Area Ammenities
The good life - that's how residents and visitors alike describe the Georgia Lake Country.
With so much to do and see, is it any wonder people love our area? World class golfing, some of the best boating and fishing in the Southeast, camping, skiing, luxury resorts, and the history and charm of its small antebellum towns and cities make this a prime vacation destination, as well as the ideal place to raise a family or just settle down into the quiet life.
The Golf
The Lake Oconee area is served by nine exceptional golf courses. With rolling terrain, elevation changes, streams, mature trees, and proximity to lake water, each one offers a unique experience to the golf enthusiast. Chief among them are the courses of the Reynolds Plantation managed communities, which feature 99 holes of championship golf on five different courses, available exclusively to members and guests of The Ritz-Carlton Lodge and Reynolds Plantation (the highest rated Golf Resort in the 2005 Zagat Survey of “America’s Top Golf Courses”).
Private Courses
The Plantation Course, the first course built at Reynolds Plantation, was designed by Bob Cupp with the insight of U.S. Open Champions Fuzzy Zoeller and Hubert Green. Long a favorite of Reynolds members and visiting guests, the course was named “Best New Resort Course” by Golf Digest when it debuted in 1988. The Plantation clubhouse was renovated in 2002.
Great Waters features nine holes on Lake Oconee with incredible views. Former home to the Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf, this Jack Nicklaus signature course is a fixture on all of the major publications’ “Best Courses” lists. Most recently, the 2005 Zagat Guide to America’s Best Golf Courses rated Great Waters as one the 20 best courses in the country, and upscale newsletter Golf Odyssey rates Great Waters' back nine as the “Best nine holes in the Southeast”.
The National is a 27-hole masterpiece that makes great use of the rolling terrain, hardwood forests, and water views of the Oconee River Valley. Tom Fazio sculpted the three distinct nines through the natural terrain, making use of streams, ponds and the lake to create a course named by Golfweek as one of America’s “Top Real Estate Courses”.
The Oconee course, designed by Rees Jones, makes use of great lakefront topography for its championship greens. Five sets of tees allow players to take on as much of that challenge as they desire. With a caddie service and the adjacent Reynolds Golf Academy, the Oconee provides a great golf experience. The new course has been showered with awards, including the #5 ranking in GOLF FOR WOMEN Magazine’s “50 Best Courses For Women” and “10 Best New Upscale Courses” in Golf Digest.
The Reynolds Landing Course boasts 18 championship holes, also designed by Bob Cupp. This legendary course offers naturally wooded terrain with rolling hills and lush fairways. Golfweek and the Atlanta Journal have ranked this course “Best in State.”
A new course, designed by Jim Engh, recently honored by Golf Digest as its first-ever Architect of the Year, is scheduled to open in 2007.
Cuscowilla offers the highly-acclaimed Coore/Crenshaw designed course, winding through meadows, pine forests, and the shoreline of Lake Oconee. This course has Blue Tee rating of 72.2 and a slope of 132. Selected as one of America’s Best Courses by Golfweek Magazine (March 2001).
The Harbor Club Golf Course was the first design for award-winning architects Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish built east of the Mississippi. It has been selected as one of the Southeast’s 50 most distinctive development courses and one of Georgia’s fifteen best courses by Golf Digest. The Blue Tee stroke rating is 71.3 and the slope rating is 131.
Public Courses
The Uncle Remus Golf Club, located in Eatonton, offers a nine-hole course with driving range and clubhouse. The Blue Tee rating is 71.6 and the slope rating is 125.
The Creek at Hard Labor is one of the State of Georgia's public courses and offers golfers a natural course design without houses or human encroachments. Deer and wildlife abound in this course, which is situated in the largest state park in Georgia, providing a pleasingly difficult round.
Little Fishing Creek, the 18-hole course at the Little Fishing Creek Golf Course facility in Milledgeville features 6,700 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72. The course rating is 72.1 with a slope rating of 127 on Bermuda grass. Designed by Gary Player, this course opened in 1981.
The Greene County Country Club, a 9-hole, par 72 course in Greene county, offers 3276 yards of golf for those interested in a smaller course.
