The Nicklaus Signature Course at Achasta is the fourth acquisition, and second in the past nine months, for this growing golf ownership group
Texas-based Legacy Golf Properties has acquired the highly regarded Nicklaus Course at Achasta in the north Georgia mountains, marking the growing ownership group’s second purchase in a nine-month period and its first foray outside the Lone State State.
Legacy Golf Properties took ownership of the facility and its splendid 18-hole, Jack Nicklaus Signature championship golf course on July 20 after a period of due diligence and productive negotiation.
“We can’t be more thrilled to have added Achasta to our portfolio,” said Steven Held, president of Legacy Golf Properties. “The setting and beauty of the course is unparalleled, and is only enhanced by the passion the members have for their community.” Located about an hour north of Atlanta in a valley near the charming town of Dahlonega, Georgia, the course features Bermuda fairways, Bentgrass greens, and water hazards on over half of the holes.
It rests in the southern foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and winds around and into the Chestatee River, presenting challenge and reward, natural wonder and human ingenuity.
“The reception we have received from the membership couldn’t have been more welcoming, and our team is extremely excited to bring our focus on the ‘Member Experience’ to this hidden gem,” Held shared. “The opportunity to upgrade the clubhouse, and to provide our members and guests with the food and beverage selections, quality, service, and course conditions that properly support a club of this stature is our immediate focus.”
Achasta’s course crosses the quaint, but famous, Chestatee seven times, including on the famous fifth hole, a par-3 on which the green rests entirely on an island in the river. Nicklaus and his team designed the course to optimize the natural environment with unique playing strategies and provide a feel and golf experience that harkens to classic courses.
“We understand the tradition of great golf that Achasta has enjoyed over the past 26 years,” said Justin Jafarian, Legacy Golf Properties’ chief operating officer. “Our goal is to make sure that legacy is enhanced as we position the club as the focal point and centerpiece of its uniquely special surrounding community.”
Achasta plays to a par of 72 and is carded at 6,955 yards from its back set of tees. The Nicklaus Signature course has hosted qualifiers for the PGA Tour’s AT&T Classic and Bell South Classic as well as for the U.S. Open and has been ranked among the Top 25 Public Courses in the state by GolfPass and as one of the “Top-Rated Courses You Can Play” by Golfweek magazine.
The club also offers an expansive practice facility with a driving range and practice putting green.
Off the course, Achasta features a 10,500-square foot clubhouse and its terrific full-service restaurant, The Achasta Grille, that is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Currently semi-private, the club also has event space that can facilitate weddings and events of up to 250 guests. The facility’s amenities are punctuated by a pair of tennis courts, six pickleball courts, and a resort-style pool.
Achasta is the fourth club under the Legacy Golf Properties umbrella. Legacy also owns and operates the 27-hole private club, Comanche Trace in the Texas Hill Country town of Kerrville; another Nicklaus Signature course, Cimarron Hills Golf & Country Club in Georgetown, some 30 minutes north of Austin; and Buffalo Creek Golf Club in the northeastern confines of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The latter was acquired in November 2025.
Comanche Trace, with 18 holes of peerless golf designed by the partnership of World Golf Hall of Famer Tom Kite and renowned golf architect Roy Bechtol and another nine holes fashioned by the father-son team of Jay and Carter Morrish, has been ranked one as one of the top golf course communities in the nation.
Cimarron Hills Golf & Country Club’s course is a Jack Nicklaus Signature design and is on the short list of top private layouts in the Austin area.
Buffalo Creek Golf Club was designed by Jay Morrish and former PGA TOUR player Tom Weiskopf and is ranked among the Top Public Courses in the Dallas area.
Legacy Golf Properties is known for operating facilities where family and camaraderie among their members are hallmarks.
“We know people have choices for their time and their discretionary spending, and we take it very seriously that they choose our properties to build memories among family and friends,” Held said.
“Beyond the greens, we are passionate about positioning our clubs as the true social epicenter of their communities. We take great pride in creating and nurturing vibrant hubs where members and residents can gather, celebrate, and share in life’s moments.”