Atlanta course awaits its fate

Bobby Jones, the legend himself, played there. Tiger Woods was not even a teen-ager yet when he gave it a shot. Stewart Cink and David Duval, who like Woods would go on and become major champions, practiced at the site during their college years.

Now, the question is this: How many years does Candler Park Golf Course have left?

John Gillespie, GCSAA Class A superintendent and a 12-year member of the association, hopes years translate into decades at Candler Park, where he serves as superintendent and general manager of the nine-hole executive course in the heart of Atlanta.

The key, though, is whether the city decides if Candler Park is still viable.

The city is assembling a report to determine if the course, which opened in the 1920s, will remain in its current form or become something else. Last year, the course lost $70,000. The options for Candler Park: make it a driving range, keep it in its current form, or close it.

"This place has a lot of charm to it," Gillespie tells GCM. "It is a one-of-a-kind place. There's very few of these executive course gems left."

City residents pay just $9 to play a round on weekdays at Candler Park, which is named in honor of Asa Candler, who made his fortune selling Coca-Cola. Candler Park is a walking course where up-and-coming players such as Cink and Duval honed their short games as students at nearby Georgia Tech. A group of Candler Park patrons has formed, calling itself Friends of Candler Park Golf Course in an attempt to save the facility and keep it as is.

Stay tuned.