Canongate Develops all
Aspects of its Courses
by Elizabeth Weaver
Brothers Joe and Ken Guerra
manage the Canongate courses with a simple, but
effective, premise--what's good for its members,
guests and employees is good for
business. This management style has helped Canongate
Golf to flourish. Under their watch the Canongate
Group has grown from seven courses to fourteen,
and the original courses continue to be upgraded
in order to maintain their high standards.
Joe says it was in the mid-1980s that he became
acquainted with the Canongate concept, originally
brought to the area by Bill Rocquemore in 1965.
"The idea was that there should be high-quality,
affordable golf courses and facilities available
to typical golfers," he says. "And that's just
what Canongate has delivered through the years."
Forty years later, that idea has developed into
a chain of 14 properties serving thousands of
members--and it's still growing. Joe credits the
success and growth to the basic philosophy that's
the foundation of Canongate.
"We have three tenets to our business," he explains.
"The first is that we look at the business through
the eyes of members and guests. It's not necessarily
the most efficient way to operate, but we feel
it's what's most important."
The Canongate staff makes it a priority to learn
what members and guests like and don't like, then
find ways to improve and build on that information.
There's an email system set up for members to
respond about their experiences. Joe says they
receive 10 to 20 emails daily, and that they listen
to all of them.
The second tenet is a commitment to make Canongate
a great place to work. "Providing a compelling
work environment for our employees is just the
right thing to do--for the workers, the members,
the business and the economy," states Joe.
About 10% of the employees at Canongate are also
members, many of them retired from careers in
other fields; they care about the club and look
after the staff and members. "We're humbled by
their dedication," Joe says. "And it's very important
to us. We consider ourselves family and want to
be an extension of our employees' homes."
The third tenet is growth--not only of the business,
but personal growth as well. "We were taught by
our parents and mentors that it's important to
maximize our contributions as human being in all
ways and that business can be used to do good
things," Joe says. While Canongate regularly contributes
to charitable causes, the company's positive work
and business environment are its greatest assets
to the community.
And the growth has come. Canongate recently added
Whitewater Creek in Fayetteville, Georgia National
in McDonough and River Forest in Forsyth. Other
clubs include: Flat Creek, Braelinn and Planterra
Ridge in Peachtree City, Canongate I in Sharpsburg,
White Oak in Newnan, Chapel Hills in Douglasville,
Mirror Lake in Villa Rica, Hamilton Mill in Dacula,
Windemere in Cumming, Heron Bay in Henry County
and Pinecrest in Hilton Head, SC. While each club
has its own personality and history, there's not
one bad location--or bad hole.
It's still a remarkable deal for golfers. The
membership costs at Canongate--$99-$119 per month
and a $500-$750 initial fee--give members access
to 17 courses at 14 clubs and a host of other
amenities, including tennis, swimming and dining.
According to Joe, the growth will continue, along
with the commitment to excellence. The vision
for the future includes bringing the Canongate
concept to all sides of the metro area, eventually
building a daisy chain of golf courses around
Atlanta--and beyond. He adds that they plan to
acquire four to five more properties by the end
of 2006 and hope to expand to at least one other
city in North America by that time.
"We know that our name is a brand that's become
immediately recognizable and that it means
quality and value," Joe says. "At Canongate, our
commitment to our members, employees and communities
is our most valuable asset." G
Private Golf Clubs
Canongate
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| Phil at Discount Golf
Shop helps a customer select the right club
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When you join Canongate, you gain access to 14
clubs--all with world-class course designs and
practice facilities. In addition to great golf,
members have access to amenities such as tennis,
swimming and fitness, as well as gourmet dining
and an active social calendar.
The Canongate courses include three in Peachtree
City: Flat Creek, Braelinn and Planterra Ridge.
There's also Canongate I in Sharpsburg, White
Oak in Newnan and Whitewater Creek in Fayetteville.
But that's not all, by any means. With your membership,
you can also enjoy golf at Chapel Hills in Douglasville,
Mirror Lake in Villa Rica, Heron Bay in Henry
County, Georgia National in McDonough, River Forest
in Forsyth, Windemere in Cumming, Hamilton Mill
in Dacula and Pinecrest in Hilton Head, SC.
For more information, call 678-794-8945 or visit
www.canongategolf.com.
Newnan Country
Club
A private golf club, Newnan Country Club was
established in 1919. The course offers a challenging,
but fair, test of a golfer's skill. Located on
Hwy 29 North in Newnan. 770-253-9856.
Daily Fee Courses
In addition to the private and semi-private clubs
in the area, there are plenty of daily fee courses.
