This Private Golf Club Is Open To The Public One Week A Year

There is one golf course in the world with three individually designed courses by legends Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player.
No, it’s not Augusta National Golf Club, home of the prestigious Masters Tournament, but it is close by, and, luckily, the normally private club opens its doors to the public for one week each year: Masters Week.
Champions Retreat is a 27-hole club located in Evans, Ga., approximately 15 miles from Augusta.
“The golf world comes to Augusta the first week of April and we wanted to open our arms and welcome them in,” Champions retreat general manager Cameron Wiebe said. “There are a number of people who will stay at a local hotel and wait in line at a chain restaurant and while that offers a fun experience, we decided it was going to be our niche to offer something to those looking for an elevated experience.”

Coincidentally, it was at the 1999 Masters Champions Dinner where Player recruited Nicklaus and Palmer to share his dream of developing a private 27-hole club located just outside of Augusta. With three distinct properties to select from, “Island”, “Creek”, and “Bluff” were written on the back of index cards and chosen at random. Being the most senior of the group (and having played in more Masters), Palmer selected first, drawing “Island”. Nicklaus picked second since he had more green jackets—awarded to the Masters winner—than Player, drawing “Bluff”, leaving Player with the “Creek” property.
Nestled along the Savannah River that separates South Carolina and Georgia, the three unique courses were sculpted from the foundation of more than 365 acres of Georgia pines, long-standing hardwood, and wetlands.

The club, which boasts more than 360 members, is more than just a golf course. Champions Retreat offers 16 luxury cottages complemented with fireplaces, fire pits and porches, that can house 4–8 couples each. Various amenities including personal culinary experiences, live music, yoga sessions, and workout facilities are also available.
“Champions Retreat is best summed as lowering the barrier to comfort,” Wiebe said. “I use that phrase because it’s in everything we do. Our courses are designed to be both unique and challenging; they’re enjoyable at their very core. As we’ve continued to bolster our amenities through luxury cottages, culinary offers, views, and experiences we try to create up to and including the river, it’s about being comfortable and easy and relaxed.”

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

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