I had the opportunity to play Eagle Watch. This is a fine golf course in Woodstock, located about…read more35-45 minutes north of Atlanta without traffic. If you're familiar with golf courses in metro Atlanta, Eagle Watch is located immediately next to Towne Lake Hills Golf Club. Both courses are in the Woodstock neighborhood of Towne Lake, just off I-575 exit 8. I like both courses. The big difference between the two is Eagle Watch is private and Towne Lake is public. Eagle Watch is currently a ClubCorp course and, for some reason, is paired with Bentwater Golf Club in Acworth. The courses are about 35 minutes apart (without traffic). I remember when these courses operated independently of each other (and when Bentwater was public). The only reason I can think of as to why ClubCorp paired them together is to sell more memberships. Get two courses for the price of one. Eagle Watch used to belong to Canongate (also private at the time) until ClubCorp acquired them in a large package deal in 2014. Eagle Watch has all the typical country club amenities and then some. Along with the 18-hole, par-72 golf course, there are 12 tennis courts, pools, a playground for kids, and even an outdoor basketball court and beach volleyball. The clubhouse is nice and spacious. I wouldn't characterize this club as high-end, but it's certainly not low-tier either. It's middle of the pack. There's a driving range, large practice putting green, and a practice short game area with bunker. The course is one of less than 10 in the state of Georgia designed by the Arnold Palmer Design Company. I'm not sure how much of a hand Arnie actually had in the design of Eagle Watch, but it's cool his name is attached. Like other Palmer clubs, the clubhouse has memorabilia dedicated to The King. The course opened in 1989. It has bermudagrass fairways and bentgrass greens. When we played, the course, from tee to green, was generally in good condition. There are five sets of tees to play from. From the tips (gold), the course measures "only" 6,741 yards with a rating/slope of 72.8/143. From the whites, where we played from, the course measures 5,677 yards with a 68.0/125 rating/slope. I'd say this course is average or slightly above average in difficulty. The course is hilly, which is typical of a Georgia course, but it's more pronounced here. Some of the elevation changes are significant and make some of the holes scenic and memorable. There are no large bodies of water to contend with, but several small ponds and some creeks. While the course winds and weaves its way through a subdivision, most of the holes are tree-lined. The signature hole is No. 14, a moderate to long par-3 with a forced carry over a pond. Paired with a bunker left of the green, there's not much room for error. On top of that, if you're shooting for birdie, you'll have to place your ball on the correct side of the green as it's two-tiered. It's not as intimidating as it sounds. The 17th is another par-3 over water and it's one of the easier holes. The most difficult hole is No. 2, a long dogleg-right par-4. It's the longest par-4 on the course (446 yards from the tips, 390 from the whites) and the No. 1 handicap hole. Err to the right on your approach. I had an enjoyable round here and wouldn't mind playing this track again. We had fun.

Course was a dump. Bad tees, cart paths like the DMZ, carts electrically blocked on all fairways,…read moreetc. Good clubhouse, that's it. Club One Corp is a scam and only wants $$$ but spends nothing to maintain the pasture.

Had a friend come into town and we always get together and hit up a top golf to enjoy ourselves…read more This location in Alpharetta is closest to my home in Cumming, so on the drive from the airport we made a reservation for a bay to time it perfectly. Plenty of parking since it was a Sunday afternoon, and it was cloudy with sporadic rain nearby, making the need to prepay for a booth unnecessary, since we were early and they had plenty of booths. Oh well, kind of disappointed they still charged us for that. We booked booth 216 for 90 minutes, Taylor K was our server and checked in on us to see if we needed any help getting started. We for a couple drinks and started our playing a few different games. With two people we play quickly, so we had a lot of fun. I ordered pretzel bites as a snack while playing and we didn't stop until the time was up. Easy to pay our tab, we had gift cards and Taylor helped us get it sorted out. Any leftovers we gave to him, along with a cash tip. Great location, near lots of options for food- but drinks and food are good here! Great for entertaining, great for big groups. Thanks Taylor for a great visit! We will be back- love booth 216.

