What’s the best golf resort in the United States? OK, I’ll give ya Oregon’s Bandon Dunes, with three eye-popping seaside courses, a fourth 18 that straddles dunes and forest, a 13-hole par-3 layout and the 100,000 sq. ft. Punchbowl putting course. And Gaylord, Michigan’s Treetops is also right there, with its four tier-1 courses and arguably the world’s best par-3 course, Threetops.

Of course, there’s not a hell of lot to do at either place if you’re not there specifically to golf, but they do feel like Mecca for purists of the grand old game.

But if you haven’t been to Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Georgia—or perhaps even heard of it—this may be a contender for the crown. I had the chance to recently visit this eye-popping property—roughly 12,000 acres of rolling forest, creeks and lakeside terrain that God clearly set aside for golf course architecture—to experience six outstanding designs from five legendary architects: Bob Cupp’s The Landing and The Preserve courses (which helped launch Lake Oconee as a golf destination); Jack Nicklaus’ Great Waters (ranked among Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Public Courses); Tom Fazio’s 27-hole National course; Rees Jones’ The Oconee, and Jim Engh’s Scottish-inspired Creek Club (a private club retreat for the members of this upscale community). The Preserve, the property of which reminds me of Augusta National some 70 miles due east, also includes “The Loop,” a scenic six-hole routing within the main course that employs a few special forward tees to allow guests to enjoy a quick hour of informal, aesthetically pleasing golf.

Central to this vast property is the pristine 19,000-acre Lake Oconee itself, Georgia’s second-largest lake. I could go on about community life here: four full-service marinas, swimming pools, a sporting club, 21 miles of walking and biking trails, 10 dining venues, a world-class fitness and tennis club.

Accommodations-wise, the five-star Ritz-Carlton Hotel and its family friendly beach is the undeniable centrepiece, but there’s also a variety of really well-appointed cottages and condos, not the least of which are the sprawling new National Cottages—4-bedroom / 4-bath vacation cottages adjacent to Fazio’s course that cater perfectly to families or golf groups—a one-minute stumble from the National Tavern to one side and the driving range to the other. (Happily, it was golfers-only during my stay). And did I mention Reynolds Kingdom of Golf Presented by TaylorMade—an integration of top-shelf equipment technology and instruction, and one of only two such facilities in the country. Recently expanded, this full-game establishment offers golfers some truly impressive high-tech indoor/outdoor golf instruction and customized clubfitting with an onsite TaylorMade Tour Trailer. (Spotting Dustin Johnson or another TaylorMade Tour player is not a rare sighting.)

I’d certainly never turn down an opportunity to visit either Bandon or Treetops, but if I were staying a week, I’d happily take Reynolds Lake Oconee—especially since ‘shoulder season’ in the southeast means you can still work on your tan amid 117 fairways that are much quieter than you’ll encounter at those other two destinations.