Lookout Mountain Club - Lookout Mountain, GA
Perched on the rocky edge of the Tennessee-Georgia line, Lookout Mountain Club is a course where golf’s Golden Age spirit still hums through the hills. Designed by the legendary Seth Raynor in the 1920s, this mountaintop masterpiece offers more than scenic vistas—it’s a study in classic golf architecture, where strategy and artistry meet.
Raynor, a Yale-educated civil engineer, first came into golf design through his mentor, Charles Blair Macdonald—the man often credited as the father of American golf architecture. Together, they pioneered the use of “template holes,” time-tested designs modeled after the great links of Scotland and England. Raynor would go on to leave his own mark on the game, crafting courses like Yeamans Hall near Charleston and the Country Club of Charleston itself—both revered examples of his geometric bunkering, bold greens, and cerebral routing.
At Lookout Mountain Club, these design principles are on full display. The course features several of Raynor’s famed templates, each reinterpreted to suit the mountain’s dramatic terrain. The 11th hole, the “Alps,” is a standout—a par-4 that challenges players to carry a large, blind ridge guarding the green. Inspired by the original at Prestwick in Scotland, the hole demands both nerve and imagination to find the hidden target on the other side.
Just beyond it lies the 12th, the “Redan,” one of the most enduring and replicated holes in golf architecture. The original Redan was the 15th at North Berwick Golf Links in Scotland—a par-3 defended by a steeply sloped green that runs diagonally from front right to back left, encouraging a running shot that uses the contours to feed toward the hole. Raynor’s version at Lookout Mountain captures that same spirit: a precise test that rewards creativity as much as accuracy.
A thoughtful restoration led by architect Tyler Rae has brought these features—and Raynor’s broader vision—back to life. Rae’s work peeled away decades of overgrowth, recaptured lost bunkers and fairway width, and restored the course’s grand scale and sweeping views. The result is a layout that feels truer to its original design than it has in generations, preserving the spirit of Raynor’s 1920s craft while ensuring its continued relevance for modern play.
I had the privilege of experiencing Lookout Mountain Club through The Golfer’s Journal’s Broken Tee Society—a community that celebrates the game far beyond the scorecard. TGJ’s content is refreshingly different from mainstream golf media: no swing tips, no equipment hype, just artful storytelling and deep dives into the culture, people, and places that make golf so enduring.
The event itself was the perfect blend of camaraderie and competition. The morning began with 18 holes of best ball—my partner, Matt Burke from Denver, and I took on two competitors both named James, making it the Matts vs. the James. After a relaxed lunch at the clubhouse, the afternoon opened up into 18 holes of free play, where Travis Hill, The Golfer’s Journal’s managing editor, joined our group. The day wrapped with dinner, awards, and conversation that drifted as easily as the mountain breeze.
It was the kind of day golf enthusiasts dream about—great company, a storied course, and an experience that feels suspended in time. Lookout Mountain Club stands as a living example of Raynor’s genius, Macdonald’s influence, and Tyler Rae’s careful stewardship: golf that is strategic, beautiful, and enduring. The Broken Tee Society reminded me why we chase this game—not for the score, but for the stories it gives us.
If you are interested in joining the Broken Tee Society, or subscribing the The Golfer’s Journal, you can do so through my referral link. When using a referral link, you are awarded a sleeve of Titleist Pro V1’s from The Golfers Journal when you sign up. I have been subscribed for a few years now and throughly enjoy the publication they produce.
If you want to read more about the different courses of Seth Raynor, I highly recommend the book produced by Back Nine Press called, “The Golf Courses of Seth Raynor” by Jon Cavalier, Michael Wolf, James Sitar. Jon Cavalier runs the instagram account called Linksgems and provided the incredible photography to the book.
