Golf in La Grange

Nestled inside 180 acres of tree-lined, gently rolling grounds, the Newnan golf course springs up from the natural terrain, gracing golfers with scenic views of ridges, ravines, and waterways. The meticulously maintained fairways and greens wend along natural, wooded buffers that create a sense of public but peaceful solitude, like delivering a speech from inside a sleeping bag. Golfers hone their short game at the practice green, deliver pep talks to lazy 9-irons at the all-weather driving range, or pick up anything from tees to new clubs at the pro shop. The 15,000-square-foot clubhouse's Coweta Grill serves casual or formal dining fare and slings drinks at full bar, and a sweeping veranda overlooks the 10th tee and its hazards, including the catapult-launched Harlem Globetrotters, who slap down soaring golf balls.

Golf with friends is the best kind of bonding. There's nothing like being out in the open air, hearing the wind blow through the beautiful old trees lining the well-groomed fairways, and refusing to grant your compadres mulligans. Today's Groupon gets you one round of golf on the championship course, plus a GPS golf cart, at Durham Lakes Golf & Country Club for just $30 (normally $51–$61 before tax; note that the course offers a discount for seniors). Buy a few Groupons and make it a foursome.

Cleaved through a gallery of towering pines and hardwoods, the fairways of Lake Spivey Golf Course tumble over 6,807 yards of rolling terrain to form a challenging, par 72 layout. Two lengthy par fives—measuring in at 540 and 560 yards from the tips—bookend the front nine and demand a Herculean drive or a zero-gravity golf ball to reach the green in two. A more difficult design awaits on the back nine, with water hazards and herds of golf carts coming into play on six holes and two long par fours rated the courses first- and third-most difficult holes.

Tree-lined fairways, well-guarded pins, and slick, bent-grass greens characterize the layout from start to finish, reflecting the designers' vision for a course that requires both shot-making ability and solid course management to maintain low scores. The course also features a unique 19th hole, letting players enjoy a pressure-free conclusion to their round.

To prepare for their battle with the course's sandtraps, water hazards, and meddlesome tree elves, golfers can practice at Lake Spivey's driving range or take a lesson from PGA-certified golf pro Jeffrey Biggers. Appetites piqued after a day at the links can find relief at The Spivey Grill, which serves a menu of burgers, sandwiches, and other traditional grill fare.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,807 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 72.7 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 136 from the farthest tees
• Five tee options

Ranked in Golfweek's Best Courses You Can Play in Indiana, the course at Prairie View Golf Club is situated on 206 acres of environmentally protected land along the White River with scenic prairieland and five lakes. The Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design features natural wetlands with a rushing stream that comes into play on four holes, forcing players to demonstrate deft control or gilled golf bags. On the front nine, the prairie setting invites harsh winds to blow across bentgrass fairways, often knocking shots off course. As players make the turn onto the back nine, they notice a marked difference in the environment, as open prairies give way to tall sycamore, oak, beech, and cottonwood trees lying just beyond the Kentucky bluegrass rough. Across the river lies Conner Prairie, a historical re-enactment village whose elegant, 1830s-era style was adopted for the design of the course's 15,000-square-foot clubhouse.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 7,073 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 74.5 from the back tees
• Course slope of 138 from the back tees
• Four sets of tees per hole