Part of a greater residential development on the shores of a Georgian lake, the Golf Club at Cuscowilla layout is a typically playable, walkable and enjoyable creation from America’s premier modern design firm. Distinctive for its rugged bunker shapes and heavy red sand, the opening nine sweeps inland of the lake and crosses a couple of dams while the back side starts right over and along the lake before heading back through tall Pine trees. Greens are perhaps not quite as sophisticated as others by Coore & Crenshaw but a lot of traffic here is guest play so understandably the contours are toned down somewhat. The holes though are very solid, with better examples including the tremendous par threes, the 3rd featuring an angled green atop a dam and the 11th with its green jutting into the lake and deliciously humped to make the target area feel tighter.

Typical of this design pair there are also a couple of clever drivable par fours, the 5th with a triangular canyon bunker pointing at the green and either carried full length for the game or played to the sides for those treating it as a two-shotter. The 12th also has a good target area, this time small and protected on both sides by sand, the 5-iron/wedge vs drawn 3-wood/driver option is a fun one for those who can shape the ball from right to left. Another hole of note is the 14th, a brutal par five across sloping ground over bunkers, ridge, falling fairway and into an elevated target.

Cuscowilla is a pretty place for golf, and a very solid golf course. Few designers would have been capable of creating a Flag-rated course on such modest terrain and with all the restrictions of an estate development like this. Coore & Crenshaw did a nice job here.