Most of them offer exceptional quality golf courses
for very reasonable rates. Since they range in
degrees in difficulty, both beginners and scratch
golfers will find a satisfying selection of fun
and challenging courses.
SummerGrove
Golf Club
From the 300 new public courses reviewed by Golf
Digest in 2000, Summer Grove received accolades
and placed in the top 10 Most Affordable Public
Courses in the country. Laid out over rolling
topography, it draws more and more golfers to
enjoy its unique and challenging test of golf.
SummerGrove has a beautiful clubhouse and can
host golf tournaments, special events, and even
weddings and rehearsal dinners. Affordable golf
memberships are now available at SummerGrove.
Arbor Springs
Golf & Resort
The holes at Arbor Springs Golf & Resort
give golfers a sense of solitude and exhilaration.
There are breathtaking views as the course winds
through and across ridges, ravines and waterways.
Lake Spivey Golf
Club
The championship layout at Lake Spivey Golf Club
includes 27 holes of fun, fair and challenging
golf. A balance of distance, contour, wooded roughs
and water presents an enjoyable golf course for
all levels of play.
The Links Golf
Club
The Links has one 18-hole course and one par
3 course. Ponds come into play on six holes and
moguls highlight the fairways so the play is more
challenging than the yardage indicates.
Orchard Hills
Golf Club
"Southern Hospitality with a Scottish Links Flavor"
is how this course is described. It's consistently
ranked among the top public courses in Georgia
with a beautiful 27-hole championship layout,
bentgrass greens and bermuda fairways.
River's Edge Golf
Club
This club was voted Georgia's "Best New Public
Course in 1990." Renown PGA architect Bobby Weed
designed River's Edge Golf Club, which has hosted
the Public links Championship as well as Mini-Tour
Events.
Retail Stores
Whatever you are looking for, you can find it
at Discount Golf Shop. From the newest drivers
to help you drive like John Daly to the latest
gear to make you look like a pro, they have it
all. They also have a state-of-the-art vector
launch monitor. The launch monitor shows the best
combination of launch angle and backspin for every
ball speed.
Clubhead-speed and ball-speed measurements help
Discount Golf Shop staff determine the right shaft
flex for their customers' swings. Launch-angle
data helps pinpoint the right amount of driver
loft. Spin measurements can be used to choose
the best driver head size and ball type for different
players' games.
Driving Ranges
& Teaching Centers
Want to hit some balls at the range or take private
lessons but you haven't joined a club yet? There
are several driving ranges and teaching centers
in the area. You can look in our Area Golf Resources
listings to find the one closest to you.
Area Golf Resources
Private Golf Clubs and
Country Clubs
Canongate Golf Club
924 Shaw Rd, Sharpsburg 770-463-3342
Newnan Country Club N Hwy 29, Newnan 770-253-9856
Semi-Private Golf Clubs
and Country Clubs
The Palmer Course at Whitewater Creek
175 Birkdale Dr, Fayetteville 770-460-0877
Daily Fee Courses
SummerGrove Golf Club
335 SummerGrove Pkwy, Nwn 770-251-1800
Arbor Springs Golf Club - 300 Arbor Springs Pkwy,
Nwn 770-683-4727
Lake Spivey Golf Club - 8255 Club House, Jonesboro 770-477-9836
The Links Golf Club - 340 Hewell Rd, Jonesboro 770-461-5100
Orchard Hills Golf Club - 600 E Hwy 16N, Newnan 770-251-5683
Rivers Edge Golf Club - 40 Southern Golf Ct,
Fayetteville 770-460-1098
Golf Shops and Retail
Outlets
Discount Golf Shops - 510 Crosstown Rd,
Peachtreetree City 770-486-7474
ProGolf of Newnan -
19 Millard Farmer Industrial Blvd, Newnan 770-632-5911
Pro Shops
Braelinn Pro Shop - 500 Clubview Dr, Peachtree
City 770-631-3100
Flat Creek Club - Flat Creek Rd, Peachtree City 770-487-8140
Planterra Ridge Pro Shop - 500 Clubhouse Dr,
Ptree City 770-487-8141
The Palmer Course at Whitewater Creek -
175 Birkdale Dr, Fayetteville 770-460-0877
White Oak Pro Shop - 141 Clubview Dr, Newnan 770-251-6700
Driving Ranges / Teaching
Centers
Twilight Driving Range
311 Raymond Hill Rd, Nwn 770-251-6540
Wendell Coffee Golf & Teaching Center
1963 Hwy 74, Tyrone 770-969-4469
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