The Lakes
Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair cover over 36,000 acres and are the lifeblood of the Georgia Lake Country. Being identified in sports magazines as one of America's 20 hottest bass lakes, with 34 pounds of large mouth bass per acre, Lake Oconee has brought anglers from all corners of the nation. To quote Bassmaster Magazine. "...with more than 1200 acres of standing timber, endless miles of rip-rap, a mind boggling amount of bass-holding deep-water structure, an abundance of productive and shallow water cover, several consistent creeks and aquatic vegetation, it has something to suit the favorite fishing style of every visitor."
Lake Sinclair
Near the center of the state, Lake Sinclair has provided both electricity and recreation since its creation in 1953. With over 417 miles of scenic shoreline and a surface area of 15,330 acres, it is among Georgia's most popular boating areas, and is the site of several national and local fishing tournaments. Georgia Power provides an outstanding tailrace fishing area below the dam near Milledgeville.
The lake's newest recreation area is Rocky Creek Park (912 453-0022), a day-use facility that includes picnic tables, grills, boat ramp, and a small beach. There are no camping areas available at this facility.
Lake Oconee
Built in 1979, Lake Oconee is fed from the Oconee River, the Appalachee River, and several major creeks, and covers parts of three counties: Morgan, Greene, and Putnam. Located just above Lake Sinclair near Eatonton, Wallace Dam is the newest and largest hydroelectric plant in the Central Georgia Hydro Group, as well as in the Georgia Power Company. When completed in 1980, its 321,300-kilowatt capacity nearly doubled the total output of the Company's hydro generating system.
Construction of the dam began in 1971 and was completed in 1980. The plant is named for the late Cyrus M. Wallace, a former executive vice president and director of the Georgia Power Company. The gravity-concrete dam - 120 feet high and 2,395 feet long - impounds Lake Oconee, an ancient Creek Indian name meaning "great waters". It marked the first time in the history of the modern Georgia Power Company that a reservoir was named after the water it impounds. With 18,971 acres of water surface and 374 miles of shoreline, Lake Oconee is second in size only to Georgia's Lake Sidney Lanier.
If fishing is your passion, look no further than Lake Oconee. The lake is stocked with largemouth bass, white bass, blue gill sunfish, redear sunfish, black crappie, white catfish, and channel catfish. There are 50 five-acre fish plots where timber is topped ten feet below the lake's pool level. Some of the plots are marked by buoys; others are left for fishermen to discover. Other wildlife enhancement in the Lake Oconee development includes a waterfowl management area which provides sanctuary for rare species of birds such as the American bald eagle. It is managed by the State Department of Natural Resources in cooperation with Georgia Power.
Fishing in Georgia requires a fishing license. Licenses can be purchased at some sporting goods stores, convenience stores, marinas and county courthouses. For a complete fishing report, visit Doug Nehm's Fishing Report.
In additional to fishing, Georgia Power has built and staffs three 85-acre parks on Lake Oconee, offering boating facilities and full-service camp grounds, as well as day-use picnic areas, equipped playgrounds, boat ramps, and a beach including a beach house with bathrooms and dressing area. The parks are Lawrence Shoals (706-485-5494), Old Salem (706-467-2850), and Park's Ferry (706-453-4308). All are open to the public.
The History
The residents of the tri-county area of Morgan, Putnam, and Greene counties cherish their history, as is evident in the avid preservation of the many old antebellum structures. A walk down the main streets of Madison, Eatonton, or Greensboro, with their gracious old restored homes shaded by centuries-old pecans and oaks, is like a trip through the past. Active Better Hometown programs in all three towns are constantly undertaking new projects aimed at preserving our heritage for future generations.
Morgan County
(View a map of Madison and Morgan County.)
In 1864, General Sherman had just burned Atlanta to the ground and begun his march to the sea, destroying everything along the way. Madison lay directly in his path, but as luck would have it, Senator Joshua Hill, an early foe of secession and friend to Sherman's brother, was one of Madison's leading citizens. He was able to come to a gentleman's agreement with Sherman not to burn the town, so many of the town's fine old plantation homes were spared the torch.
Today Madison boasts one of Georgia's largest National Historic Register historic districts. A national treasure of antebellum and Victorian buildings stand as monuments to an era when cotton was king.
