Fairways of Canton is a gem of a course located in Canton, Georgia, about a 45-minute drive northwest from Atlanta. It's situated in the North Georgia mountains (or at least, in the foothills) so there are several scenic holes with breathtaking views and dramatic elevation changes. It's a beautiful course, better than my playing partners and I expected, and the course conditioning is excellent too. I recommend any avid golfer in metro Atlanta give it a try. It's one of the better public courses I've played in the state to date. And the value is one of the best around. The course opened in 2007, right before the Great Recession. Unlike some courses, which went downhill after the recession, Fairways of Canton looks to have been well-maintained and is in good to great shape, from the sizable clubhouse to the course itself. Even the lawn in front of the clubhouse looks like a nicely manicured fairway. Now this place isn't perfect -- the driving range hitting stations consist of more dirt than grass, the practice bunker needs an overhaul, and the tee boxes and fairways aren't completely devoid of crabgrass (weeds). However, for the price you pay, this place is tremendous value. At the time of writing this review, the highest posted rate to play, on weekends and holidays before 1pm, is $48 plus tax. My buddies and I played here on a Sunday morning for a total of only $39.75 (taxes and fees included) per person. I booked our tee time directly through Fairways of Canton's website at http://fairwaysofcanton.com/. I found the course's website to have the best rate. If I had booked through GolfNow, the price would have been $42.24 (taxes and fees included) per person. No tee times were available on TeeOff.com. Both Fairways of Canton and GolfNow required a small amount due upfront. For us, that amount was $1.99 per person (included in the $39.75 above; we paid the remaining balance at the course). $40 on a weekend morning for a course of this caliber is a deal. Many lower-quality courses in metro Atlanta charge $50 and up. Really, the only downside to Fairways of Canton is its location. It's far for a lot of people. The driving range consists of roughly 20 hitting stations. You hit downhill. I believe the yardages shown on the signs in the distance are adjusted. The practice putting green is nice and big with plenty of slope. That slope is needed because 14 of the course's 18 greens have at least two tiers. There's a practice short game area with two greens and a bunker. The course has five sets of tees. From the tips (blacks), the course is 6,301 yards long with a rating/slope of 72.5/135. From the middle tees (whites), where I normally play from, the course measures only 5,494 yards with a 68.1/123 rating/slope. I would consider this course's difficulty to be moderate. It's fun for all skill levels as long as everyone is honest with their abilities and plays from the appropriate tees. The course par is 72 or 73 depending on which tees you play from. The back nine always plays to par 37 (three par-5s). It's the front nine that varies - either par 35 or 36. The scorecard is helpful because it has a page, back and front, dedicated to hole layouts and pin positions. The sketches for the greens even show tier demarcations. Greens 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, and 18 have two tiers. Green 8 is a special three-tier green. While a lot of the greens are large, landing your approach shot on the correct tier is essential to shooting a good score on this course. The course is located in a nice, large subdivision called Laurel Canyon. Most of the fairways are tree-lined though some have their fair share of houses too. I can see why this place is named Fairways of Canton because the course consists mostly of fairways with, I'd venture to guess, much less bunkers than the average course. Also, only two bodies of water (small ponds) come into play. Reading this, you'd probably think this is a boring course, but it's actually not. The holes are surprisingly diverse and interesting thanks in large part to the natural terrain. It's quite hilly in these parts. Therefore, you're treated to some high-elevation tee boxes and greens with terrific, sweeping vistas. In this sense, this course reminds me of another course nearby, Callahan Golf Links in Waleska, less than a 10-minute drive north. I like Callahan too, but Fairways of Canton is the superior of the two, especially in terms of scenery. The most memorable holes to me are Nos. 14 and 18. No. 14 is a mid-range par-3 with a significant elevation drop (about 2-3 clubs I'd say). No. 18 is the same, except it's a par-5, dogleg left back to the clubhouse. The views from 17 green and 18 tee, among the highest points on the course elevation-wise, are simply spectacular. Course conditions, for the most part, are fantastic from tee to green. The Yahama gas-powered golf carts appear fairly new and are fantastic quality. Service is great. I'll definitely be back for more. read more