Great Golf Courses: Kinderlou Forest Golf Club

Enchanting landscapes and visionary technology make this Georgia course a gem.

The elegant, naturally flowing Kinderlou Forest Golf Club might be the game’s ultimate drive-by experience. Located in Valdosta, Georgia, it sits 15 miles north of the Florida border astride Interstate 75, one of the nation’s busiest highways. It’s too bad more snowbirds don’t stop en route at this Davis Love III-designed gem. 

They’re missing the home of one of the favorite events on the PGA Tour’s Web.Com Tour—the South Georgia Classic each April. That’s about the only time when par-72 Kinderlou Forest plays to its maximum length and strength of 7,781 yards. Otherwise, members and guests get to enjoy it as a more manageable test of anywhere from 7,196 to 5,328 yards. 

The beauty of the place is that the turf is kept firm and fast. Love’s design channels such classic influences as Donald Ross and Seth Raynor to make ground game approach angles and imaginative recovery around greens essential to getting around. And the holes themselves weave through enchanting native landscapes, everything from pine forest to open meadowland and gnarly ravines. 

The golf course is part of an elegant 5,000-acre residential land plan that includes a modest but comfortable clubhouse, a swimming pool, hiking and horse trails, pond fishing and upscale dining. There are also high-tech corporate meeting rooms and guest accommodations on site for those who prefer something cozier than the property’s Clarion Inn and Conference Center three miles away at the interstate.

Kinderlou Forest is one of many community-based efforts in Valdosta undertaken by the Langdale Co., a wood products and building materials firm with deep roots in the region. The company’s commitment to environmental balance is evident in the extensive natural areas on the golf course. The result is a fascinating combination of traditional golf, classic Southern graciousness, visionary technology and lots of fun.  

COURSE:
Kinderlou Forest Golf Club, Valdosta, Georgia. For information, call (229) 219-2300 or visit kinderlou.com.

AIRPORTS:
Valdosta Regional Airport in Valdosta, Georgia, is 10 miles southeast of the golf course and has an 8,000-foot main runway.

Quitman Brooks County Airport in Quitman, Georgia, is 14 miles west of the course and has a 5,000-foot runway.

Brad Klein welcomes comments and suggestions at [email protected].