Golf Club Villas at Big Canoe

Golf Club Villas at Big Canoe in Marble Hill, GA. I think Georgia is one of the most underrated states for travel in the nation. This is especially true if you love golf. Some of the most amazing golf resorts and locations are in Georgia.

Video by Big Canoe Community

Day One Travel and Arrival

Traveling to the Golf Club Villas at Big Canoe for me meant a largely easy interstate drive most of the way from Virginia. For others, it may mean a flight to Atlanta and a drive from that major hub airport.

If you are flying in, book a rental car and plan for a little over a 1-hour drive North of Atlanta to the resort itself. The distance is about 65 miles from the airport.

For myself, the drive was almost as long though I did save a few minutes driving up from Atlanta by going around the beltway versus through town.

Check-in here is done at the local shopping center in a small easy-to-find office. They get you taken care of quickly and give you directions to your villa. The check-in time is 4 PM and if you are running late, be sure to call so they can make arrangements for you over the phone and explain your check-in options.

If you have used a service like ShipSticks to send your clubs ahead, ask if they can be dropped off at this office, or see about the pro shop at the golf club.

The Villa and Resort Amenities

Villa Amenities

Then the resort itself offers all of these options.

Resort Amenities

My first impression of the villas was that they were a nice size. At 1,200sq ft you have room to move around and can sleep a foursome with ease.

Reviews From Other Guests

Great Location for Nature Lovers

Many great parks nearby to explore. The villa was quiet and comfortable. We did not use ANY of the resort amenities, as there was an additional fee for just about everything you would want to do there.

Scenic and spacious 

Great location and nice villas.

Was much better than getting a hotel. Had a lot more freedom and felt more like a home away from home.

It is worth noting that these are older-style villas. If you want something that is ultra-modern, this is not for you. If you think that clean villas in a great location are what you want, then these are perfect. I get it some people are not impressed unless something is brand new and modern. That is not me, but I get it.

What the villa might lack in your mind, though you must understand with the monstrous list of resort amenities, the value here still shines through. There is so much to do and enjoy.

Myself after settling in, I wanted to check out more of the resort. So, I headed back out a really looked around while there was still sunlight to see everything by.

Here the lake, marina, boats, and outdoor pools and options are amazing. You could come here and never leave the resort. There are even several restaurants and that was where I was headed next.

I went to the Home Restaurant for dinner. Here you need a reservation and even though I called at the last minute, I was able to work some magic. My meal started with a great Caesar salad and then I had the meatloaf. Both were perfect and my meal came quickly.

After a great meal, it was back to the villa for some rest.

Day Two Golf

I have said it before when in Rome. I also had a great golf experience for my first golf outing on a trip to another resort. I thought today would be a good day to try 18 holes again. Before today I had played a great deal of mini-golf and some driving range fun, but only 18 holes at one time. This meant I really had no clue of my handicap, or ability to play with strangers, or even alone. I had planned ahead and was happy to find that if you call the club, you can often find someone to be matched with for a round of golf. They ask your handicap and as far as I knew it was 10 because I was 10 over par at my first course in my life just a few weeks earlier.

Those that know golf much better than foolish me at the time. Now that I was setting myself up to play against really good players. Evidentially, a 10 is a really good golf handicap. I had no idea; I thought I did Ok on my first outing, but the fellow I played with had 10 years on me and still beat by two strokes, so I just had no clue.

What followed today was a bit more luck or God’s sympathy or grace for me. I played with 3 gentlemen who had a 4^th that could not make it. Things started off scary because they wanted to have a wager on the game. I dared not tell them that this was my second full game, so I just said as the guest, I would honor the best for my team.

At the time, I just did not want the other guy, a stranger to me to have to pay when I made us lose. They took it as some form of bragging or something. But I insisted because I knew my own secret.

Over the next few hours, grace came into play as I managed to hold my own. These guys could really play, so maybe they helped me up my game by just trying to hang in there with them.

Now I am by any standard a huge guy. These days I am way too heavy and 6’4” this means if I can connect with a golf ball, I can knock the mess out of it. Thankfully, that was something I have some practice at thanks to a handful of trips to Top Flight Golf with friends and prior co-workers. If you play, you know that sound you hear when you really connect well on the second hole. I made that sound. That perfect THWACK that just grabs your attention. The flight of that ball made me feel like a guy in a golf movie that just learned how to hit from some old master golfer. The ball must have gone 280 yards, and most importantly, straight down the fairway.

16 holes later and me and my partner for the day lost as I had believed we would from the start, but just barely. I also felt I had the best hit of the day and was amazed that I could fake it until I made it with players like these guys. The bet firmly lost well the first two rounds at the bar were on me, and I always honor my bets.

Now, I will be honest with you. I still do not love golf. I would still rather go to mini-golf instead, but I get the draw to it now that I never did. It is more than the challenge against one’s self it is the connection with the other golfers and the time for guys to be guys. Share dumb jokes, dad jokes, and stories, as well as share thoughts on the world today.

That sense of community is something the world misses elsewhere now and you have time for all of that while you play golf.

The course at Big Canoe is a challenging one because it is a mountain course. The differences in course height and perspective must be something players love because they come here from all over to play and stay.

Day Three Enjoying the Resort

Today I just wanted to enjoy the lake, boats, and pool, as well as some of the other resort amenities. The lake here is nice and you will really enjoy all this resort has to offer.

Dahlonega

After playing for hours, I headed to Dahlonega to see the local town and learn more about the history of the area. Maybe even get a look at one of the two gold mines.

I started with lunch at SHENANIGANS RESTAURANT & IRISH PUB I liked it there so much that I had to drag myself out. Sometimes the Black and Tans, and the food are almost too good to leave. Here I had bangers and mash that were great and more than a reasonable number of pints.

The Consolidated Gold Mines

I chose not to drive but to leave my car parked for a bit and go to the Consolidated Gold Mine Nearby. I felt some walking below ground and away from some of the summer heat would help burn off some of my black and tan fun.

Here you can take an underground tour of the actual gold mine, and learn more about the old methods and operations firsthand. When you go on the tour you also get a free example of gold panning, which is an interesting thing to try.

The tour itself is about 40 minutes and only $20 for adults and $14 for kids 3-12 which is nice. The mine itself is 200 feet down, so it is a very pleasant 60 degrees all year round. So, you can really come here any time and enjoy the mine experience.

After walking into the mine, and then some planning I was feeling more myself and not like I was still in the pub. So, I headed back to get my car and then head back to the resort.

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