Georiga Golf Trail

georgia golf trail Q&A With Doug Hollandsworth (Founder–The Georgia Golf Trail)

Doug Hollandsworth on the set at WTOC-TV in Savannah.

As we approach the end of 2022, it

marks the end of the 10th year of the existence of The Georgia Golf Trail (GGT), which is the brainchild of Georgia native and veteran golf media/marketing specialist Doug Hollandsworth. Given this historic milestone in golf in Georgia, Golf Central Magazine editor-in-chief Shannon Coates sat down with Hollandsworth and peppered him with 10 questions about The Georgia Golf Trail in order to find out what prompted him to create such an entity and to check on the state of the GGT as we move into 2023 and beyond.

Golf Central Magazine: When did it occur to you to create The Georgia Golf Trail?

Doug Hollandsworth: I first thought of creating The Georgia Golf Trail in 2008 because of my associations with other golf courses around the U.S. Some of them were better than others and I knew Georgia needed to better promote itself to the golfers in the U.S. and around the world.

Golf Central Magazine: Why did you create The Georgia Golf Trail?

Doug Hollandsworth: Georgia has so much to offer travelers, visiting golfers, corporate groups, and families. I knew we had the best golf tournament in the world, that being the Masters in April in Augusta. But, I wanted to create something in golf that showcases everything that Georgia has to offer -- from the mountains to the sea – throughout the year and not for just one week in April.

Golf Central Magazine: Which was the first course to jump on board and support your idea of The Georgia Golf Trail?

Doug Hollandsworth: I have been working with many of The Georgia Golf Trail members for years so I went around and talked to them about this and literally every one of them wanted to be a part of it. I’m not sure which one actually came on first, but it was very nice to see that Georgia’s resorts, hotels, and golf courses knew that this was going to be a great idea and wanted to be a part of it.

Golf Central Magazine: What kind of feedback have you received over the years from members of The Georgia Golf Trail that confirm the economic impact and value of The Georgia Golf Trail?

Doug Hollandsworth: Over the years, I have told the members that this was going to take a while as we were way behind other states which had established their own golf trail and what they had done to promote golf in their regions, but I think each one of them has seen what we have been doing for them each month every year. Gradually, they started seeing the economic impact of The Georgia Golf Trail. Without a doubt, membership with The Georgia Golf Trail has its privileges and benefits.

Golf Central Magazine: Who are your main supporters, sponsors, and allies -- both in the private and public sector -- of The Georgia Golf Trail?

Doug Hollandsworth: Right now, in the private sector, Bridgestone Golf, which is based in Georgia, is a key supporter of The Georgia Golf Trail. It’s great to have a globally known and respected golf brand from Georgia showing support for The Georgia Golf Trail. In the beginning, the Georgia Department of Economic Development/Tourism Department was who I went to speak with and they thought it was a great idea. Then, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources/State Parks came on board. I was friends with Bobby Jones IV, the legendary golfer’s grandson. I want to thank him for his thoughts as he was a big supporter of the GGT from the outset.

Golf Central Magazine: If there’s a golf venue that wants to join The Georgia Golf Trail, what can it expect in return from joining The Georgia Golf Trail?

Doug Hollandsworth: The Georgia Golf Trail looks for quality places across Georgia from hotels to golf courses to resorts where we can best promote Georgia. We are not looking for quantity we’re looking for quality Georgia has some of the best golf courses and resorts anywhere in the country and the story has never really been told so over these last 10 years we have made big strides into getting the word out across the world not just here in United States.

Golf Central Magazine: Are there plans to expand membership of The Georgia Golf Trail to include restaurants, historical venues, and tourism destinations?

Doug Hollandsworth: Right now, we are looking into expanding The Georgia Golf Trail in different regions in Georgia. There are a lot of places across the state that we would love to have a partner where we can promote tourism in that area of the state. We are always looking for new venues, like restaurants, attractions, and things that people would love to know about when planning a trip to Georgia. David Zelski (Host of the TV Show A Fork in the Road) interviewed Doug Hollandsworth at the Creek at Hard Labor State Park.

kind of support does the GGT get from its many media partners and supporters that help you tell the story about The Georgia Golf Trail?

Doug Hollandsworth: We’re very fortunate to have many media partners who want to help us tell our story. Whether it is in radio, magazine, television, or social media, we mainly promote Georgia across the eastern United States, but also we look to other parts of the world to promote Georgia as we get a number of golfers from overseas that come to the United States to play golf.

Golf Central Magazine: What are some of your more memorable moments along The Georgia Golf Trail during the last ten years?

Doug Hollandsworth: I would have to say some of our more memorable moments have been working with the state of Georgia Departments of Tourism, Natural Resources and Agriculture to help us showcase what all Georgia has to offer. Working every day with our members from North Georgia to Jekyll Island creates my many memorable moments, there are really too many to even remember. It has been a great ten years, but we have a lot more to do and we are very excited about continuing to tell our story about Georgia.

Golf Central Magazine: Based on the growth of The Georgia Golf Trail during the first ten years, where will The Georgia Golf Trail be after 20 years?

Doug Hollandsworth: We’re very excited to be doing this now for 10 years and we would like to expand The Georgia Golf Trail to include other things across Georgia that can help Georgia financially with tourism, but also grow our awareness programs across the world. There are so many things that we can do, with golf acting as a catalyst. Our website – GeorgiaGolfandTravel. com – gives you great information about our current members.

Doug Hollandsworth at Stone Mountain Golf Club within the Stone Mountain State Park.