Hawk’s Ridge Golf Club

Hawk’s Ridge Golf Club – Played August 2022

  • Rankings: None of my four lists
  • Location: 1100 Hawks Club Drive, Ball Ground, Georgia
  • Year: 1999
  • Architect: Bob Cupp
  • Course Access: Private
  • Walking Rules: Carts & Caddies Available

Score Card Information:

  • I: 7,215 yards, Par 72, 75.6 Rating/147 Slope
  • II: 6,753 yards, Par 72, 73.0 Rating/144 Slope
  • III: 6,354 yards, Par 72, 71.0 Rating/136 Slope (Men’s), 77.1 Rating/148 Slope (Women’s)
  • IV: 5,973 yards, Par 72, 69.3 Rating/131 Slope (Men’s), 75.0 Rating/142 Slope (Women’s)
  • V: 5,057 yards, Par 72, 65.0 Rating/122 Slope (Men’s), 69.5 Rating/130 Slope (Women’s)

I wasn’t able to find a great deal of history on Hawk’s Ridge Golf Club.  Due to that, our intro will be short today.  I did find a welcoming staff and a quiet course for a midweek round.  Let’s start the tour.

Hole 1 – 400 yards – Par 4

There’s no easing into the round at Hawk’s Ridge.  This longer hole gets you right into the fight.  The fairway is generous as in the green.

Favoring the left side on the approach is the prudent play.

Hole 2 – 438 yards – Par 4

It’s up to you to determine how much to bite off on this tee shot.  Of course, the farther right you go, the longer the carry.  The tradeoff for going left is a much longer approach.

Short and right are no good on this shot.

Hole 3 – 149 yards – Par 3

It’s do or die on this par three.  There is some bailout to the right but you cannot be short at all.

Hole 4 – 560 yards – Par 5

This long par five calls for a good drive up the right side.  The interest kicks up when you see the rest of the hole.

Going for the green is a tricky proposition with the tree guarding it.  The layup also has some stress with a creek and bunker on either side.

Hole 5 – 183 yards – Par 3

A big green here means you might be navigating a long birdie putt.

Hole 6 – 300 yards – Par 4

The bold play is going for the green but a mid/long iron to a comfortable wedge distance is probably more prudent.  Notice that there is a creek running in front of the green.

Here is a look back up towards the tee to illustrate the elevation change.

Hole 7 – 562 yards – Par 5

This is definitely a three-shot hole for most of us.  You can see the entirety of the hole from the tee.

Hole 8 – 429 yards – Par 4

With a big downhill slope you can shorten this hole with a good drive.  A slinging draw past the bunker works very well.

Hole 9 – 391 yards – Par 4

I missed the tee shot here but this is the view from a long second shot.  The green is a difficult target to hold with a downslope in front.

Hole 10 – 417 yards – Par 4

You absolutely cannot miss right here.  However, the safer you play, the longer the second shot.

Hitting a long shot into this elevated green is a difficult task.

Hole 11 – 393 yards – Par 4

What seems like a generous fairway can feel small if you focus on the creek flowing down the right side.

You can see the creek in more detail from this angle.

Hole 12 – 137 yards – Par 3

This can be a devilish hole if you end up in one of the numerous bunkers.  Shots from behind the green are particularly difficult.

Hole 13 – 543 yards – Par 5

We’ve got another blind landing area on this long par five.  Be careful messing with the left side as the land slopes that way.

The green site is an inviting target.

Hole 14 – 389 yards – Par 4

Do everything possible to avoid the many bunkers on the left side.  You can get funky stances and they’re deep enough to make you hesitate.  The hole bends to the left before getting to the green that has even more bunkers surrounding it.

Hole 15 – 311 yards – Par 4

Keep your focus here on what looks like an easy tee shot.  You want to set up a comfortable second shot since it plays over water.

You can’t be short or have too much spin with your approach.

Hole 16 – 194 yards – Par 3

Step up and hit a big shot here.  The elevated tee provides some distance relief and the green is a big target.

Hole 17 – 433 yards – Par 4

A big. brawny test for the penultimate hole.  Feel free to wail away on the driver.

You get no relief on the approach shot.  The big bunkers with a long approach shot make this a tough ask.

Hole 18 – 524 yards – Par 5

The finisher is the signature hole at Hawk’s Ridge.  You need accuracy and power to make a good score.

Left is trouble for the entirety of the hole.

Hawk’s Ridge is a mix of challenging and scoreable holes.  I got plenty of use from the longer clubs in my bag.  The course doesn’t feel tight off the tee but you will get plenty of testing with the approach shots.  I’d imagine handicaps from this club travel quite well.

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