If you like to go to the driving range, just like hitting golf or just want to try something…read moredifferent top golf is for you. It's a lot of in but not cheap. You do have a dedicated server for your bay. The last time I went through I felt our server was never around when I needed her. We order the pretzel bites and the new app Bbq twisted potatoes. I was really looking forward to the new app but it was really a let down. The presentation was cool but it was lacking bbq sauce and cheese. Just a lot of fries. The pretzels bites came out warm but after the cheese cools down it's like hmm. This place is an experience overall but not sure I would go for the food.

I played this course as a guest. Let's start with the clubhouse and staff…read more This is a true golf club. There's no pool and no tennis. The clubhouse is of average size, but it's very nice. I was told it was recently remodeled. The clubhouse food staff were exceptional. Super service oriented. The driving range is pretty ordinary, but well beyond functional. I just expected more. Not a true complaint. The turf that you hit off is in excellent condition. The range balls were terrible. This really surprised me. I peeked into the sheltered learning center (instruction) and it looked great. I enjoyed the short game area, which provided plenty of variety. The putting green was great. It was in excellent condition, probably 18 holes cut, and it was large in size. The director of golf, Phil, seemed like a really nice guy. He struck me is the sort of guy you would want as your golf pro. He gives the impression of being a happy man with a ready smile. His four assistant pros had the typical, "I hate this job" attitude. The cart staff was great. They were service oriented and eager to please. The layout of this golf course was exceptional, but the routing is confusing. I'd have gotten lost without help. There are no tee signs or hole-to-hole markings of any kind. I would describe this is a very fun golf course to play. It is visually attractive and challenging, but also fair. Loose tee shots are punished, but the fairways are a little bit wider than they appear from the tee. The fairways and greens were in excellent condition, given that we played in the winter. The fairways were all over seeded. The greens were smooth and fast. Approach shots need major attention. I hit several shots that ended up nowhere near where I expected. False fronts, sides and slopes definitely need to be factored in before pulling a club. The bunkers get an F minus. All of them we're literally unplayable. The sand in all of the green side bunkers was so hard you can walk across them without leaving a footprint. I'm certain they will not be in this condition come April. Maintenance of this course is both good and bad. The turf is great, but there's a decided lack of attention to detail in so many areas. Especially within 50 yards of the green and in. We've all had to deal with a maintenance crew that disrupts play, but this bunch is in a class all by itself. As annoying as they were, they could not detract from this track. I think so highly of this course I just can't give it anything less than 5 stars. To be fair, I'm betting this place will shine come April. This track is a real treat to play. I was told it's around 13th in the state and I believe it.

GREAT golf, great food and great staff!! Everyone was very nice and welcoming.read more

