I rate Country Land Golf Course in Cumming three out of five Yelp stars ("OK"), by the hair of its chinny chin chin. While I wasn't a fan of the course layout, the conditioning wasn't bad and the value was good ($37 for an afternoon weekend tee time). Also, the staff was friendly, from our starter to the cart boys. If you go into Country Land with tempered expectations, you can have an enjoyable round here.
If you've played here before, then you'll have a much better idea of what to expect, which helps. One of my buddies can attest to that. I played here with him. For him, it was his third visit. For me, my first. We've played golf together at dozens of courses all over metro Atlanta. He described Country Land to me as an "acquired taste." He enjoyed it more his third time around than his first two times.
We think the yardages listed on the scorecard and hole markers are wrong and thus, the ratings/slopes on the scorecard are probably off too. A couple of examples include holes 1 and 4. No. 1 is listed at 315 yards from the blue tees, but it can't be more than about 275. No. 4 is listed at 460, but it can't be longer than 380. And so on. My friend heard the course was modified at one point, so maybe the yardages were for the original layout.
There are three sets of tees: blue, white, red. The scorecard says the blues (tips) measure 6,025 yards with a rating/slope of 67.2/112. I played from the whites: 5,510 yards, 65.6/117. Not often I see a higher slope for the whites than I do the blues. Regardless, this is supposed to be a relatively easy course. The course is a par 70 or 69 depending on which tees you play from. Par 70 from the blues and whites and 69 from the reds. Hole 6 is a par 5 from the blues/whites (540/520) and par 4 from the reds (365).
On paper, I think this course is more challenging than other courses I've played at similar yardages and ratings/slopes and with similar terrain. In my opinion, a few reasons why are:
1. The course has a tight, compact layout. It feels like they had to shoehorn all 18 in, so the fairways are narrow and it's easier to hit shots into other holes. I think RiverPines in Johns Creek is a great example of a "compact" par 70 course that has just enough space between holes, along with wide fairways. You don't get that here at Country Land.
2. The course is exceptionally hilly and less forgiving with less opportunities for good lies in the fairways compared to similar courses. Don't get me wrong - I'm well aware that hilly courses are the norm in Georgia and the South. They're all I mainly play on. However, Country Land is one of those courses where you'll find yourself on uneven ground and/or a sidehill lie more often than other hilly courses. Me sucking at golf has something to do with it, of course, but other hilly courses at least have bigger, more receptive, and flat landing areas. I found it more difficult to find a good lie. Also, part of that might have had to do with it being my first time playing here and being unfamiliar with the layout.
3. This course has an above-average amount of blind shots, not only off the tee, but approach shots into greens too. Blind shots are one of my golf pet peeves. Obviously, blind shots aren't as bad if you're familiar with a course, but if it's your first time, it's not ideal.
Regarding #1 above, due to the compact nature and, at times, awkward nature of the course layout, I think there is a greater chance of getting hit by wayward tee shots here. Regarding #3, there's at least one hole - No. 4, I believe - where you can get hit by the group behind you because the drive landing area is blind, down a hill. Country Land doesn't have any sort of "safe to tee off" notification system like other courses.
Another awkward thing / quirk about the layout is having to drive on the property's main driveway twice, to get to the tee boxes for holes 2 and 10. While not a big deal, again, it's just not ideal and contributes to the "shoehorned" feel of the layout.
Some of the tee boxes were in terrible shape, such as No. 5, a par 3 over water. That tee box was mostly dirt/sand. The greens were mostly in OK shape, at best , though they had their rough patches as well. Most notably, the 12th green had some sand-filled divots like those you'd see on a fairway (!). Speaking of which, this course has no sand bottles. Was it not in the budget or do people not use them or what? I think sand bottles are a must at any course for proper care and maintenance.
Country Land has some great views, particularly when you're at high points of elevation. Examples include the 9th and 18th greens near the clubhouse. There are also some scenic pond views around 5, 6, 12, 17, and 18. It's important to note there is no driving range, only a practice putting green and I think a practice chipping green. The clubhouse has a grill with indoor and outdoor seating. There was food and beverage cart service. The carts were gas-powered E-Z-GO carts in decent shape. read more