Very often, it’s the simplest questions that unravel the right decision. As legendary golfer Bobby Jones once put it, “Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course, the distance between your ears.”

At Berkeley Hills Country Club, we believe the secret to conquering that mental game lies in the surroundings. Located on Pond Road in Duluth, just off I-85, the prestigious, member-owned club mutes the noise of everyday life and gives members the kind of headspace that’s hard to find closer to the city.

For most Atlanta families choosing a private golf club near Atlanta, the question that actually decides it is: “where exactly is it?”

That simple question matters more than people expect. A club might have a wonderful golf course, a happening social calendar, and amazing practice facilities. But if getting there turns cumbersome, it’s much harder to make membership part of everyday life.

The Answer: Easy Access from Buckhead and Midtown Atlanta

Berkeley Hills gives a sincere answer, standing as one of the more accessible private country clubs in Duluth, GA for families across North Atlanta. Its Duluth location puts it within easy reach of Buckhead, Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Peachtree Corners, Norcross. It also keeps other communities across North Atlanta in proximity (close enough to fit into a normal week without the drive becoming the reason you don’t go).

What you get is a club that doesn’t clash with the hustle and bustle of the city. Instead, a golf club that provides a peace that is supreme and unparalleled. And for golfers who are looking at clubs other than those nearest to them, this difference is something worth taking into account.

A Change of Pace (Yet Not Going Too Far)

There’s a rather gentle, pleasant aspect to moving from bustling city streets onto a serene golf course.

The traffic yields to fairways contoured by trees. The phone eventually goes back into a pocket. Or rather, a short trip turns into a few hours without it seeming like an expedition.

One of the reasons why Berkeley Hills Country Club is so attractive is that the appeal is subtle yet clearly noticeable. For instance, if a person lives in Buckhead or Brookhaven, the club need not be the first property that appears when looking for membership. The same is true for people living in Dunwoody, Peachtree Corners, or Norcross.

The nearest gate doesn’t have to be the end point. And that’s a margin (only a little wider which can truly offer many more options, and at times, just a better match).

Perhaps, the more useful question is not so much concerned with the exact mileage. It’s rather with how realistically a club can be fitted into the week.

Simple but very useful questions like:

• Shall you manage to play a round on Saturday morning?
• Why not go to the range after work?
• What about bringing the family or friends for a few hours at the pool?
• Can you meet some friends or associates for dinner without having to plan the whole evening around the journey?

Those ordinary moments eventually stop being so ordinary. It’s often the case that such moments decide if a membership becomes part of a lifestyle.

Good Location Decisions: Berkeley Hills Rewards That

(A Gary Player and Ron Kirby Design)

The 18-hole course at Berkeley Hills evolved in stages since the club’s 1964 founding. The golf course architect Ron Kirby, alongside his associate Arthur Davis and golfer-consultant Gary Player, expanded the design in the early 1970s.

Today’s 18-hole championship golf course in North Atlanta has a length of approximately 6,700 yards from the back tees, stretching along the hills of North Georgia. There are beautiful, large hardwood trees in some areas of the fairways. Well-positioned bunkers shape each hope. And the greens have sufficient undulation so that making a two-putt from 30 feet should be treated as a minor achievement.

If you miss the fairway on the wrong side of a dogleg, the approach becomes much more difficult even though the distance shown on the card looks okay. By playing carefully from the tee, a hole that is usually difficult for most players becomes much easier. There is also a good amount of short grass around the greens, so the players who chip well usually manage to save a few strokes per round that they didn’t actually earn with their iron shots.

Tournament Pedigree

There’s always a scope for golf-provement. Even after playing hundreds of rounds, more skilled golf players are still discovering new routes and new ways of getting into difficulty. Since Berkeley Hills Country Club has hosted events organized by the Georgia State Golf Association, the Georgia PGA and the USGA over the years, it has a competitive record in addition to the play by members.

Excellent Practice Facilities

You by no means have to spend an entire day if you want to get anything out of a visit to the range. As a golf club with a driving range in Gwinnett County, Berkeley Hills offers a full-length range together with several target greens, a large putting green, and a short-game area that has bunkers in it.

Members mostly use it in small amounts. For example, playing with wedges for about fifteen minutes or so before a round. Taking a bucket of balls on a Tuesday. Spending half an hour on putting after work since in the last three rounds you had left every putt short. When you add all that up, it’s much easier to carry on with it when the course is only five minutes’ drive from the first tee rather than being across town.

Outside of Golf

Golf is what attracts people to the club. But there’s so much more that keeps and entertains a family there. As a golf and pickleball club in Atlanta, Berkeley Hills offers four hard tennis courts and two clay courts, along with eight pickleball courts, a pool, a fitness center, and a clubhouse where people actually have delicious dinner.

The combination becomes even more valuable and fun-filled on a typical Saturday. Dad is playing some relaxing golf, the children are on the pickleball courts, and everyone gathers for lunch by the pool. There’s no need for most things to be planned for hours.

The Club Itself: A Private Golf Club Near Atlanta

Berkeley Hills was founded in 1964 and has been member-owned since 1984. It stands today as one of the longest-standing member-owned country clubs in the Atlanta area. Over the years, the ownership has repeatedly reinvested money in the club. The club has renovated the course several times and expanded pickleball from a few courts to eight, with significant upgrades in the practice facilities as well. (Read the full 60-year story of Berkeley Hills, from its founding through member ownership, for the complete history.)

When considering a private golf club near Atlanta, it’s better to focus less on the amenities offered and more on whether you actually make use of them. Something you only drive to twice a year isn’t very worthwhile, whereas one that is close enough for dinner to be a simple choice on a random Tuesday is one that gets used.

Why Widen Your Search for a Private Golf Club Near Atlanta?

Atlanta extends over a large area. Most golf enthusiasts would agree that it’s tempting to stay in close proximity to the clubs in their immediate neighborhood. That’s a quick and easy choice, too.

Berkeley Hills is a great choice to be included in the list of places for residents of Midtown, Buckhead, Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Peachtree Corners, Norcross and the surrounding areas. Not because it is necessarily the nearest club, but because it provides a different kind of balance. It’s an established private club, a golf course near Atlanta that is both strategically designed and engaging. It offers extensive practice facilities and amenities suitable for the entire family, all in a part of North Atlanta that can be easily incorporated into a regular routine.

Just as in golf, it is sometimes plausible to spot an option you would have otherwise missed by widening your line of play. The same thing applies when you are looking for a club.

The Club Just Fits Your Game

A map shows you the location of Berkeley Hills Country Club. The website will display the course and the amenities. But neither can quite describe what it’s actually like to stop by on a Saturday morning, walk onto the first tee, or spend the afternoon at the Club with family and friends. That’s something you have to go through yourself. Over the years, players and families alike have found Berkeley Hills as one of the most prestigious golf clubs near Atlanta.

If you’re thinking of joining a private club and you live in Midtown, Buckhead, Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Peachtree Corners, Norcross or somewhere else in North Atlanta, simply broaden your search. Take a walk around the course, have a good look at the practice facilities, and explore the clubhouse and the rest of the property. Then decide if you should include the club in your regular rotation.

Schedule a tour of Berkeley Hills Country Club and discover a private golf club near Atlanta that might be closer than you think.