Quick Answer
Five Reynolds Lake Oconee golf courses are generally available to guests staying through the resort: Great Waters, The Oconee, The National, The Preserve and The Landing. They are not five versions of the same round.
Great Waters is the course most first-time groups will want to protect. The Oconee is the easiest fit from The Ritz-Carlton and brings more risk-reward decisions. The National has the most internal variety, with 27 holes and the property's strongest elevation changes. The Preserve is the most accommodating choice for a mixed-handicap group, while The Landing has an older, wooded character with rolling ground and lake views.
Our Reynolds Lake Oconee golf trip guide covers lodging, trip length and the rest of the resort. This guide focuses on choosing the courses.
Great Waters: The Signature Lakefront Round
Great Waters is the Jack Nicklaus course and the obvious priority for a first trip. It opened in 1992 and underwent a complete restoration in 2019. The rebuilt course retained the original routing while modernizing its greens, bunkers and playing surfaces.
The front side begins away from the lake. The visual change comes later, when the routing reaches Lake Oconee and the shoreline becomes part of the strategy. That progression is important. Great Waters does not reveal its strongest scenery on the opening holes and then repeat it for four hours.
This is the round to choose when the group wants Reynolds' best-known course and the most direct connection to the lake. It also deserves the most protection during trip planning because it is likely to be the course everyone expects to play.
Choose Great Waters for: the signature course, lakefront golf and the centerpiece round.
The Oconee: Risk and Reward Near the Ritz-Carlton
The Oconee is a Rees Jones design that opened in 2002. It moves through forest and along Lake Oconee, using ponds, inlets and tree-lined doglegs to create decisions rather than relying only on length.
Golfers repeatedly have to decide how much of a corner or water carry they want to challenge. The course builds toward the lake, with the closing stretch bringing the strongest concentration of water and views. It is a different experience from Great Waters: still polished and scenic, but with more obvious choices from the tee and into the greens.
The Oconee clubhouse is close to The Ritz-Carlton, making it a practical arrival-day or departure-day round for groups staying at the hotel. It is also a sensible first course because the layout introduces the lake setting without using the trip's signature Great Waters tee time immediately.
Choose The Oconee for: risk-reward golf, Ritz-Carlton convenience and a strong opening round.
The National: Elevation and 27-Hole Variety
The National is Tom Fazio's 27-hole property. Its three nines allow Reynolds to create different 18-hole combinations, which makes National more variable than the other guest-access courses.
The defining feature is elevation. Official course information notes changes of as much as 60 feet from tees to fairways and on approach shots. Dense forest frames the holes, and the movement in the land produces more uphill, downhill and uneven shots than golfers may expect from a lake resort in central Georgia.
National works well for a group that values architecture and shot variety over constant lake views. It is also the course most capable of supporting a replay without giving golfers exactly the same 18 holes, depending on which nines are operating.
National Village lodging and The National Tavern can make this part of the property an effective base for a buddies trip built around cottages and shared space.
Choose The National for: elevation changes, wooded golf and 27-hole flexibility.
The Preserve: The Most Playable Option
The Preserve was the first course developed within Reynolds. Bob Cupp designed it with player consultants Fuzzy Zoeller and Hubert Green, using the property's rolling ground to create a course that is generally more manageable than the marquee championship tests.
Playability does not mean there is nothing to think about. The course still asks golfers to choose angles and deal with changes in elevation, but it gives a mixed-handicap group a better chance to keep the round moving and stay in the same part of the course.
That makes The Preserve useful in a three- or four-day schedule. It can follow a demanding day at Great Waters, suit a group with a wide range of abilities or provide a round where the entire foursome has more opportunities to remain involved.
Choose The Preserve for: mixed-handicap groups, a less punishing round and better trip pacing.
The Landing: Established, Wooded and Separate in Character
The Landing opened in 1986 as the original golf course at Lake Oconee. Reynolds acquired it in 2005, and the Bob Cupp design was renovated in 2013.
Its routing moves through wooded areas, rolling hills and sections near the shoreline. The course feels more established than the newer resort layouts, with mature surroundings and a traditional sequence of holes. It is not simply a substitute when the other tee times are unavailable.
The Landing makes sense for groups staying long enough to play a fourth or fifth round. It adds another Bob Cupp design to the trip, but its older setting separates it from The Preserve. It can also appeal to golfers who prefer a quieter course atmosphere over a highly staged resort presentation.
Choose The Landing for: mature wooded surroundings, traditional course character and a fourth distinct round.
How to Choose Three Courses
For a three-round trip, start with Great Waters. Then choose the other two based on the group rather than searching for a universal ranking.
A strong first-time combination is:
- Great Waters for the signature lakefront experience.
- The Oconee for risk-reward golf and hotel convenience.
- The National for elevation and architectural variety.
Substitute The Preserve when the group includes higher-handicap golfers or wants a more forgiving day. Choose The Landing when established scenery and a traditional course feel matter more than playing the three most prominent names.
A four-night stay makes the decision easier. Four rounds allow the group to include Great Waters, Oconee and National, then use Preserve or Landing to change the pace.
What About Creek Club, Richland and Fenmoor?
Reynolds has a larger private-club portfolio than the five courses typically used for resort stays. Creek Club and Richland are private, member-focused courses. Fenmoor has been announced as an eighth course, designed by Steve Smyers and scheduled to open in fall 2026 as a members-only club.
Those courses should not be presented as standard inclusions in a visitor itinerary. When reviewing a trip proposal, confirm the specific courses included with the lodging rather than relying on the total number of courses associated with the Reynolds community.
The same distinction applies to searches for Reynolds Plantation golf. Reynolds Plantation is the property's former name; the destination has operated as Reynolds Lake Oconee since its 2016 rebrand.
Planning the Course Order
Course order should follow arrival time, lodging location and confirmed availability.
Groups staying at The Ritz-Carlton can use The Oconee as a convenient opening round. Great Waters should be protected on the day with the cleanest schedule. National can anchor a day around National Village, while Preserve or Landing can provide a less demanding final round.
Do not book lodging separately and assume the same golf access will follow. Reynolds golf trips work best when the rooms, course sequence and transportation are arranged together. Review the current Reynolds Lake Oconee destination page before deciding how many rounds fit the stay.
FAQ
How many Reynolds Lake Oconee golf courses can resort guests play?
Guests staying through Reynolds generally plan around five courses: Great Waters, The Oconee, The National, The Preserve and The Landing. Access remains subject to the lodging package and availability.
Which Reynolds course should a first-time visitor prioritize?
Great Waters. Its Jack Nicklaus design and lakefront stretch make it the course most closely associated with a Reynolds golf trip.
Which course is closest to The Ritz-Carlton?
The Oconee is adjacent to the Ritz-Carlton area and is the most convenient full round for hotel guests.
Which Reynolds course is best for mixed handicaps?
The Preserve is generally the most accommodating option and fits well when the group wants a less punishing round.
Does The National have 27 holes?
Yes. The National has three nine-hole layouts that can be combined into different 18-hole rounds depending on operations.
Is Reynolds Plantation the same golf destination?
Yes. Reynolds Plantation is the former name of Reynolds Lake Oconee. Searchers still use both names for the same Georgia golf community.
Plan the Right Course Mix
The best course list depends on the group's lodging, number of nights and preferred pace. Send JEL the dates, group size and courses that matter most, and the trip can be built around the available Reynolds golf and lodging combination.
