Big Canoe Golf Club
Big Canoe, Pickens County, Georgia · North Georgia Mountains & Exurb golf market
- Access
- resident only
- Holes
- 27
- Architect(s)
- Joe Lee, Rocky Roquemore
- Gated
- Yes
Thinking About Living in Big Canoe Golf Club?
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Big Canoe is an 8,000-plus acre gated mountain community roughly 60 minutes north of Atlanta, spanning primarily Pickens County with portions in Dawson County, home to about 3,000 residents (roughly 60% full-time, the rest seasonal/weekend). Its golf product -- three linked 9-hole courses (Creek, Choctaw, Cherokee) totaling 27 holes -- is entirely owner-gated: Big Canoe is the single strictest bundling model found in this market, since no membership of any kind is sold to anyone who does not already own property there.
Golf & Course
The original Creek and Choctaw nines were designed by Joe Lee in the early 1970s; Rocky Roquemore designed the Cherokee nine, added in 1992 to bring the facility to 27 holes across mountain terrain with streams, elevation change, and valley views.
Membership & Access
Does buying a home here include club membership?
Property ownership in Big Canoe is a strict prerequisite for any amenity membership, including golf -- there is no non-resident membership category at all. Beyond that gate, however, membership itself is a la carte and voluntary: owners choose (and pay separately for) Golf, Tennis, Pickleball, Bocce, Wellness, Swim, and/or Fishing memberships individually, rather than receiving them bundled into the home price or HOA dues. Joining any amenity creates a 12-month payment commitment. Owners who join Golf, Tennis, and Wellness together become 'Medallion Members,' receiving complimentary swim access and a 10% fee discount.
Living in Big Canoe Golf Club
Governed by the Big Canoe Property Owners Association, the community combines the golf courses with hiking trails, lakes, a marina, tennis/pickleball, an indoor Wellness Center, and dining (the Clubhouse and Duffer's). The golf-eligibility-via-ownership-only model makes Big Canoe's golf identity inseparable from its residential identity in a way distinct from every other anchor in this market.
Lifestyle & Amenities
Big Canoe markets itself as a mountain retreat lifestyle -- hiking, lakes, and a slower pace -- with golf as one of several a la carte recreational amenities rather than the single defining draw, distinguishing it from more golf-centric communities like Achasta.
Location & Surrounding Area
Located in the Waleska/Marble Hill area at the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Mountains, roughly 60 minutes north of Atlanta via GA-140/GA-108, spanning Pickens and Dawson counties.
Costs & Fees
Figures below are labeled Current only when the source itself frames them as presently accurate. Everything else is labeled Historical — a source checked today does not make an old fee a current one.
Golf membership initiation
Current$0
Multiple sources state Big Canoe charges property owners no golf initiation fee -- pay-as-you-play or monthly dues only. This is a property-owner-only benefit; non-owners cannot join at any price since no outside membership exists.
Interested in Homes in Big Canoe Golf Club?
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What Buyers Should Verify
- Confirm current golf-only monthly/annual dues directly with the Big Canoe POA -- only the aggregate ~$500/month all-amenities figure and a 'no initiation fee' claim were found from secondary sources this session.
- Confirm exact combined yardage/par across the Creek/Choctaw/Cherokee nine combinations.
- Confirm whether any waitlist exists for the Golf amenity membership itself, distinct from home purchase.
Notable
- Sells no outside golf (or any amenity) membership whatsoever -- property ownership is the only path to eligibility, a stricter model than any other community found in this market.
- 27 total holes across three linked 9-hole courses: Creek and Choctaw (Joe Lee, early 1970s) and Cherokee (Rocky Roquemore, added 1992).
- Even for owners, golf is an a la carte, separately-purchased membership -- not automatically bundled with the home price.
Nearby Golf Communities Worth Comparing
Considering a Move to Big Canoe Golf Club?
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US Golf Living provides independent real-estate research and can connect consumers with real-estate professionals. Golf membership, availability, fees and approval are determined independently by the applicable club.