The new reversible Bobby Jones Golf Course is being billed as one of the most innovative golf courses in the world. And that’s true. The way it uses land could start a new trend in public golf and continue a growing trend of building flexible golf layouts that can be enjoyed by every level of player.

Located just south of the Buckhead area of Atlanta, the new layout opened to the public this week. When played as 18 holes, it can be stretched out to more than 7,400 yards. It has nine huge double-greens with two pins on each of them. More than 500 trees were removed from the old course to open up corridors. It comes with no rough, wide fairways, interesting short game options, a new putting green and a new driving range. Before this week, local golfers had to travel 10 miles or more to find a suitable practice facility.

The new, flexible design, suitable for all levels of golfers, replaces the original course – a tight John Van Kleek design that had deteriorated over the years after opening as the first public golf course in Atlanta 86 years ago.

The course’s namesake, the great Robert Tyre Jones Jr., who was born in Atlanta’s Grant Park neighborhood in 1902, hit the first tee shot here in 1932; his grandson, Bob Jones IV, hit the ceremonial shot off the first tee last Thursday. Jones IV said if his grandfather were alive today, he would be proud of the new course because of its ingenuity and promise to grow the game, especially among juniors and adaptive players.

“We are so honored to be here today,” said Jones IV, flanked by family members at a luncheon for sponsors and donors before the new course’s opening. “Quite frankly, I didn’t think this would happen. But here we are today.”

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