Callaway Gardens
...golfing in Georgia's Garden of Eden
By Ed Stone
“You never forget your first girl” is a slogan used by St. Pauli Girl imported beer from Bremen, Germany.
 |
|
Ariel view of Callaway Gardens' Lake View #10, Par 3 hole and Mountain Creek Lake. (Photo courtesy: Callaway Gardens)
|
 |
| My golfing buddies: (L to R) Ed Stone, George Elmore, Todd & Gary Leach with Gardens Restaurant and #10 green of Lake View in background. (Photo by Fran Stone) |
In the fall of 1963. I don’t remember the exact date or month, but it was a perfect autumn afternoon. There were three of us playing, Hugh Royer, Jr., the resident golf pro, Ed Finley a photographer who shot many beautiful locations of Callaway Gardens for his base of operations for Mercury Outboard Motors and myself.
More than 45 years later, the Lake View golf course still remains one of my top ten favorite courses to play…in the world. Fortunately, I’ve been blessed with opportunities to play many golf courses around the world…Australia, Italy, Great Britain, Canada, etc. So, making this claim holds a very strong title to me.
Recently, I visited Callaway Gardens and played the recently renovated 18-hole layout with a couple of my old buddies whom I worked during my tenure. George Elmore was treasurer and in charge of accounting. Gary Leach worked in both the lodging/food & beverage area and recreation. Don Taylor, one of my first life-long friends at The Gardens, managed Callaway Cottages for most of his career at the resort joined us on the front nine. And, my wife of forty years played with the group. Playing with these individuals made going back to a special place, even more special.
LAKE VIEW GOLF COURSE:
 |
|
Lakeview's #10, par 3 with serpentine bridge and Garden's Clubhouse in background
|
Lake View, the original course was built at the 2,500-acre family resort in the late 40’s and early 50’s. It opened in 1952 with 9-holes when the Gardens first opened to the public. The course designers were J.B. McGovern (one of Donald Ross’ crew chiefs) and Dick Wilson. Cason J. Callaway, Sr., the Gardens’ founder, provided much of the inspiration for Lake View's layout. “I don’t like to halfway loose a golf ball,” stated Mr. Callaway, “I want to find it instantly or know its gone forever. If a golfer looks up from his/her shot, I want them to be looking at something beautiful.” All around the course there are plantings of azaleas, dogwoods, rhododendrons and native flowering plants.
Dick Wilson and Joe Lee designed the second nine holes of golf at Callaway Gardens. These nine holes became the front nine and were opened in 1962. The Georgia Ladies Championship was the first major tournament played on the 18 holes in April 1963. The course was recently renovated in 2002.
All 18-holes are beautifully landscaped and well designed. The original nine holes were configured around the 175-acre Mountain Creek Lake with the 17th century English provincial Clubhouse being the gathering focal point for dining and events. There are four holes on Lake View where water comes into play. The current number 10, par-3 with its island tee and serpentine bridge is the signature hole. This picturesque layout is to Callaway what the island green is to Coeur d’Alene or TPC Sawgrass. On a personal note, I did par this 157-yard beauty on my recent visit.
Lake View offers four sets of tees with the tips (blues) playing 6,158 yards, whites are 5,834, greens are 5,196 and forward tees play to 4,473. This is a par 70 course that is a delight for all skill levels. Callaway is currently installing junior tees to attract younger golfers to the resort.
|
Lake View Tees
|
Yardage
|
Course Rating
|
Slope
|
|
Blue
|
6,158
|
69.1
|
127
|
|
White
|
5,834
|
67.8
|
124
|
|
Green
|
5,196
|
65.5
|
116
|
|
Red
|
4,473
|
66.3
|
113
|
MOUNTAIN VIEW GOLF COURSE:
 |
|
The par 5, #15 of Mountain View was ranked as the fourth most difficult hole on the PGA Tour by USA Today. (Photo courtesy: Callaway Gardens)
|
Mountain View course is truly a championship design and will give all golfers a challenge to its 7,057-yard, par 72 layout. It has ranked among the nation's top-rated courses by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine, and served as the site of the PGA Tour's Buick Challenge for more than a decade back in 1991 to 2002. Also designed by Dick Wilson, Mountain View features tight, tree-lined fairways with water coming into play on four holes. Of note is the par 5, number 15. Both your tee and approach shots have water in play. If you’re not a long hitter off the tee, then your second shot is over water, too. When the course was part of the PGA Tour, USA Today ranked hole number 15 as the fourth most difficult par 5 on the Tour.
