The short version: The golf course at Sugar Creek Golf and Tennis Club is much better now. Read…read moreRobin S' review for a description of what it was like before.
The long version:
Before Sugar Creek closed in fall 2017, it was unplayable. Since then, the facility has undergone about $2.2 million in renovations. It was closed for over two years. There were two reopenings, one in December 2019 (before another closure in March 2020; more on that below) and the last on August 10, 2020.
Now this place actually has a "real" golf course. The facility's 14 tennis courts looked to be in good shape too. During our Saturday visit, the facility was thriving with multiple golf and tennis events happening on the same day. For example, there was a golf tournament for the Junior Tour Powered by Under Armour behind us. We saw them as we looped back around on the front nine. The golf course and tennis courts were busy. The driving range was so busy in the morning that golfers were waiting for spots to open. The large parking lot was full and people were overflow-parking on Sugar Creek Golf Drive.
Like the City of Atlanta courses which are now both owned and operated by the City, Sugar Creek is owned and operated by DeKalb County. The other course the County owns and operates is Mystery Valley in Lithonia. For many years, I think Sugar Creek was neglected and Mystery Valley got preferential treatment. Today, Mystery Valley may still be the preferred muni in DeKalb, but Sugar Creek has narrowed the gap. I'm glad the County didn't shut this place down. I think it's great for the community in this part of Atlanta.
Sugar Creek is located in unincorporated DeKalb (I think). The facility has an Atlanta address, but it isn't within city limits. It's located just off I-285 exit 51, off Bouldercrest Road. As a longtime Atlantan, something that I think is neat about the golf course is seven holes are ITP (inside the Perimeter) and 11 holes are OTP (outside the Perimeter). The clubhouse and tennis courts are OTP. The first hole starts by the tennis courts and plays north towards 285. You then go under the interstate to get to the second tee. Holes 2-8 are played ITP and then you go back under the interstate for the ninth hole and entire back nine. The holes that border 285 remind me of Cross Creek Golf Course which borders I-75. However, Sugar Creek has "better" and more highway views. There's also a nice view of the exit sign for Bouldercrest Road on a few of the holes.
The main reason I'm giving Sugar Creek two stars instead of three is because of poor to nonexistent drainage throughout the course. I heard the course sits on a floodplain and I read that drainage was an issue before the renovations. We played a day after it had rained. Just one day of scattered thunderstorms caused the course to have a lot of standing water, mainly on the cart paths, but also on the fairways and in a few bunkers. Even though the day's cart rule was cart path only, it was actually better for us to *not* drive on the cart path on several holes. On one hole, the water was so deep on the path, it almost came up to our feet while seated in the carts. On another hole, we had to be careful where we drove and walked because a sinkhole had opened up next to one of the paths. It was dangerous. I read that erosion caused safety issues which was what led to the March 2020 closing.
On the bright side, overall, I thought the course was in decent, playable shape, especially considering the price: $48 weekend/holiday rate per person, non-DeKalb County resident. That included 18 holes with cart. These days, I think the only places nearby that have Sugar Creek beat on pricing are the City of Atlanta Courses with Browns Mill and Chastain Park each at $40 and Alfred "Tup" Holmes a bargain at $29.50. Day in and day out, I think I would choose any one of those courses over Sugar Creek (even Tup).
The greens were the best thing about Sugar Creek. New greens were installed as part of the renovations. They were big and in great shape. The fairways were hit or miss. There were very good stretches of fairway followed by fairways filled with dirt patches. The bunkers were in fair condition. The tee boxes were more miss than hit, but there were indeed some hits which can be rare for a muni in this price tier. To me, I could see the effort in the renovations. To where this place had fallen, I think they had a lot of work to do to restore it to where it is today and there's still plenty of work that can be done.
Since this course sits on a floodplain, it's relatively flat, making it unusual for a course in metro Atlanta. I'm also not a fan of the layout. The holes weren't memorable nor very scenic. That said, it's still 18 holes of par-71 golf. On paper, the course is short and easy. From the tips (blue tees), it measures 6,186 yards with a rating/slope of 69.9/124. The clubhouse does have real food which the City of Atlanta courses do not, so that's a win for Sugar Creek.