The initial phase of the Sandy Creek Sporting Grounds is scheduled to debut this fall at Reynolds Lake Oconee, offering a variety of outdoor experiences at the award-winning community located on 12,000 acres surrounded by the majestic Lake Oconee, between Atlanta and Augusta.
Named for the beautiful stream that flows into Lake Oconee and shapes the property’s topography, Sandy Creek Sporting Grounds is under the design direction of international shooting champion Justin Jones of Great Britain, one of the world’s foremost experts in the development and management of elite resort shooting facilities.
The Sporting Grounds complex encompasses nearly 100 acres and features a 20-station sporting clays course, five-stand shooting range and air rifle facility, as well as archery and instructional/games areas and a hiking course. The guest center will be adjacent to the existing, 1800s-era Sandy Creek Barn and a 40-acre lake.
“Not only do we have the best collection of golf courses in Georgia, but now we will have one of the most impressive sportsman’s venues in the country,” said Rabun Neal, president at Reynolds Lake Oconee. “Indeed, Reynolds Lake Oconee has it all.”
The Sandy Creek Sporting Grounds project is the latest in a multi-million-dollar improvement plan designed to touch nearly every facet of the Reynolds Lake Oconee community and resort.
The aesthetic of the 20-station Sporting Clays course is created much like a golf course. The first key element is variation and interest in the overall “hole-by-hole” layout that embraces the natural topography of the land. The clays course is laid out in a series of stations (holes) with each specifically designed to offer shot variation of length, angle and trajectory, emulating the unpredictable and challenging nature of a classic British shoot, with clays launched at a variety of speeds, trajectories, angles, elevations, and distances.
It is in such variety that shooters are challenged throughout the course with a diverse mixture of shot selections. The stands have been individually designed and created with the assistance of the Reynolds Signature Homes architectural design team. Great Britain-based Promatic International, the leading manufacturer of shooting club machinery and equipment, has been retained for its services as well, and its solar-powered units are in use throughout the course.
Certified instructors will be available for lessons, and a personal guide will accompany guests through all activities. Shooters on the sporting clays course will traverse the course in a specially-outfitted sporting clays buggy. Fishing and water sports activities (kayak, canoe, motorized paddleboards) are also available at the Sporting Grounds.
Already recognized among the “25 Best Golf Communities in North America” by GOLF Magazine, Reynolds Lake Oconee is not only building a world-class sporting facility, but is building on its long-established reputation as an outstanding place to live.
Reynolds Lake Oconee has 117 holes of golf, all designed by legendary golf architects, including Jack Nicklaus, Rees Jones and Tom Fazio. Beyond the “Top 100” ranked golf courses and additional sporting activities, the Reynolds community offers a wide array of recreational opportunities along the more than 350 miles of Lake Oconee shoreline.
Vacation guests at Reynolds can choose from individual cottages within the private gates, while enjoying a variety of amenities. Accommodations also are available at The Ritz-Carlton. A variety of vacation packages, some incorporating golf and shooting, will be available.