The PGA Championship returned to Atlanta Athletic Club for the first time in 10 years. As soon as…read moretickets went on sale last year, I purchased immediately. There was no way I was going to miss a major championship in town. The tournament was a blast and I have to give credit to the Atlanta Athletic Club, PGA, the 3,500 volunteers, and everyone else who helped put this massive event together. From a spectator perspective, the tournament was very well organized. Free parking was available at Gwinnett Arena. From there, air-conditioned shuttle buses transported us to the course. There was no wait whatsoever to and from the course as far as the shuttles were concerned. The system seemed seamless. Along the way, there was always someone available to assist if anyone had a question. Located just inside the Atlanta Athletic Club gates were a whole host of enormous tents. Inside, you'd find everything from the golf shop to a Mercedes-Benz showroom to golf instruction bays with PGA Teaching Professionals. The golf shop was massive and inside was a PGA Tour fan's dream. They had for sale golf equipment, attire, t-shirts, hats, etc. in every size, fit, and color you can imagine, as well as all other sorts of golf paraphernalia. I could've easily spent all day there. Two of the tents were the "PGA Fan Experience" and the "PGA Learning Center." Inside the Fan Experience, you could record video and various metrics on your golf swing, take a picture with Jim Furyk, design a golf bag where the best design would actually be created and used by either Furyk, Anthony Kim, or Matt Kuchar at next year's PGA Championship, play games to win one of the many autographed golf bags on display, and more. At the Learning Center, you could register to take lessons and receive golf instruction on-site from a whole host of PGA Teaching Professionals. The golf instruction included video analysis, customized putting tips, and swing lessons. Since you reserve a time slot, you were free to roam the course and come back at your allotted time. Results from the video analyses were recorded and emailed to all participants. And the best part about it all: it was free. My setup and swing was compared side-by-side to Tiger Woods and Stuart Appleby. In the middle of the course, there was a huge air-conditioned tent setup by American Express and Delta. If you are an AmEx or Delta SkyMiles card holder, you could access this tent to relax and take a break. Inside, there were refreshments, cushioned seating and tables, nicer bathrooms, and leaderboards. When players were at the range, they had name tags to help you identify them. I just so happened to walk on the range while Tiger was there. He said hi to last year's champ, Martin Kaymer, and walked off. Tiger was the only player who had security following him around. Both the range and the practice putting green were slammed with players. It was neat to watch everyone warming up and fine-tuning their game. Kaymer brought out his own putting contraption to help his alignment. While the weather was hot, the course was in immaculate shape. The Highlands Course at AAC is a beautiful and hilly course. My friends and I spent most of our time on the back nine. It's amazing how good the players are, from Rory McIlroy hitting to within 10-feet from a fairway bunker on the 457-yard par 4 11th to Anthony Kim going pin high on the 267-yard par 3 15th. As the old Tour tagline went: "These guys are good." Anthony Kim autographed the back of someone's iPhone between the 14th green and 15th tee. At the end of the 18th hole, players would make their way back to the clubhouse. There was an autograph area near the clubhouse and several of the players would take the time to greet fans and sign flags, hats, tickets, etc. I ran into a lot of players this way including Fuyrk, Stewart Cink, Lucas Glover, Webb Simpson, Fredrick Jacobson, Aaron Baddeley, and others. I also spotted John Daly and Greg Norman going to the clubhouse. Players I wanted to see, but missed due to timing included Padraig Harrington, Steve Stricker, Bubba Watson, and Adam Scott. I did see Scott's caddie, Steve Williams (Tiger's former caddie), walking around the clubhouse. Congratulations to Keegan Bradley for winning this year's championship.

I just spent the entire day a the Atlanta Athletic Club for the Championship today. I had a free…read moreticket from a work-related function. And while I'm not really a giant pro-golf fan, I thought this would be a fun way to spend a day outside and check it out. Other than the concessions, this was one class act, all the way through. Parking near the event was limited and very cost prohibitive so they had another option of parking at the Gwinnett Arena and taking a shuttle bus over...for free! I chose to do the shuttle thing and took it to the AAC where there was a long line of people waiting to get inside. Luckily, the line moved fairly quickly and I was soon inside. The nicely air-conditioned PGA shop was really cool with a gigantic variety of hats, shirts, coats, bags, shorts, pants, cups, umbrellas and a thousand other things with the AAC/PGA logos on it. You could probably buy enough items to fill your wardrobe for a year, decorate your house and office with nothing but golf crap, and even dress your kids and pets like little golfers...if that's the sorta' thing you're into. The weather was high 90s with a terribly unforgiving sun. But there was plenty of shade to be had and several misting booths to keep you cool, along with water vendors and concession stands every other hole or so. When the time came to break for lunch, I went to the concessions stand near holes 15/16 and picked up a pulled pork sandwich, a bag of chips and a Gatorade...for $14. Wow. I think the food at Turner Field is less than this...and oh, so much better. I tried eating the pulled-pork sandwich and it had been sitting under the heat lamp for so long that it was like eating a pile of jerky on a bun. Not cool...and so not worth $14. Other than the sub-par lunch, everything else was outstanding. We were able to get really close to the action on any of the holes we wanted to watch. The course has built a lot of space for galleries to spread out and watch without being overly crowded (despite there being a ton of people). We actually go very close enough to several of the pro golfers to be able to hear them talking to their caddies. We also saw several of them signing autographs for the kids and fans, making it a really cool experience.

