Georgia Mountain Golf: Old Toccoa Farm
Old Toccoa Farm sits just ninety minutes north of Atlanta in the North Georgia mountains. Wind your way up I-75 and I-575 through the Blue Ridge mountains to a quiet gated community set against the Toccoa River. Old Toccoa Farm actually sits in Mineral Bluff, Georgia. It opened in 2015 in the midst of the financial crisis as a nine hole course. The second nine opened four years later when Dan Proctor and Dave Axland finished their design. The residential community caters mainly to retirees. The course is semi private, and tee times can be made by calling the course directly. Greens fees when I played were only $75 which is a great overall value for this eighteen hole mountain layout.
Old Toccoa Farm is a scenic masterpiece and mountain golf at its finest. The course has over 300 feet of elevation changes and also has several holes that run along the Toccoa River. On many holes a very accurate tee shot and approach is required to keep a ball in play. Strategic thought and club selection is needed on most tee boxes; I left the driver in the bag on many par 4’s. If your driver is wayward, it will easily lead to a few lost balls on the day. As I was heading to the first tee, I overheard the starter mention he’s seen someone lose six balls before — on just the first hole.
While Old Toccoa Farm is a true mountain course, it has four holes that are flat and run along the tranquil Toccoa River
Old Toccoa Farm has five sets of tees, playing 6,707 yards with a slope rating of 149 from its longest tees, Persimmon. While it is not a long course from a yardage standpoint, it is an incredibly challenging golf course. I typically play tees between 6,300 and 6,500 yards and I moved up a box on this course playing the blues that are 5,911 yards with a slope rating of 141. Even after moving down a tee box, this course still gave me fits. With the exception of four holes that run along the Toccoa River, elevation factors into almost every other hole on the course. Playing to down mountain pin placements or elevated greens is common place. The greens were firm and fast. Leaving approach shots 10+ yards short of the pin placement is a safer play than playing long, depending on hole design. On several holes you can leave shots unintentionally short and still get a downhill roll onto the green. This is also a course where you can easily shave a few strokes off your score with any form of course knowledge. I played 27 holes, replaying the front nine. I felt much more prepared to play the course on the second go around. It felt to me like Tobacco Road, but not nearly as forgiving.
Standout Holes
Hole 1: 369 Yards, Par 4
The opening hole at Toccoa Farm is a beautiful golf hole. Bunkers and tall grass line both sides of the fairway. The hole is relatively open for this course. The driver is not needed off the tee here but it’s also not a bad play given the hole is fairly forgiving in nature. The golfer should be left likely with 100 yards or less for the approach shot. The green is large and tiered with a small hill at the front. I played my approach off the top of the small hill and was left with a makeable birdie putt. Strategy comes into play so early here with a tee shot where you probably at least question club choice and an approach shot that really provides you multiple places to target and some unknowns without having any course knowledge.
The opening hole at Old Toccoa Farm is a beautiful designed and visually appealing golf hole
Hole 4: 297 Yards, Par 4
The fourth hole was one of my favorites on the course. It is a short downhill par four with a large sand trap in the middle of the hole and water lining the right side. Driver would be aggressive here as any shot not short of the green or on the green is most likely out of bounds. A mid iron up the left side of the hole is the smart play here. With the down hill green, your approach shot will play a fair amount shorter with the slope adjusted than the actual yardage to the hole. The approach shot is one where you really need to hit the green or worst case for a miss is short and to the left. There is a dramatic drop off on the backside of the green with a large sand trap and if you make it past the trap, your ball is likely gone. This hole was fun because it was truly target golf. Two good irons and you have a birdie put. Anything missing the target and you are looking at trouble, possibly big trouble.
Number 4 is a short par four requiring smart iron play or a high risk, somewhat low reward driver off the tee given the amount of trouble surronding this green
Hole 6: 353 Yards, Par 4
The sixth hole is a fairly steep downhill par four. The golfer can hit anything from a seven iron to a driver off the tee here. I made the mistake of hitting driver the first time I played this nine. Without course knowledge, I aimed too far left and went out of bounds. Really, anywhere to the right of the left tree line is a good play as the hole opens up to the right. The approach shot is a fun one with The Toccoa River flowing gently directly behind the green. Similar to the fourth hole, keep your approach shot short here to de-risk yourself and still put yourself in a position to hit the green.
Course knowledge can be a big factor in a high or low score on six; misses are to the right are much better than the left, I found out the hard way
Hole 12: Par 3, 108 Yards
A par three that plays less than one hundred yards without slope adjusted should never be difficult, but this is Old Toccoa Farm, I am still a amateur golfer, and this is still the sport of golf. Mountain views surround this short par 3. The golfer should have no more than a short wedge from any of the tee boxes. It’s an awkward, but at the same time intimidating tee shot. Proctor and Axland do a good job of making you think more than you need to on a hole where hitting the green should not be difficult. While it’s a large green, anything not on the green has a pretty good chance of being out of bounds. It was an in between yardage for me as well that did not require a full shot. I hit a fat shot shot and found myself making a double bogey on 108 yard hole. Despite playing the hole poorly, I still enjoyed the views and challenge of this short par three.
Mountain views from the short par 3 12th hole, challenges await with a missed green in regulation
Hole 18: Par 5, 401 Yards
The finishing hole at Old Toccoa Farm is a very short and straightforward par five. With an accurate tee shot and approach shot, the golfer can be left with a look at eagle. Out of the holes I have profiled, this is the only one with an upward slope on the approach shot. Similar to many other greens at Old Toccoa, trouble lies on both sides and behind the hole. This is a fitting end as it provides similarities to much of the course in terms of lack of forgiveness and being penalized with approach shots that are not on target.
Old Toccoa Farm is easily one of the most challenging mountain golf courses I have ever played before. It will quickly expose holes in your game or areas you may be struggling, especially off the tee or on approach shots, two pretty critical areas to this sport. The course was starting to come into shape nicely from the winter months and no doubt is even more of a beautiful spectacle in the summer months to come. Bring a few extra golf balls, no mater your skill set as a golfer, they will likely be needed.
Course Rating: B+
Course Rating Summary: Well designed, beautiful mountain course. Fairways and greens were in great shape. You may not find greens this nice at many country clubs, they rolled true and fast. Greens fees very reasonable at $75. It’s also a very challenging track, the difficulty level at the way I was playing may be the only deterrent from not making a trip back to this North Georgia gem.