Atlanta

Atlanta has established itself as the capital of the South and has taken the lead in the region when it comes to a diverse variety of topics from civil rights to finance to construction to entertainment -- and golf. With its abundance of meeting spaces, hotels and the busiest (and very efficient) airport in the world, Atlanta has become a popular gathering spot.

In 1996 the city hosted the Centennial Olympic Games. Atlanta is home to professional franchises in each major sport: the NFL Falcons, the MLB Braves, the NHL Thrashers and the NBA Hawks. The Braves won the World Series in 1995, the city's only major championship.

Atlanta is home to the legendary Bobby Jones, considered by some the greatest golfer ever. He grew up playing at Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club, which now hosts the PGA Tour's annual PGA Tour's Tour Championship, a limited field event that determines the winner of the FedExCup. Jones also helped establish the Atlanta Athletic Club in Duluth, which has hosted the U.S. Open, the U.S. Women's Open and the PGA Championship.

At one time there were few venues available for public golfers. Rapid growth in the region led to over-development of golf courses, which are now readily available in almost all quandrants of the city. Atlanta's public courses stay busy, but are usually in above-average condition, with Alfred "Tup" Holmes Golf Club and North Fulton Golf Course at the top of the list.

Another popular destination is Stone Mountain, which features two golf courses that surround the world's largest piece of exposed granite. Non-golfing family members will enjoy the attractions such as a treetop zipline, a skyride to the top of the mountain, a scenic train ride and a laser light display that's shown on the side of the mountain each evening in the spring and summer. The golf is very good, too. The difficult Stonemont course at Stone Mountain G.C. was designed by Robert Trent Jones and isn't for the faint of heart, while the John LaFoy-designed Lakemont course incorporates more water into play and may be more appropriate for the occasional golfer.

Golf in Atlanta is nearly a year-round activity. There are normally a few weeks in January or February each year where temperatures drop low enough to keep away the hardiest players. Snow is infrequent and what little occurs doesn't usually linger very long.

And when golf isn't in the forecast, there are a million things to do. From the Six Flags amusement park to the hugely popular Georgia Aquarium, the largest in the nation, visitors can always find ways to occupy their time in Atlanta.