Madison's historic attractions include The Rose Cottage (c. 1890, restored in 1997), on 179 East Jefferson Street. Mrs. Rose, born into slavery, purchased the land and built her home prior to this century. Adjacent to the Rose Cottage is the Rogers House (c. 1810) a recently-restored house and museum. Located in the Horace Moore House (c. 1895).
The Morgan County African-American Museum & Moore House at 156 Academy Street promotes awareness and preservation of the contributions of African-Americans in the culture of the South.
Heritage Hall (c. 1833) at 227 South Main Street, is a Greek Revival antebellum house and museum furnished in the period and available for tours and special events. It is open daily (706-342-9627).
Putnam County
(View a map of Eatonton and Putnam County.)
Named for General Israel Putnam, a Revolutionary War hero from Massachusetts, Putnam County was created from Baldwin County in 1807. On April 15, 1808, the site of Eatonton was laid off in 29 squares of six and a half acre lots surrounding the public square. These squares were then sold at public auction and the town named Eatonton after General William Eaton of Connecticut, a hero who gained fame in the war with the Tripoliton pirates in 1805. The Putnam County courthouse, which has recently undergone a major restoration/renovation project, is still surrounded by its original public square.
Among the more recent of Eatonton's distinguished citizens are Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Color Purple, and Joel Chandler Harris, creator of the Uncle Remus Tales. The Alice Walker Trail is a driving tour that offers viewers insights into her family's history and the early development of her talents.
The Uncle Remus Museum, located in Turner Park, is part of the original home of Joseph Sidney Turner, the "Little Boy" in the Tales of Uncle Remus. The museum was created from two original Putnam County slave cabins and features a large protrait of Uncle Remus and the little boy presented to the museum by Walt Disney. Among the displays are shadow boxes of delicate wood carvings of "de Critters," first editions of many of Mr. Harris's works, and numerous articles of interest.
The Adele Theater (c. 1914) located at 107 N. Madison Avenue, now home of Blackwell's Furniture Co., was a silent movie theater that closed in 1923. The only significant alteration to the original theater was the leveling of the downstairs floors.
The Rock Eagle Effigy
Located north of Eatonton on Highway 441 is the Rock Eagle Effigy. This stone mound, in the shape of a great prone bird with its head turned to the east and its wings outstretched, measures 102 ft from wingtip to wingtip and rises ten feet above the ground. It is composed entirely of milky quartz rocks ranging in size from baseballs to boulders and is best viewed from the large granite observation tower built by the federal government in 1937.
The effigy was first described in 1877 by C.C. Jones, a Georgia historian, for the Smithsonian Museum. At that time, Jones made accurate measurements and drawings of the effigy, which is exactly the same today as it was when he viewed it. There is strong evidence that the area near the Rock Eagle Effigy Mound was occupied by Archaic Indians some 5,000 years ago, however, it is unlikely that the effigy existed at that time. The most likely builders of the mound are Woodland Indians, who inhabited this area from 1,000 BC to 1,000 AD. While it is possible that the people who built Rock Eagle were part of the Hopewell or the Adena Culture, it is more likely that these Woodland Indians were a distinct cultural development.
During the 1930's, Dr. A. R. Kelly, a noted archeologist from the University of Georgia, excavated the breast area of Rock Eagle, finding a single set of human remains and a projectile point that may or may not be associated with the effigy. In 1954, Kelly reported that both Rock Eagle and Rock Hawk showed indications of having been enclosed by a wall of material similar to the rocks used to construct the effigies. This, perhaps, associates them with the builders of similar walls at Stone Mountain (destroyed, 1923) and Fort Mountain (still standing).
Green County
(View a map of Greensboro and Greene County.)
Greene County was the 11th county fromed in Georgia. The five municipalies of the county--Greensboro, Union Point, White Plains, Woodville, and Siloam--boast numerous sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places. A good place to start discovering them is at the Greene County Historical Society Museum. Displays include collections of artifacts, photographs, and manuscripts that offer a unique glimpse into the people and events that shaped the county's origins.
