If there was an all-encompassing history book on golf’s illustrious existence, the state of Georgia would have several chapters devoted to it. Much would be dedicated to the legendary Bobby Jones, the Georgia Tech golfing great who founded Augusta National Golf Club and upcoming The Masters Tournament.
A 1919 graduate of Atlanta’s Tech High, now known as Midtown, Jones became the United State’s first golfing idol whose star was only outshone by Babe Ruth in the golden age of sport. His relationship with the incomparable Atlanta Journal writer Oscar Bane (O.B.) Keeler helped fuel not only his stardom, but the first golf craze which swept the nation in the 1920’s and 1930’s.
The GHSA caught on and began awarding boys state golf championships in 1938 when Newnan won the first boys golf title in the state and for the first five seasons, the event was open. There aren’t records for the 1939 and 1940 championships but in 1941, Canton won its first and only title and in 1942, Griffin won its first of eight titles.
In 1943, as Allied armies dealt with a two-front war against Japan and the Axis powers in Europe, the high school association expanded the event to Classes A, B and C with Lanier (A) and Albany (B&C) winning titles.
By 1957, the event expanded to five classes – 3A, 2A, A, B and C. The GHSA added a girls state championship division in 1998 with 4A-1A and expanded to include Class 5A in 2001. Also in 2001, the more standard classifications were organized 5A through 1A.
Now, thousands of high school golfers compete across eight classifications while walking in the footsteps of golfing history as they take to the course each Spring to hone their craft with the hopes of state championship at the end of the season.
A lot has changed since the time of Jones and now, eleven storied courses will play host to the GHSA golf state championships on high school golf’s longest days – May 20-21 – to bring the season to a close.
Between now and the season-ending tournaments, we will look at each of the host courses and give a classification catch-up on the boys and girls side of the state’s eight classes.
Below we will link to each of the courses and class profiles to see where each class stands, while giving an in-depth look at the tracks which will host the season-ending tournament.
See the links below.
7A Boys and Girls
Sunset Hills Country Club, Carrollton
6A Boys
Chattahoochee Golf Club, Gainesville
6A Girls
Apple Mountain Golf Club, Clarkesville
5A Boys and Girls
Okefenokee Country Club, Blackshear
4A Boys
Highland Country Club, LaGrange
4A Girls
The Fields Golf Club, LaGrange
3A Boys and Girls
LaFayette Golf Club, LaFayette
2A Boys and Girls
Chimney Oaks Golf Club, Homer
A-Division I Boys
Georgia Southern Golf Club, Statesboro
A Division I Girls
Willow Lakes Golf Club, Metter
A Division II Boys and Girls
Griffin Bell Golf Club, Americus
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