Great location especially on colder winters evenings etc. Definitely can't wait to go againread more

Don Peterson knows golf!! His driving range is awesome and I love working on my game here. Great…read moreBalls, Mini Golf for my kids and they are always there to help me "straighten" out my game!!

Fun and great service! We were able to gather grandkids and their parents to enjoy time together!…read more Great no phone zone you can create!

This location was previously a solid 3/5 stars: it's a split-focus family entertainment place. They…read moreoffer the Kids Bowl Free program, which we have enjoyed for three years now, although this year the service has dropped phenomenally. Of the 5 visits this summer, 4 of them have required calling for support on the bumpers, most often resulting in having to change lanes, even after mentioning as we were booking a lane that we need one that has working bumpers. I get this - it's an older facility, and I've watched grown men hurl bowling balls at the bumpers for kicks and giggles, but the basic attitude of the workers here has been difficult. The actual techs try to keep things working, and when one is actually on staff while we are there they get things going pretty quickly. If one is not on staff, though, the majority of workers report they just started, and based on how often I see new faces there I don't think that's an excuse. For whatever reasons, this location struggles to retain staff. I get it: it's a bowling alley, but apparently whoever runs this bowling alley is not hiring and/or training adequately. We typically make an evening out of our visits with food and often games as well, which is why I'm a little surprised that no real effort is made to retain us as patrons. At this point, I might as well just drive to the closer Cherokee Lanes and save a few cents on gas for the same lack of quality. ______________ In the wee hours of the morning after I posted this review, a third-party, off-shore account "replied" to my review, leaving a broken link to something called momo. The name and picture match someone listed for Stars and Strikes on LinkedIn but had the boilerplate language of a copy and paste. This is consistent with what we have experienced in Woodstock - a company that is not investing in hiring and training locally or handling complaints with honesty and accuracy.

I really enjoyed my experience with Peter. The ease in which he worked with me was great. He…read moreallowed me to relax and enjoy the lesson. I will be back for more lessons. I recommend Peter Yum. Mary E

I began taking lessons with Peter in February of 2009. I came to peter with a home made swing and…read morescores ranging from the mid 90's to 110. After a few lessons my swing was beginning to take shape and my scores had already began to drop. The main reasons for Peter being my golf coach are his patience and his extensive knowledge of the golf swing. Today I am 16 and i consistently shoot in the low to high 70's. If you want to take your game to the next level then i suggest you take lessons from Peter Yum.

Great pizza and service - best staff, great people…read more Not much compares to the elevated experience here. Deviled eggs to die for

I eat lunch at Cherokee at least once a week. Honestly, I don't know why you're reading this…read morereview, because to go here you have to either be a member (in which case you already know how good it is) or you have to be a guest of a member (which means you probably didn't have a choice). But just in case you're reading this to know what you're missing, I'll fill you in. I would classify Cherokee as a "Cheers"-like dining room, where everybody knows your name (dun-a-dun-a-dun-dun...etc.). The waiters and waitresses have a good rapport with the diners and are very good about knowing exactly what your "usual" is. Often, when we walk in the door, our drinks make it to the table before we sit down. The bar food is exceptional. My "usual" is the tuna melt with sweet potato fries. It's not on the menu, but as long as they have the ingredients, they'll make about anything you want. The New England clam chowder is possibly the best in the Southeast, maybe even the whole Eastern seaboard! The menu has recently been updated, so now they offer a pulled BBQ and Monte Cristo sandwich, among other new items.