Atlanta Athletic Club has hired course architect Tripp Davis to perform a multi-million-dollar renovation to the historic facility’s Riverside Course alongside the Chattahoochee River. The renovation is expected to be completed this fall.
The Riverside course was the site of the 1990 U.S. Women’s Open won by Betsy King, and it also hosted stroke-play rounds for the 2014 U.S. Amateur won by Gunn Yang. The layout was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1964, and it was first renovated by his son Rees Jones in 2003.
Atlanta Athletic Club – where Bobby Jones was a member and club president, and which celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023 – is also home to the Highlands Course, which ranks No. 10 on Golfweek’s Best list of private courses in Georgia.
“My level of excitement to come ‘home’ to work with the Atlanta Athletic Club is something that is hard to put in words, so I will do my best to show it in the work we do,” Davis, who grew up in Atlanta and who played Atlanta Athletic Club in junior tournaments, said in a media release announcing the renovation. “With this beautiful piece of property that the club has entrusted to me, I believe that the redesigned Riverside Course will only add to the rich championship golf tradition of the Atlanta Athletic Club.”
Davis has worked on many restorations and renovations, including at Augusta Country Club in Georgia, Oak Tree National in Oklahoma, and Deepdale Club and Engineers Country Club in New York.
Atlanta Athletic Club said in the media release that Riverside will be redesigned to accentuate the “beautiful terrain while offering optimum playability for members and professionals alike.” Infrastructure will be renewed, and each hole will be a recipient of changes with a focus on strategy, fairway width and bunker placement. New tee placements will be established to provide a flexible challenge for any level of player.
“This is a chance to reimagine the course by making better use of the land as well as developing a better flow in the routing, enhancing views, and creating a golf course that has strong strategic variety and interest,” John Stakel, board member and chairman of the Riverside renovation committee at Atlanta Athletic Club, said in the media release. “Working with Tripp, we are looking to strengthen an already fantastic golf course and to heighten the playing experiences.”
Check out graphic renderings of the planned work below:
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