East Lake Golf Club completes renovations, awaits Tour Championship

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — East Lake Golf Club will showcase its newly renovated course to the world when the PGA Tour Championship takes place next week.

“It’s been a long year,” said Club President and General Manager Chad Parker.

Parker has been with East Lake Golf Club for 28 years, and the club’s last major renovation was two years before that.

“The greens, the bunkers and the irrigation system had kind of aged out,” Parker explained.

While the renovation took a full year, the planning began nearly three years ago. Fans will notice some similarities and many differences.

“It felt like it was bigger but also intimate at the same time,” Parker said.

That’s because the tee boxes and fairways have been slimmed down, and bunkers have been moved. There are also fewer trees, which gives players and fans a more expansive view. The lack of trees also helps the grass stay healthy and makes the course appear larger. Parker said this design was based on the original course design a century ago.

“Virtually everything is different,” Parker said.

Other than the return of plush Bermuda grass around the edges of the course around the course, a new kind of Zoysia grass carpets the fairways and greens.

All that’s left is putting the final touches on next week’s Tour Championship.

“Overall, it’s been a fantastic experience,” Parker said.

Oh, and how difficult is the course?

“I would hesitate to say it is more difficult,” Parker said. “It is more challenging in a fun way.”