A Pitch-and-Putt Golf Course Could Transform a Difficult Peachtree Corners Site
A new pitch-and-putt golf course is proposed for a steep, wooded property in Peachtree Corners. The compact course aims to provide accessible outdoor recreation while preserving the area's natural drainage and trees. City planners support the project, which awaits further approvals and a public hearing on September 22.
Get major local stories and development updates.
A steep, wooded property at one of Peachtree Corners’ southern gateways could become an unusual compact golf destination under a proposal now moving through the city’s land-use process.
PitchPutt is seeking permission to build a commercial outdoor recreation facility at 7067 Jimmy Carter Boulevard, just north of Peachtree Boulevard and before the roadway splits toward Peachtree Parkway.
Unlike a conventional golf course, the proposed facility would focus entirely on the short game. Pitch-and-putt courses use compact holes—typically no longer than 100 yards—and can generally be played with only a wedge and putter. A round ordinarily takes about an hour, making the format more approachable for beginners, families and golfers who cannot commit half a day to an 18-hole course.
The project would occupy approximately 5.8 acres of vacant commercial land. The Peachtree Corners Planning Commission considered the required special-use permit on Aug. 18. The application remains in progress, with a first City Council reading scheduled for Aug. 25 and a public hearing scheduled for Sept. 22, according to the city’s current land-use case schedule.
Turning the site’s problems into the attraction
The property has remained undeveloped despite holding commercial zoning since 1972. Streams, steep slopes, specimen trees and drainage areas make it difficult to accommodate the buildings and parking lots normally associated with commercial development.
PitchPutt’s proposal attempts to work around those limitations by making the terrain part of the course.
The applicant says less than one acre would be disturbed, with fewer than 5,000 square feet of new impervious surface and no specimen trees removed. A small, 160-square-foot building would serve the course.
City planning staff supports the proposal, describing it as a way to activate a constrained and underused property without the heavier footprint of conventional commercial development. Staff also concluded that its compact design should generate less noise, lighting and environmental disruption than a full-sized golf course.
The location falls within the Southern Gateway character area, where Peachtree Corners has encouraged redevelopment and new gathering places around the Holcomb Bridge Road and Jimmy Carter Boulevard corridor. City planners believe an outdoor recreation use could help make that entrance to the city more active and welcoming.
Parking would depend on the neighboring business
The concept does not include a dedicated parking lot on the golf property.
Instead, the applicant intends to pursue a shared-parking agreement with the neighboring Crowne Sports Bar. City staff has recommended making a recorded parking agreement a condition of approval before the facility can receive a certificate of occupancy.
That arrangement may suit a compact course where players arrive in smaller groups and finish relatively quickly. It also means the course’s practical capacity could depend on how its busiest hours overlap with the restaurant’s business.
The city has not yet published operating hours, admission prices or an anticipated opening date. Those details could determine whether the facility functions primarily as a neighborhood recreation option, a golf-training destination or an event-oriented attraction.
Environmental approvals may shape the final course
The property’s natural features are both the central attraction and the project’s largest complication.
A creek, stream buffers, steep terrain and drainage infrastructure limit where greens, paths and structures can be placed. The applicant has said a stream-buffer variance will be needed to make the proposed layout feasible.
Planning staff recommends that no golf features be placed in detention ponds or drainage easements without detailed engineering studies and approval from affected parties. Any work inside protected state or city stream buffers would require additional variances.
Those reviews could alter the final arrangement or reduce the amount of land available for play. The city has also asked for clarification about paths between holes and whether restrooms will be provided.
A different kind of redevelopment
Peachtree Corners’ most visible redevelopment has largely centered on restaurants, housing, offices and technology-related projects. PitchPutt would offer something different: a comparatively light-touch recreational use on land that might otherwise remain vacant.
The format also occupies a space between miniature golf and a conventional course. Players would hit real golf shots on natural terrain, but without the distance, extensive equipment or time commitment associated with a standard round.
The applicant, led by PitchPutt founder Jonathon Calhoun, also operates the USA PitchPutt Association and promotes the format as a more accessible entry point into golf. Its existing course directory includes Vickery Creek PitchPutt in the greater Atlanta area and Bigfoot PitchPutt in western North Carolina. More information about the organization is available through USA PitchPutt.
Whether the Peachtree Corners course moves forward will ultimately depend on City Council approval and the project’s ability to resolve its parking, stream-buffer and engineering requirements.
Residents will have their principal opportunity to comment when the proposal returns for a City Council public hearing on Sept. 22. The council could approve the request, deny it or attach additional operating and development conditions.
If this felt close to home, these stories may be worth your time too.
About the Author
Georgia Peach Movers
At Georgia Peach Movers, our mission is to provide a smooth, stress-free moving experience built on trust, care, and professionalism. As a family-owned company,...
Notice an update, correction, or detail we should include? Tell the editor. Seen something new around you? Send us a local tip.
Most Popular
Siemens’ Alpharetta Rail Operation Is Hiring From $20 an Hour to $95,000 a YearBusiness & Development
Barnes & Noble Is Opening Bookstores Again — and the Sun Belt Is Helping Drive the ComebackBusiness & Development
