Château Élan Golf Club - Château Course

Château Élan is the creation of Donald and Nancy Panoz, who began developing the winery and resort property in Braselton, northeast of Atlanta, in the late 1980s. The Château Course, designed by Denis Griffiths, opened in 1989 as the resort's first golf offering. Griffiths crafted a championship layout that takes advantage of the rolling north Georgia terrain, with the European-style winery providing an elegant backdrop.

The resort expanded its golf offerings significantly over the years. The Woodlands Course, also designed by Denis Griffiths, opened in 1996. The Legends Course followed, featuring holes inspired by famous layouts worldwide, with input from golf legends Gene Sarazen, Kathy Whitworth, and Sam Snead alongside architect Griffiths.

Today Château Élan encompasses a full winery, spa, and three distinct golf courses on a sprawling 3,500-acre property. The resort has hosted NFL Alumni events and numerous corporate tournaments, establishing itself as one of the premier golf resort destinations in the Southeast.

The Château Course offers a unique combination of championship golf and European winery ambiance unlike anything else in the Atlanta area. The Denis Griffiths design stretches to 7,030 yards through rolling north Georgia terrain with mature hardwoods, lakes, and vineyard views.

The three courses at the resort provide enough variety for a multi-day golf getaway. Conditioning is solid for a resort course, and the pace of play is generally reasonable. After your round, the winery tasting room and spa are major draws.

The rolling terrain creates uneven lies throughout the Château Course. Practice hitting from uphill, downhill, and sidehill positions before your round. The elevation changes also affect club selection significantly.

The greens are moderately paced but slope more than they appear. Read putts carefully, especially on the holes where the green sits on a hillside. Morning tee times are recommended in summer as north Georgia humidity can be intense.