Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Bobby Jones Golf Course, operated by Bobby Jones Links (BJL), a leading boutique management company in the golf industry, is thrilled to announce that the Atlanta-based course has been honored as the 2025 Jemsek National Course of the Year.
The award process began with regional winners being selected from four sections across the United States: East, Midwest, South, and West. Bobby Jones Golf Course earned the title of South Region Course of the Year and was subsequently chosen by the NGCOA Board of Directors as the overall national winner, representing Georgia on this prestigious stage.
The NGCOA’s Jemsek National Course of the Year Award celebrates facilities that exemplify outstanding course quality and management, contribute significantly to their communities and the sport of golf, and set operational standards for their peers.
“Through the leadership and hard work of President Marty Elgison and the non-profit Bobby Jones Golf Course Foundation, the BJL management and leadership, and our staff who works tirelessly to make the golf experience here unforgettable and truly accessible to everyone, this property has become a tremendous source of pride for our team, the city of Atlanta and the golf industry,” said Bobby Jones Golf Course General Manager Joshua Deal. “Our entire staff is proud and humble – it is an incredible and meaningful honor to be able to deliver every day on the Foundation’s mission to ‘Make a Difference Through Golf,’”
As part of a transformative $33 million redevelopment project launched in 2011, Bobby Jones Golf Course underwent a remarkable evolution. Once a poorly maintained and underutilized property, the course is now a vibrant hub for the local golf community. It features a distinctive reversible 9-hole layout designed by the late Bob Cupp and a state-of-the-art driving range. Today, the facility stands as a testament to how a golf course can enrich lives and foster community engagement.
One of the course’s most impactful initiatives is its PGA HOPE program, a free golf instruction program for active-duty military and veterans. BJGC hosts four six-week clinics annually, providing life-changing experiences to countless service members.
The course’s dedication to junior golf is equally impressive. Through its PGA Junior League program, over 250 children participated in weekly Sunday matches last year, a prime time for tee reservations—a reflection of BJGC’s commitment to nurturing young talent. Over the past five years, more than 6,000 juniors have played at the course, benefiting from the Youth on Course program, which allows them to play anytime for just $5.
BJGC also offers free access to the Dan Yates Putting Course, the Cupp Links five-hole par-3 course, and its practice putting and chipping greens. In 2024, it became the first outdoor public range in Atlanta to feature Trackman Range technology, further elevating its offerings.
The course’s centerpiece, the Murray Golf House, serves as the clubhouse and headquarters for the Georgia State Golf Association, Georgia PGA Section, and Georgia Golf Hall of Fame. Additionally, Boone’s restaurant, initially conceived as a casual grab-and-go option, has evolved into an upscale dining destination, offering American cuisine with stunning views of the course and the Atlanta skyline.
“To take a property from an under-utilized, virtual afterthought in the local golf market to a prototype of how public golf courses everywhere should function and serve their surrounding communities is just incredible,” said BJL Founding Partner Steve Willy. “The programming there has galvanized a community, brought more people into golf, and the clubhouse, course and practice facilities are genuinely a desirable and fun place to spend time. No matter how many lunch and dinner meetings we have in Boone’s restaurant, it’s still exhilarating and humbling to walk into the Murray Golf House and appreciate the splendor of it all, how far this place has come, and what it now means to so many golfers in Atlanta.”
Added Elgison, who oversaw the redevelopment of the facility and remains in charge of its day-to-day decision making: “It has turned out better than I ever expected it to be. It has become a model for the renovation of municipal golf courses across America.”
Each year, the NGCOA honors exceptional members and celebrates individuals and organizations that have upheld the traditions of golf while innovating to meet the challenges and opportunities of the industry. The 2025 award winners will be recognized during the NGCOA’s Golf Business Conference, taking place from January 20-22, 2025, in Orlando, Florida.
“We will be recognizing an outstanding lineup of golf industry leaders during NGCOA’s Golf Business Conference 2025,” said Cathy Harbin, Owner of Pine Ridge Golf Course and Board President of the NGCOA. “All of our award recipients have made incredible impacts on golf, especially within their communities, and we’re thrilled to celebrate such a deserving group.”
