Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation

This sprawling, lush resort known for its world-class golf courses occupies 10,000 acres along the western shore of Lake Oconee—a glittering blue expanse just 75 miles east of Atlanta. The property's 99 championship holes—designed by golf starchitects Tom Fazio, Rees Jones, and Jack Nicklaus—are set among the rolling forested hills fronting the lake; guests can arrange for clinics or private lessons with the plantation's well-known golf director, Charlie King; they can also partake of the clubhouse's high-tech TaylorMade Performance Lab (which uses computer imaging and analysis to allow for club fittings as in-depth as a pro's). The resort's 251 rooms, set inside a looming shingled lodge, are decked out in upscale country-house style, with antique repros, richly colored fabrics, Frette bed linens, and spacious granite-and-marble baths. The property's spa, which includes an indoor lap pool, a steam room, and a sauna, is the perfect place to recover after a day of golfing—there's even an arnica-infused massage available to soothe irritated joints.