Local Resort Offers Many Opportunities

By Marla Ballard

Reporter

JACKSON COUNTY – Goose Pond Colony Resort is not just for tourists. Locals will find an array of activities close to home. The resort is located on the banks of the Tennessee River’s Lake Guntersville. Choose the GPCR for a day away or take a vacation without the hassle of hitting the highway or airways.

The resort has two 18-hole championship golf courses, lakeside cottages, a lodge, waterfront camping, walking trail, fishing, marina, meeting facilities, restaurants, swimming pool, and beach area on the lake. Pets are allowed in select spaces.

The two golf courses, The Lake Course and The Plantation Course, each offer splendid playing. The Plantation Course is a short drive from the main complex and has Mini-Verde greens. This type of grass is known specifically to be on southern golf courses. It produces very little vertical growth and handles high traffic conditions well. Many consider this grass to be the “Choice of Champions.”

The Lake Course offers views of the water from every hole. The course was designed by George Cobb and opened in 1971. Cobb was born into a golf family and was on the men’s golf team at the University of Georgia. Eventually becoming a golf course architect, Cobb spent a great deal of time working as a design consultant for Augusta National Golf Club. He was a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects for 26 years until his death in 1986. The Lake Course is listed in Golf Digest Places to Play with 4 stars 2008/2009.

Cottages sit among the trees along the water’s edge. Each cottage has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen, living and dining room, screened in porch or deck, outdoor charcoal grill, and cable television. Kitchens are stocked with basic dishes, cookware, and utensils. Piers are available for those who bring their boat.

The Lodge, also located along the shore has five adjoining bedrooms with private baths on the ground floor.  The middle floor room has a kitchen and living room in addition to a bed and bathroom. A sixth bedroom with bath is located on the upper floor. Each of the rooms has cable television, WIFI, refrigerators, and microwaves.

The campground hosts approximately 150 sites and is also lake adjacent. Amenities include three bathhouses, a playground, fishing cleaning station, WIFI, cable television, and a pavilion.

Professional bass anglers have dubbed the waters around GPCR as the “Miracle Mile” because of the consistent tournament-winning catches. Many tournaments are held annually by Goose Pond Bait & Tackle. Other fish commonly reeled in are: Crappie, Spotted Bass, Blue Gill, Stripers, Hybrid Stripers, White Bass, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass.

Dining opportunities include: The Docks and Goose Pond Bait & Tackle. The Docks Seafood and Steakhouse is a fine dining experience, in a casual setting, with scenic view of the Tennessee River. The Goose Pond Bait & Tackle offers a variety of breakfast and lunch items.

To learn more about this resort go online to goosepond.org or follow on Facebook.