One the most unique of Green county's attractions is the "Gaol" Jail, one of the oldest penal structures in the state of Georgia. Built in 1807, the rock jail was patterned after the Bastilles with castellated battlements. It is open to the public by appointment.
Hawthorne Heights Historic Home (c. 1848) in Union Point was originally a raised cottage enlarged along Greek Revival lines. It is available for drive-by tours only. Another historic home, Jefferson Hall (c. 1830) is highlighted by its beautiful elliptical door lights framed by a two-story portico supported by ionic columns.
Scull Scoals, the remains of the Oconee National Forest Frontier Fort located off Hwy. 15 in Greene county, has been described as a prosperous mill village or a ghost town. Information is available from the Greene County Chamber of Commerce (706-453-7592). Another mill, The Union Point Chipman Union, is a 103-year old hosiery mill still in use. Tours are available by appointment only.
Lifestyles
In addition to golf, fishing, and history, the Georgia Lake Country offers all the amenities you would expect of a resort and recreation area. A variety of outdoor activities, unique shopping venues, and world-class medical facilities are just some of the many advantages to life in the Georgia Lake Country.
Camping
There are several camp sites in the Georgia Lake Country. Located on 5,804 acres near Madison, Hard Labor Creek State Park offers 63 tent/RV campsites, 12 equestrain campsites, 20 cottages with cable TV, pioneer group campground, 24-hour park attendant, 18-hole Creek Golf Course, 30 horse stalls, riding ring, boat ramp, nature trails, boat rentals, group and individual picnic shelters, fishing, and swimming beach with bathhouse.
Georgia Power operates three 85-acre parks on Lake Oconee with full-service campgrounds as well as day-use areas; Lawrence Shoals (706-485-5494), Old Salem (706-467-2850), and Park's Ferry (706-453-4308). Each has a large picnic pavilion that may be reserved for groups of 30 or more, as well as equipped playgrounds, boat ramps, and a beach with a beach house, bathrooms, and dressing areas.
Shooting Club
The Lake Oconee Shooting Club, located on Sparta Highway just outside Eatonton, is situated on 188 acres and offers 5 skeet and trap fields, including an international skeet field, a two-story covered five stand, a 12-station sporting clays, outdoor archery practice range, 3D 20 station archery course, and a 6300 square-foot club house with Pro Shop, banquet room, and private meeting room. For information, Contact Brandi Cooper at 706-485-4557.
Equestrian
Southern Cross Guest Ranch is a premier, year-round, full-featured guest ranch, horse farm, and bed & breakfast, offering riding and accomodation packages for everyone from the beginner to the experienced horse lover. Located outside Madison, Georgia, it is convenient to I-20 and the Lake Oconee area. Phone 706-342-8027
There are several boarding and riding stables in the area, including the Harbor Club Equestrian Center (706-453-1122), Lake Oconee Equestrian Center (706-485-8720), Furlong Farms (706-342-7044), and Four Seasons Farm (706-342-7577).
Pets
The Lake Oconee area is now home to an 11,000 square foot, state-of-the-art pet care facility, the Harmony Pet Resort in the Village at Harmony Crossing. The facility offers luxurious long-term accomodations, day care, pet pampering, grooming salon and day spa, pet boutique, and top-notch veterinarian care (including 24-hour emergency care) at Harmony Crossing Animal Hospital next door. Among the amenities are elevated bedding, all-natural treats, group play, dog bone-shaped pool, tree climbing time for cats, and holiday meals.
Medical Facilities
A number of area hospitals and medical complexes serve the Lake Oconee area. Putnam General Hospital in Eatonton, Morgan Memorial Hospital in Madison, and Minnie G. Boswell Memorial Hospital in Greensboro offer 24-hour emergency and routine care. Less than an hour's drive away in Athens, Athens Regional Medical Center and St. Mary's Hospital offer full-service, state-of-the-art care. St. Mary's Hospital is also Georgia's leading medical facility for stroke patients.
The Cowles Clinic complex, located on Linger Longer Road near the entrance to Reynolds Plantation, offers a complete healthcare system staffed with leading physicians and clinicians in 23 specialties, including:
Georgia Center for Total Cancer Care
The Atlanta Cardiology Group
Cowles Clinic Internal Medicine
The Athens Neurological Associates and Sleephealth Clinic
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Southeastern Pain Specialists
Cowles Clinic Pediatrics
Advance Rehabilitation Physical Therapy
Village Podiatry Group
Southeast Retina Center
Precision Sports Inc.
