10 years before Bobby Bolin’s rendition of the Atlanta Athletic Club course, the CGX Design team created this Championship 2011 version which, at the time, was a par 70 (par-4 2nd and par-4 18th, now par-5 holes). If the par has changed since, the course still has plenty of doglegs and quite a few water holes to keep you on your toes, after a relatively cool start with the first three par-4 holes (two doglegs left and the straight 3rd hole).
You will start sweating with the beautiful par-3 4th hole, with a tee shot over a lake and a flagstick very close to its edge ; then, after the nice dogleg right par-5 5th, with a narrow fairway and two elongated bunkers in the inner corner, and a slightly-elevated green (surrounded by bunkers), you will have to hit a tough second shot over a big pond on the straight par-4 6th, to reach the green, right behind.
Another tee shot over a big pond awaits you on the pretty par-3 7th hole, before walking over to the nice dogleg par-4 8th, bending to the left around a wide lake, with bunkers on the right side of a narrow fairway, and an elevated green.
On the back 9, I like the dogleg left par-4 11th hole, quite challenging with its wide fairway and downhill slope all the way to the green (with a big pond next to it, on the right), and the other dogleg left par-5 12th, with a tough second shot toward the green, with a small pond on the right to watch for...
Then, after two right doglegs, the par-4 13th and 14th holes, you will reach the scenic and long par-3 15th, with a downhill tee shot and a large pond, guarding the right side of the green, and continue with the par-3 17th, the signature hole of this Highlands course, with a wide lake surrounding half of the green.
You will complete your round with the picturesque and tough dogleg left par-4 18th hole, with trees in the inner corner, midway, hiding a lake behind, and a final approach over its narrowest surface to reach its small green.
Once again, this par 70 is well designed by the CGX team and fun to play with plenty of water hazards and "hand-sweating" approaches toward the greens, often surrounded by big bunkers. But, in the end, I prefer to keep Bobby Bolin’s updated version, even nicer and more enjoyable...