|
Mountain View Tees
|
Yardage
|
Course Rating
|
Slope
|
|
Championship
|
7,057
|
73.5
|
136
|
|
White
|
6,630
|
71.7
|
131
|
|
Green
|
5,789
|
68.2
|
122
|
|
Red
|
4,883
|
69.0
|
119
|
 |
|
Practice area at Mountain View Course
|
A short cart ride from the Mountain View Clubhouse is the 26-acre Twin Oaks Practice Facility named in honor of the two majestic water oaks towering the area. Here golfers will discover one of the finest practice layouts that include multiple target greens and a large practice putting green. The important short game area features two large sand bunkers and multiple chipping and pitching areas.
THE GARDENS:
On May 21, 1952, Callaway Gardens opened to the public with the same purpose then as today: “to provide a wholesome family environment where all may find beauty, relaxation, inspiration and a better understanding of the living world.” Since then there is a small sign at the entrance to the Gardens that reads: “Take nothing from these Gardens except inspiration for the mind, consolation for the heart and nourishment for the soul.”
 |
|
The rare and beautiful Plumleaf native azalea serves as part of the Callaway Gardens logo
|
Cason and Virginia Callaway built the Gardens as a memorial to his mother Ida Cason Callaway. Until the early 1960’s the resort was called Ida Cason Callaway Gardens. The original resort included the 2,500 acres of native gardens with a greenhouse, walking trails featuring both native and ornamental plantings, i.e., azaleas, dogwood, rhododendrons, magnolias, etc. Of note is the rare rhododendron prunifolium (plumleaf) azalea that grows only within a 100-mile radius of the Gardens. Mrs. Callaway personally undertook the challenge of preserving the existence of this beautiful native plant that blooms in July/August and is part of the emblem of Callaway Gardens today.
Education and family values have been the primary objectives and purpose of Callaway Gardens. Providing experiences of nature, horticulture and wholesome recreation have continued from the beginning until now. The Callaway family has always influenced the management and oversight of the business, even though outside top executives have been in major positions, a steady hand from the family is ever present. This has been a good thing.
 |
|
The Virginia Hand Callaway Discovery Center
|
 |
|
Pioneer log cabin
|
 |
|
Day Butterfly House
|
 |
|
Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel
|
OTHER CALLAWAY GARDENS ATTRACTIONS:
- The Virginia Hand Callaway Discovery Center, a 35,000-square-foot facility, offers guests an opportunity to learn what is happening in the Gardens. The Center also has historical and geographical information about Callaway Gardens, an orientation theatre, an auditorium, exhibit hall showcasing rotating displays, an education wing and restaurant -- all situated on the western edge of Mountain Creek Lake with a beautiful view of the Pine Mountain ridge.
- In May 2005, a beautiful and educational Backyard Wildlife Habitat, a designation earned from the National Wildlife Federation, was opened between the Callaway Discovery Center and the Discovery Amphitheatre. Here guests can see wildlife up-close as well as learn how to attract wildlife to their own backyards by providing the proper plant, food and water sources.
- The incredible Birds of Prey program features native raptors displaying their natural abilities in a beautiful outdoor amphitheater. Falcons, owls, hawks and even the regal bald eagle fly above the audience, sharing the elusive secrets of their counterparts in the wild.
- The Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl opened in 1999 and is celebrating its 10th anniversary. As the world’s largest azalea garden, measuring 40 acres and featuring thousands of hybrid and native azaleas, the garden also includes a multitude of other flora creating a beautiful, colorful garden year round.
- The John A. Sibley Horticultural Center, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2009, is one of the most advanced garden greenhouse complexes in the world. The main conservatory of this five-acre garden features nine major floral displays each year. The center opened in March of 1984 and underwent major renovation in 2003. The facility now offers guests glimpses of a Mediterranean garden and lush tropical rain forest all under a glass roof and computer controls to mange all environmental aspects.
- The Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center is one of the premiere glass-enclosed, tropical conservatories for the display of living butterflies in North America. The center, which houses approximately 1000 butterflies of up to 100 species, opened in September of 1988 and in 2005 underwent a $2 million renovation to make the facility more educational and comfortable to its many guests. The center recently earned certification as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) facility by the U. S. Green Building Council.
- Mr. Cason’s Vegetable Garden is a model 7.5-acre garden producing more than 700 varieties of vegetables, fruits and herbs. The garden is the southern filming site for the Public Broadcasting System television program “The Victory Garden.” It provides an inspirational landscape and vegetable gardening ideas for guests to try at home.
