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Callaway Gardens Resort
by Karen Misuraca
In Georgia's southern Piedmont, the charming little town of Pine Mountain in the foothills of the Appalachians is the gateway to Callaway Gardens, an historic resort sprawling over thousands of acres, a vacation wonderland beloved for decades by families, garden lovers and golfers. The indoor and outdoor horticultural displays are world famous and 41 holes of golf are also decorated by elaborate landscaping, and by piney woods and a dozen lakes http://www.callawaygardens.com.
7,057 yards of fairway on the Mountain View Championship Golf Course are tight and tree-lined, a ramble through pine forests and hills, with six doglegs, high rough and no development to mar the natural beauty. With a 73.9 course rating and slope of 136, and small, very well protected greens, the track requires near-perfect accuracy off the tee. The complicated 15th hole has an elevated tee and is menaced by dense vegetation and a lake jutting twice into the fairway. New white sand bunkers have been installed along with new cart paths and new tee boxes.
Lakes and streams raise the bar on Lake View Golf Course, where masses of azaleas, dogwoods and seasonal flowers create a spectacular backdrop. Wide fairways on hilly terrain skirt the lakes, drifting through the woodlands. nine water holes and landscaping of azaleas, dogwoods and seasonal flowers. The 10th is the signature hole, with an island tee and a serpentine bridge over Mountain Creek. Recent renovations included new bunkers, TifEagle greens, new cart paths and glorified landscaping.
Orchids, vineyards, wildflowers and hundreds of azaleas border the Gardens View course, while Sky View is a sweet five-holer that families, beginners and high-handicappers like to play; recent additions are the practice range and learning center--a new clubhouse is underway.
Among a variety of accommodations, 150 deluxe guest rooms and garden suites at the new Lodge at Callaway Gardens and the Spa Prunifolia are surrounded by the lush foliage. Each of the secluded, 1- to 4-bedroom units at The Villas at Callaway Gardens have living and dining rooms, fireplace, fully-equipped kitchen, washer/dryer, screened porch, sundeck, and separate bath for each bedroom. Scattered in a tall pine forest, Southern Pine Cottages are country-comfortable, with fireplaces, living/dining areas, screened porches and equipped kitchens. The Mountain Creek Inn is comprised of 323 rooms and suites; Gardens View rooms overlook the pool or the Great Lawn, while 1- and 2-bedroom Roof Garden suites come with a parlor and special amenities.
Summer sunseekers swim, water ski and go boating on Mountain Creek Lake and smaller lakes, and bask on the largest inland, man-made sandy beach in the world, mile-long Robin Lake Beach. Kids love the mini-golf and the mini-train, paddle boats and "Flying High" circus performances. Tennis on ten hard- and soft-surfaced tennis courts, racquetball, a par course and skeet, trap and sporting clay shooting are available.
One of the best summer camps in the country, supervised Summer Adventure for kids offers circus activities, golf clinics, theater, water sports, outdoor fun and more; adults camps, too. Annual events include a water-ski tournament, circus performances, concerts and a hot air balloon festival. In Pine Mountain, don't miss FDR's Little White House and FDR State Park where you can go fishing and boating on Lake Delano. At the resort, fly-fishing experts conduct fly-fishing schools and expeditions for bass and bream fishing in the milder seasons, and trout when temperatures drop.
Superlatives are hard to avoid when describing Callaway Gardens, the non-profit horticultural fantasy that 20 million people have visited since the 1950s, comprising 14,000 acres of indoor and outdoor gardens and wildlife displays. The world's largest azalea cultivation is 40 acres of 5,000 varieties, exploding into red, magenta, pink and white oceans of bloom. Wildflowers are on display all year around, plus hundreds of types of vegetables, fruits and herbs. On miles of footpaths and bike trails through the gardens, and on lake ferries and trams, guests find quiet hideaways to enjoy the stupendous flora. Seminars, talks, guided walks and more educational events are held daily. One of the largest glass-enclosed tropical butterfly conservatories in North America shelters more than 1,000 butterflies, hummingbirds and other avian creatures fluttering around a waterfall and a stream. Visitors see hawks, owls, eagles and peregrine falcons exhibit their natural behaviors at the dramatic Birds of Prey show.
Major airlines serve Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, within an hour's drive, and Columbus Metropolitan Airport, a half hour's drive; while private aircraft land at nearby Harris County Airport. Callaway Gardens is 60 minutes from Atlanta and 30 from Columbus.
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