Public golf courses in Northwest Atlanta are easier to find than most people assume, including at two of the big private communities I have written about.
I have covered BridgeMill, Woodmont, Lake Arrowhead, and the other gated golf communities in this market. The question that follows naturally is where someone who does not live in one of them can actually play. The answer runs from a $27 nine-hole round in Cartersville to a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design in Canton.
Here are eight places to play across the four counties, with what each one is actually good for.
Cobblestone in Acworth
The closest thing this area has to a signature public course, and it sits on the water.
Cobblestone Golf Course at 4200 Nance Road in Acworth holds a 4.1 rating across more than 260 reviews, open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Players describe lakeside holes, rolling terrain, and significant elevation changes that make the course genuinely challenging.
Two practical notes from regular players. Expect to pay around $90 for eighteen on a weekend, which is at the higher end locally. And the course goes cart path only readily after rain, with one regular reporting five of six rounds in a season under that restriction. Call ahead if it has rained in the previous forty-eight hours.
Reach the pro shop at (770) 917-5152.
Bradshaw Farm in Woodstock
If I were sending someone to one course on this list without knowing anything else about them, it would be this one.
The Golf Club at Bradshaw Farm at 3030 Bradshaw Club Drive holds a 4.4 rating across 440 reviews, the strongest combination of rating and sample size in the area. It offers 27 holes across three nine-hole courses, a new cart fleet with GPS, a premium putting green, a chipping green with bunkers, and a large driving range.
Players consistently cite the value, with one noting unbeatable prices especially after 5 p.m. The twenty-seven-hole layout also means more variety and better pace management than a standard eighteen.
Open daily 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Reach them at (770) 592-2222.
Towne Lake Hills in Woodstock
A Cherokee County course that plays harder than it looks.
Towne Lake Hills Golf Club at 1003 Towne Lake Hills East holds a 4.1 rating across 285 reviews and is open to the public. Players describe bent grass greens and Bermuda fairways, a hilly layout where the flag is often hard to see, and a genuine abundance of deer.
The club supports a Wednesday night ladies league, which is worth knowing if you are new to the area and looking for a regular game.
Fair warning from recent reviews: greens fees have climbed and at least one regular considers them resort-level for what the course currently offers. Bring your own water in summer.
Reach them at (770) 592-9969.
Eagle Watch in Woodstock
The highest-rated course on this list at 4.5 across its reviews.
Eagle Watch Golf Club at 3055 Eagle Watch Drive sits within the Eagle Watch community and offers a hilly, well-kept layout alongside a fitness center, pool, and event facilities. Players describe good greens, helpful staff, and the kind of wildlife you expect in this part of Cherokee County.
There is also a restaurant on site, which makes it a reasonable destination for a round plus lunch.
Note the hours. Eagle Watch is closed Mondays, open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday, and until 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Reach them at (770) 591-1000.
Woodland Hills in Cartersville
Bartow County’s main public option and a genuine value play.
Woodland Hills Golf Club at 256 Summit Ridge Drive SE holds a 4.2 rating across 247 reviews. One player reported paying $27 for an afternoon round, and visitors coming from flatter markets consistently remark on the undulation and elevation changes.
The course runs holes over water and a mix of par threes, fours, and fives that players describe as genuinely fun rather than merely long.
Closed Mondays, open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. Reach them at (678) 605-8585.
Green Valley Greens in Cartersville
The one I would send a beginner to, and the one with the best story.
Green Valley Greens at 157 Rudy York Road NW is a nine-hole course with multiple greens so you can play eighteen. It operates first come, first served with no tee times until all carts go out, which is increasingly rare.
Players describe it as laid back, inexpensive, and genuinely welcoming, with owners who remember faces. One regular called it his favorite course specifically for the atmosphere and convenience rather than the prestige of the layout, and another recommended it for teaching a spouse to play.
It is not a championship course and it does not pretend to be. If you want a relaxed nine without the formality, this is it. Open daily 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., reachable at (770) 382-8510.
BridgeMill in Canton, Which Takes Outside Play
Here is the part people living outside these communities do not realize.
The BridgeMill Athletic Club golf course is an 18-hole championship layout designed by Larry Mize and Desmond Muirhead that opened in 1998, playing 7,085 yards from the longest tees at par 72 with a course rating of 74.0 and a slope of 140.
Critically, membership at the BridgeMill Athletic Club is available to non-residents as well as residents, because the club operates as a separate entity from the homeowners association. The course is also open for daily play.
So if you want access to a championship course with a full racquet complex and aquatic center, you do not have to buy a house in BridgeMill to get it.
Woodmont and Lake Arrowhead Also Allow Outside Play
Two more private-community courses worth knowing about.
Woodmont Golf and Country Club at 3105 Gaddis Road in Canton features a course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., one of the most recognized names in golf architecture, and operates with public play available alongside membership.
The Highlands Course at Lake Arrowhead in Waleska is an 18-hole championship layout of roughly 7,100 yards designed by DJ DeVictor, named the best golf course in Cherokee County by Cherokee Life Magazine. It is open for daily play and offers both resident and non-resident memberships.
Both are worth playing once simply to see them, and both answer the question of whether the community’s golf is any good if you are considering buying there.
What to Know Before You Book
Call ahead about cart path policy, particularly at Cobblestone. Georgia red clay holds water, and courses here go cart path only more readily than players from drier climates expect. That changes a round substantially.
Check the day of the week. Eagle Watch and Woodland Hills are both closed Mondays. Bradshaw Farm and Cobblestone are open seven days.
Ask about twilight rates. Several of these courses price meaningfully lower after a certain hour, and Bradshaw Farm’s after-5 pricing comes up repeatedly in player comments.
And if you are shopping homes in a golf community, play the course before you buy there. Buyers across Acworth, Kennesaw, Dallas, Cartersville, and Woodstock frequently pay a premium for a golf community without ever playing the course. Since BridgeMill, Woodmont, and Lake Arrowhead all permit outside play, there is no reason not to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play at BridgeMill or Woodmont without living there?
Yes to both. BridgeMill Athletic Club membership is available to non-residents because the club is a separate entity from the homeowners association, and the course offers daily play. Woodmont operates with public play available alongside membership. Lake Arrowhead’s Highlands Course also offers daily play and non-resident memberships.
What is the cheapest place to play?
Green Valley Greens in Cartersville is a nine-hole course with multiple greens for playing eighteen, operating first come first served with no tee times, and players describe it as inexpensive and laid back. Woodland Hills in Cartersville has also been reported at $27 for an afternoon round. Bradshaw Farm in Woodstock is cited for strong value, particularly after 5 p.m.
Which course is best for a beginner?
Green Valley Greens. Players specifically describe it as a good place to bring someone learning the game, with a relaxed atmosphere and none of the formality of a championship course. For someone past the beginner stage who wants variety and practice facilities, Bradshaw Farm’s 27 holes, driving range, putting green, and chipping bunkers make it the better fit.
Looking at a Golf Community in Northwest Atlanta?
Play the course before you buy the house. I can tell you which communities bundle golf into the HOA, which hold it behind a separate club, and which let you try it first. Call me.
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Course information compiled from current public listings and player reviews for each facility. Rates, hours, cart policies, and public access terms change. Confirm directly with the course before you go.
Nicole France is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX Center serving buyers and sellers across Acworth, Kennesaw, Dallas, Cartersville, and Woodstock. Client Focused · Results Driven.