Highlands Country Club

Highlands Country Club was founded in 1928 by a group that included Colonel Robert P. Jones of Atlanta; his son Bobby Jones struck the first ball on the new Donald Ross course, two summers before his Grand Slam. Ross's routing, just over 6,200 yards at the time, was carved through mountain woods at 4,118 feet and rewards accuracy over length; the course has been renovated several times since. The club sits on Dillard Road on the south side of Highlands, in Macon County.

Membership is selective: the club says members are chosen for congeniality and social compatibility, and that it exists solely for their recreation. Amenities center on the Life Enhancement Center, expanded in 2014, with Har-Tru tennis courts, a heated saltwater pool, fitness staff and massage. The croquet program is active, with interclub matches, instruction and twice-weekly Wine and Wickets evenings. Members canoe and kayak on Lake Sequoyah, hike as a group, and dine in the formal room, the 1928 Tavern or the Hudson House at the turn. Homes border the course and fill the surrounding neighborhoods, and the club's in-town location is its main draw over the newer clubs farther out.