Georgia Golf Trail

Georgia’s State Parks: More To Do Than Play Golf!

While it’s a well-known fact that many

of Georgia’s state parks are home to some of the finest and most affordable public golf courses in the Southeast, it may not be so well known that these parks have many other amenities, too, which give you other reasons to visit Georgia’s state parks. These state parks and their golf courses – all of which are part of the Georgia Golf Trail – include Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa in Young Harris, Wallace Adams Golf Course at the Little Ocmulgee State Park in McRae, Lakes Golf Course at the Laura S. Walker State Park in Waycross, Creek Golf Course at the Hard Labor Creek State Park in Social Circle, Meadow Links Golf Course at the George T. Bagby State Park & Lodge in Fort Gaines, Georgia Veterans Memorial Golf Course at the Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club in Cordelle, Highland Walk Golf Course

at the Victoria Bryant State Park in Royston, Brazell’s Creek Golf Course at the Jack Hill (Gordonia) State Park in Reidsville, and Arrowhead Pointe Golf Course at the Richard B. Russell State Park in Elberton. At the Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa, you can also enjoy horseback riding. It’s a magnificent way to enjoy the natural beauty of North Georgia. On Brasstown’s five miles of trails, guests can meander through open fields, hardwood forests and crystal-clear streams for some of the best horseback trail riding in Georgia. At the Little Ocmulgee State Park, there are many aquatic options for you to beat the heat in the late spring, summer, and early fall such as swimming in the lodge’s pool, swimming in the lake which you can access from the white sandy beach, and frolicking in the children’s splash pad. If you still need to play more golf, there’s a miniature golf course on site. At the Laura S. Walker State Park, there are four miles of hiking trails located near the northern edge of the mysterious Okefenokee Swamp. The inhabitants of the swamp include alligators, shy gopher tortoises, saw palmettos, yellow shafted flickers, warblers, owls, and great blue herons. The Hard Labor Creek State Park is one of 18 locations in Georgia where you can go mountain biking as a member of the Muddy Spokes Club. The club is designed to encourage people to think of state parks as places to exercise while enjoying beautiful scenery. The George T. Bagby State Park & Lodge sits on the banks of Lake Eufaula, a 48,000-acre lake that divides Southwest Georgia and Southeast Alabama. Lake Eufaula is famous for its trophy catfish, bass fishing and recreational boating. At the Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club, take a trip back in time as you enjoy a scenic train ride through the rolling countryside on the SAM Shortline Excursion Train that goes through Georgia Veterans Memorial Park and

The SAM Train at Lake Blackshear State Park Horseback Riding at Brasstown Valley

over Lake Blackshear, making a stop at the depot in the Park. This 1949 vintage train is named for the original rail spur line that went from Savannah to Americus, Georgia and then to Montgomery, Alabama. Nestled in the rolling hills of Georgia’s upper Piedmont, Victoria Bryant State Park is one of northern Georgia’s best-kept secrets. A beautiful stream flows through the park, providing the perfect setting for an after-picnic stroll. Hikers can follow either the short nature trail or the longer perimeter trail that travels through hardwoods and crosses creeks. And, two small ponds are open for public fishing. For fun, visit Sliding Rock on a hot summer day. At the Jack Hill (Gordonia) State Park, FootGolf is a popular thing to do. FootGolf is a combination of soccer and golf, being more closely related to golf. The game is played with a regulation #5 soccer ball with rules and a course similar to that of golf. It is played on the Brazell’s Creek Golf Course. While Arrowhead Pointe is considered the ‘gem’ of the Georgia Golf Trail, the Richard B. Russell State Park is also known for its well-kept disc golf course, where Frisbee-style discs are thrown into metal baskets. This sport is easy to learn and can be enjoyed by all ages. To learn more about Georgia’s state parks along the Georgia Golf Trail, access www.GeorgiaGolfandTravel.com.