- Robin Lake Beach (open Memorial Day to mid-August) offers a plentitude of great family activities including swimming, miniature golf, paddle boats, rides on a miniature train, shuffleboard and table tennis. A special highlight is the Florida State University “Flying High” Circus, which performs seven times weekly during the summer.
- Walking trails and roadways showcase the world’s largest display of hollies, more than 700 varieties of hybrid azaleas and many varieties of wildflowers.
- The Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel is set in the heart of the Gardens and is used as a place for quiet meditation, worship and weddings. Organ concerts are scheduled throughout the year. Norman Vincent Peale dedicated the Chapel in April of 1962.
- The Pioneer Log Cabin is an authentic 18th century structure representing the life of Georgia’s early settlers.
- The Discovery Bicycle Trail is a 10-mile paved trail that weaves through the Gardens’ woodland and interpretive areas. It has stops at all of the major attractions at Callaway Gardens.
- Fishing in Callaway Gardens’ many lakes is a popular pastime among guests. With 13 lakes, Callaway offers traditional tackle and fly-fishing opportunities, guided fishing excursions and a full-service fly shop. The staff, many certified by the Federation of Fly Fishers as instructors, provide a two-day Fly Fishing School most months.
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Callaway Gardens offers some 931 rooms that include:
 |
The Lodge & Spa (top)
Callaway Southern Pine Cottages (bottom)
Photos courtesy Callaway Gardens |
 |
- The Lodge and Spa - This 150-room hotel is the first business conference center in the world to earn LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The 54,000-square-foot facility features environmentally friendly construction that includes some 22,000 square feet of meeting space.
- Callaway’s Southern Pine Cottages - Tucked away in the beautiful pines within walking distance to The Lodge and Spa are beautifully and tastefully decorated accommodations that offer both one and two-bedroom cottages.
- Mountain Creek® Inn and luxurious Mountain Creek Villas – These accommodationsare both charming and appealing to individuals, business, golf, tennis and garden club groups.
- Conference Facilities – There is more than 96,000 square feet of meeting space at Callaway Gardens. Just the right size for most any group or occasion.
- Spa Prunifolia - This 13,000 square-foot facility is part of the new Lodge and offers 13 treatment rooms with Callaway’s own style of nature-based massages, nourishing custom facials, herbal and mineral wraps, and relaxing bath treatments.
RESTAURANTS:
Dining at Callaway Gardens is certainly an enjoyable portion of your experience. There are numerous restaurants to enjoy and satisfy the taste of most any appetite.
 |
The Garden's Restaurant (top)
Piedmont Dining Room (bottom)
|
 |
- Piedmont Dining Room at the Lodge & Spa offers a wide variety of items on its menu from buffets to continental fare.
- The Gardens Restaurant’s porch overlooks the beautiful Mountain Creek Lake and the Lake View number 10 island green and serpentine bridge. The menu offers organic and upscale items for all palates.
- The Gardens Country Store’s Country Kitchen is famous for its breakfast and luncheon entrée’s. Don’t miss this one!
- The Plant Room at the Mountain Creek Inn has always been popular for its bountiful buffets and especially the themed Thursday Fiesta Night, Friday Night Seafood Buffet and Saturday night Italian Buffet.
- Other places to dine include: Discovery Café and Rockin’ Robin’s Malt Shop and Pizzeria (open seasonally).
Other recreational facilities include a tennis center, shooting club, fitness center and swimming pools.
For the golfer and traveler seeking a place to enjoy great golf and beautiful surroundings, Callaway Gardens is at the top of my list. But then, how can I ever forget the place where I enjoyed my first round of golf?
HOW TO GET THERE:
Located off Interstate-85 and Interstate-185, on Georgia Highway 18 and U.S. 27 in Pine Mountain, Ga. Sixty minutes southwest of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and 30 minutes north of Columbus, Georgia.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Callaway Gardens
17800 US Hwy 27
Pine Mountain, GA 31822
Website: www.callawaygardens.com
Phone: 706-663-2281
E-mail: info@callawaygardens.com
For Reservations inquiries:
Toll Free: 1-800-225-5292
E-mail: reservations@callawaygardens.com
Fax: 706-663-6812
Lodge & Spa Mailing Address:
P O Box 620
Pine Mountain, GA 31822-0620
For Spa Reservations:
Phone Direct: 706-663-5125