongate at Heron Bay is $750, with monthly fees as low as $99.
Homes in the Heron Bay development by Minerva Properties are under construction around the 18-hole, par 72 tournament course.
"It is, of course, ideal to live where your golf course is," said Guerra. "But we welcome everybody, not just Heron Bay residents."
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