Disc Golf at Richard B. Russell State Park

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leader on the links Barbara Karasek –

Golf has served as a magical thread in Barbara Karasek’s dynamic personal and professional life, a constant and reassuring presence filled with life experiences and business lessons. “My career has been nothing short of a meandering path characterized by golf, sports and entertainment river rapids, uncharted business streams, mountainsides of risk, sandy beaches of security and all the while being led by unwavering inner courage and an insatiable appetite for challenges, rewards and learning,” says the CEO and co-owner of Paradise Advertising and Marketing, a fully-marketing agency based in St. Petersburg, Fla., with offices throughout the state. “Golf has served as an inner compass.” One of Barbara’s earliest memories is learning to play golf as a youngster on the links of the University of Kentucky, where her father was a college professor. Her parents customized a set of regular clubs for their three athletic children to use as they learned. The golf bags towered over Barbara and her siblings, Barbara recalls. Barbara and her family later moved to Florida and continued to play golf, eventually competing as a junior and fully absorbing its honor system and values, especially sportsmanship and integrity—values she said which still help guide her in life and business. She later attended Furman University on a four-year volleyball scholarship and served as team captain, but always sought to immerse herself in the golf universe, whether playing or coordinating golf community events and volunteering. “Golf is a very charitable sport and industry,” she says. Barbara has lived in eight countries and traveled to more than 20 while leading operations, brand and consumer marketing, sports partnerships, entertainment, licensing, e-commerce, consumer products and direct to retail ventures for companies such as SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, the PGA TOUR, NASCAR, and the United States Olympic Committee. At the PGA TOUR, she managed global corporate sponsorships and developed long-term relationships with such brands as Bank of America, Barclays, The Coca Cola Company, General Motors, Tiffany & Co., and Universal Music Group Nashville among others. Along with fishing, golf is also a passion shared by her husband, Tony, a former pro basketball player, her business partner and the other co-owner of Paradise, which they acquired in 2018. Their shared passion for golf helped them create an immediate bond early in their relationship and throughout the years with their friends and family. Their son, also named Tony, began playing golf at the age of 5 and thanks

Barbara at Telluride Ski & Golf Club

Barbara and Tony Karasek

to his parents’ encouragement, by his junior year in high school was ranked 3rd in Iowa in his age group. Today he is club champion at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Palos Park in Illinois. Barbara relishes a good competition. Recalls Tony: “One of many memorable moments on the golf course for me in our relationship that clearly defines Barbara’s competitive nature, and willingness to do “whatever it takes to win,” is when she took off her shoes and socks to stand in the water to hit her golf shot, rather than give up a stroke. It’s this winning attitude that makes me admire her more every day and look forward to our friendly rivalry on the golf course. “ Running a fast-paced business such as Paradise takes up most of their free time, but when they travel together, as they did recently for the first time in two years, they incorporate golf into their vacations whenever they can. Paradise is an award-winning agency that has represented clients with exquisite golf course properties, such as Amelia Island, LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, and Naples, Marco Island, and The Everglades, which hosts annual LPGA, PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions events. But it’s the life lesson acumen that Barbara credits golf the most for: learning early on how to quickly take the pulse of the environment (course condition, weather and equipment) in order to get oriented and keep the focus sharp. “What makes Barbara a great business leader in my opinion is that she is first a great person who is deeply committed to helping others and being the best CEO and business leader she can be,” tony says. She lives in a constant state of learning and perfecting her business skills, self evaluation, and setting and achieving new goals. “ Adds Barbara: “My parents, and golf, teaches us that ‘every shot matters and every shot counts’ and boy is that true on the course, in business, life and relationships. Every moment. Every action. Every reaction. It all counts metaphorically on your life’s scorecard. So I live my life trying to honor the many life lessons golf continues to teach me, take every shot in life seriously because they matter and count.” Tony Jr and Barbara at Queens Harbor, Jacksonville

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