Sporting Clays Ranges in Georgia

Georgia is one of the best sporting clays states in the country, with a strong plantation-course culture and premier facilities from metro Atlanta down to the coast. Below are four of the most popular, well-established ranges in the state, with what to expect at each. Cherokee Rose and Big Red Oak are open to the public for walk-up shooting; Forest City and Blalock Lakes lean toward members and reservations. Details were last verified in July 2026 — hours change, so call ahead.

The state's flagship sporting clays club, established in 1981 and set on 124 acres of rolling hills, hardwoods, and water about 35 miles south of Atlanta near Griffin. It runs two full courses — "The Creek" for a fun, friendly round and "The Rose" for tournament-level shooters — plus a 5-Stand and the only regulation Helice ring in the state. Known for beautiful, well-kept grounds and genuinely friendly staff; no reservation is required to shoot the courses.

A respected competition venue on 3,000 acres of classic Georgia plantation ground near Gay, about an hour southwest of the Atlanta airport. Big Red Oak regularly hosts the Georgia State Shoot along with regional, national, and SCTP youth events, so its layouts are built to challenge registered-level shooters. As a working plantation, it also offers bobwhite quail and whitetail deer hunting — call ahead, since event weekends can take over the grounds.

One of the oldest gun clubs in the country, Forest City spreads across more than 500 acres of Lowcountry pine and live oak near Savannah, with five lakes on the property. The scale is impressive: 26 trap and skeet fields, two dedicated sporting clays courses, a dining hall, and a pro shop. It has more of a members-and-guests feel than the walk-up clubs, so call ahead about guest access and shoot days before making the drive.

Just outside Newnan southwest of Atlanta, Blalock Lakes is the upscale option — a polished sporting club and wingshooting preserve where the clays are part of a bigger day-out experience, with a lodge-and-hospitality feel built around European-style driven shooting and quail hunts. It's more of a destination or special-occasion range than a drop-in spot, and it leans toward members and reservations, so call ahead about availability and guest access.

New to the sport or your scores? See what sporting clays is and how scoring works before your first round, and browse other states in the range directory.

Practical tips before you go

A few things that make a first trip to any of these courses smoother:

• Call ahead — really. Georgia’s best courses host a lot of registered shoots, and event weekends can close a course to walk-ups. Two minutes on the phone saves a wasted drive, especially for Big Red Oak, Forest City and Blalock Lakes.
• In Atlanta and short on time? The closest destination sporting clays are Cherokee Rose (about 35 minutes south of the perimeter) and Big Red Oak (about an hour southwest). Inside the metro, public clubs like South River Gun Club in Covington and Tom Lowe in College Park are geared toward trap and skeet, not sporting clays.
• Bring your own shells if you can. Most ranges sell ammo, but it is almost always cheaper to bring your own. 7.5 or 8 shot in 1 oz or 1 1/8 oz loads covers the vast majority of sporting clays presentations.
• Dress for the season. Summer is hot and humid — hydrate and shoot early. Spring pollen is real. Fall and early spring are about as perfect as clay shooting weather gets.
• Go with a squad, and keep score properly. Sporting clays is a group sport — three to five people makes the day, and the per-person cost does not change. Paper cards work but get lost and do not track trends; the free scorer below does both.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I shoot sporting clays in Georgia?

Four of the most popular sporting clays venues in Georgia are Cherokee Rose in Griffin, Big Red Oak Plantation in Gay, Forest City Gun Club in Savannah, and Blalock Lakes in Newnan. Cherokee Rose and Big Red Oak are open to the public; Forest City and Blalock Lakes lean toward members and reservations, so call ahead about guest access.

What is the best sporting clays range near Atlanta?

Cherokee Rose in Griffin, about 35 miles south of Atlanta, is the state's flagship sporting clays club — two courses, a 5-Stand, and the only regulation Helice ring in Georgia, with no reservation required. For a tougher, competition-grade course, Big Red Oak Plantation in Gay is about an hour southwest and hosts the Georgia State Shoot.

Are Georgia sporting clays ranges open to the public?

It varies. Cherokee Rose and Big Red Oak Plantation are open to the public for walk-up sporting clays. Forest City Gun Club in Savannah and Blalock Lakes in Newnan are more members-and-reservations oriented, so it is best to call ahead about guest access and shoot days before you visit.

What is the best sporting clays range in Georgia?

Cherokee Rose Sporting Clays in Griffin is the most widely recommended sporting clays club in Georgia. Established in 1981 on 124 acres of rolling hills and hardwoods about 35 miles south of Atlanta, it has two full courses — “The Creek” for a friendly round and “The Rose” for tournament-level shooters — plus a 5-Stand and the only regulation Helice ring in the state. No reservation is required.