Public play resumes on October 30
Chattahoochee Golf Club, the municipally owned course in Gainesville, Georgia, has reopened following an extensive renovation. The City of Gainesville's official update confirms that the course is open for play, with tee times available from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, October 30, and Saturday, October 31, 2026. Following the end of daylight saving time, published hours switch to 7 a.m.–5:30 p.m. on November 1.
The notice confirms a return to actual play rather than merely announcing a future opening. It also distinguishes the completed main work packages from final punch-list items. Repairs to cart paths and drainage details, for example, may continue after players return.
Irrigation, bunkers and fairways
A principal objective of the 2026 programme was to replace aging infrastructure and improve playability across the 18-hole public course. The city reports replacing much of its 27-year-old irrigation system, including irrigation serving the practice putting greens and driving-range tees. Holes 15, 16 and 17 were excluded from much of this scope because their irrigation and bunkers had already been addressed in 2021.
Most bunkers were renovated and selected sand features reshaped. The project also changed the contours of fairways on holes 10, 11 and 14, improved playing surfaces and tees, and treated persistently wet spots near several greens. Such drainage work matters both to course maintenance and to how reliably golfers can use the affected approaches.
Water features that serve a practical purpose
On hole 4, a newly shaped creek helps capture and convey surface runoff through a system linked to Lake Knickerbocker. A pond has also been formed on hole 6. The features have a drainage function while also changing the decisions players face on those holes.
The city lists improvements to cart paths, practice areas and sightlines as part of the programme. Importantly, the 2026 renovation did not involve rebuilding every green: the city says all 18 greens were maintained through the closure, with targeted work on collars and green surrounds.
A historic course that remains public
Set close to Lake Sidney Lanier, Chattahoochee has been a public course since around 1960. The City of Gainesville credits the original design to Robert Trent Jones Sr. A separate 2021 renovation by architect Bill Bergin restored elements of that historic layout; that earlier architectural work should not be confused with the infrastructure-led 2026 project.
For local golfers the immediate development is the reopening of tee-time bookings. As final minor works continue, players should check current conditions and availability directly with the club before travelling.
Primary source: City of Gainesville, official Chattahoochee Golf Club Renovation Update, revised for the October 30, 2026 reopening.