Cowles Clinic Center for Urology
The Vascular Institute of Georgia
Cowles Clinic Imaging Center
Cowles Clinic Laboratory Services
and coming soon Dermatology and Ophthalmology
Shopping
The Antiques Trail of Georgia winds through the Georgia Lake Country, with shops in Madison, Greensboro, and Eatonton. Among some of the highlights are Madison's downtown Saffold House, Madison Markets, Antiques on the Square, Attic Treasures, and The Antique Galley on Main Street. Greensboro offers the Greensboro Antique Mall, Dreamcatchers Antiques, as well as several other small shops in the downtown area. In the immediate Lake Oconee area, there's Magnolia Antiques & Consigns For Designs, and in downtown Eatonton, the newly-opened Eatonton Market is located at 109 N. Jefferson Avenue near the Courthouse. Further information on Georgia antiquing can be found at Georgia Antiques Online.
If your taste runs to newer items with a personalized flair, there are several gift and specialty boutique-type shops in the area, including Fiddlestix and Willow Tree in Eatonton, and at Lake Oconee Mandevilla, East River Arts Incorporated, Fishtales, Sweet Treats Emporium, and A Fish Called Pheobe are sure to offer a unique shopping experience.
Culture and the Arts
Area arts organizations sponsor a number of activities for local artists and writers, as well as scheduling and sponsoring area concerts and events. They include the Eatonton-Putnam Arts Foundation, the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center, and the Greensboro Arts Alliance (706-467-3325).
There are several venues to view and/or purchase art by local and national artists. Genuine Georgia at 101 N. Main Street in Greensboro offers venues for display and sale of Georgia artists. Other area galleries include The Magnolia Art Gallery on Market Street at Lake Oconee, the Madison Museum of Fine Art at 290 Hancock Street in Madison, and the newly-opened Saville Art Gallery at 122 W. Marion Street in Eatonton.
The Linger Longer Living cultural lifestyle series offers opportunities for residents to broaden their cultural perspective at Reynolds Plantation with classes in free-form water color painting and discussions about art, books or theology. Interested parties can enjoy an evening of performance or take a daylong jaunt to an art museum. Classes begin monthly, and the portfolio of exhibits, artists, and performances vary. Contact the Member Concierge at 706-467-1111 for more information, or email Marie Garrison.
The towns of Madison, Eatonton, and Greensboro each offer museums and other cultural venues and events, including Heritage Hall in Madison, the Uncle Remus Museum in Eatonton, and the old Gaol Jail in Greensboro. For more information on these and other area attractions, check out our Area Information page.
Area Events and Festivals
While there are things to do and see year-round, summer is the prime festival season in the Lake Oconee area. The towns of Eatonton, Madison, and Greensboro each have active community organizations that sponsor and schedule a variety of activities, including annual festivals, concerts, art shows, dining and sporting events.
Among the highlights each year are the Tastes (of Madison, Eatonton, and Greensboro), where area restaurants show off their fare. The Putnam County Dairy Festival celebrates the Dairy Capital of Georgia with activities and a parade. Eatonton also hosts the Meet Me At The Plaza concert series every summer, with the annual A1A, Jimmy Buffet Tribute show being a popular favorite. Madison's Theater and Chamber Music Festivals are always a hit, and the Tour of Homes gives visitors a peek into some of the most well-preserved examples of Antebellum architecture in the South. Greensboro's Southland Jubilee Festival & Civil War Re-enactment provides a touch of pure Southern flavor, while the Spooky Town Festival at Halloween offers fun for the whole family. Greene County is also host to the Scull Shoals Heritage Festival, held at the Historic Scull Shoals Recreation Center at the Old Mill Village. Visitors can observe and participate in heritage events and crafts.
Lake Oconee is also the site of several annual events, including fishing and golf tournaments, fireworks displays at the Ritz Carlton, and the Cowles Clinic Open House and Barbecue Cook-off.