State of the week: Georgia

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Where are we? The Peach State: A state so entangled in golf history, it's hard not to think Georgia when you think golf. Home of three TOUR stops -- the AT&T Classic in Duluth, THE TOUR Championship in Atlanta and last -- but as far as can be from least -- the Masters, Georgia might just be golf's favorite state. And it's not a bad favorite to have. If you're looking for a great place to vacation, Georgia has it all; mountains in the west, big city in the middle, a beautiful coastline in the east and, of course, golf, golf golf.

General Sherman may have captured Savannah, but the city never lost its spirit. Each year it hosts a St. Patrick's Day party for the ages. (Mobley/PGA TOUR)

Georgia History: The last of the original colonies, Georgia came about from a battle for land between British South Carolina and Spanish Florida -- a battle the Brits eventually won. In February 1733, the HMS Anne arrived in what is now Savannah to begin the first settlement of the area. Just 55 years later, Georgia became the fourth state to be ratified into the union, behind Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Despite its early mark in U.S. history, one of the most widely known events in Georgia's past was General Sherman's March to the Sea in 1864. Beginning in Atlanta and ending with the capture of Savannah just three days before Christmas, Sherman burned everything in his path and split the confederacy in two, which led to a union victory soon after.

Georgia on the course: If you can find a way to get yourself a tee time at East Lake Golf Course in Atlanta, then do it. What was once Bobby Jones' simple home course is now the host of one of the biggest events on TOUR each year, THE TOUR Championship. A private course, East Lake is currently undergoing a huge renovation to improve the greens and bunkers, replace the greens grass with MiniVerde grass and add a 20,000 square-foot wing onto the Clubhouse. While you wouldn't know it playing on this peaceful course, East Lake sits in the center of what became a struggling Atlanta community several years ago and is now in the midst of repair. The course serves as one of the main sources of support -- both societal and financial -- for the East Lake community's revival, just another example of how golf gives back. If you don't have an "in" to play at East Lake, then plan on a round at TPC Sugarloaf -- host of the AT&T Classic -- or Sea Island Golf Club -- home course of Davis Love III.

Georgia off the course: The Peach State has plenty of attractions to keep you busy, but for a true taste of Georgia, head south to Savannah. The capital of the Coastal Empire, Savannah is where Georgia began and has somehow managed to maintain that Southern charm and 18th-century charisma through the centuries. Everything moves a little slower in Savannah, and that's the way the locals like it. Spend some time in the historic downtown area, which welcomes thousands of partygoers every year for the biggest St. Patrick's Day celebration south of New York. Explore the islands off Savannah's waters, Tybee is the most popular. Take a walk along the Savannah River. Shop and eat in City Market. Tour Savannah's 24 squares and decide which one is your favorite. Attend the street painting festival and see for yourself the artistic talent that seeps from Savannah's College of Art and Design. A few days in Savannah is enough to make you fall in love with the place.

Georgia resort: Georgia's coastline is short but sweet, and the state makes the most of what it has along the Atlantic. So if you're looking for a topnotch resort, you should look no further than the Jekyll Island Club Hotel. About an hour south of Savannah, Jekyll Island has a wild, Jurassic Park (without the dinosaurs) feel to it. It's the perfect place to get away for a few days, and Jekyll Island Club Hotel serves as a beacon on the island with its proud turret announcing its place on Georgia's coast. A Victorian treasure, this hotel is a National Historic Landmark, and its location on an unspoiled, undeveloped barrier island gives guests space to enjoy the raw and natural allure of the island without feeling like tourists at a crowded resort. The hotel has nine miles of beach, hiking and biking trails, 63 holes of golf, horseback riding, tennis and, of course, plain old sitting back and doing nothing.

Georgia eats: You can't get a more Georgia -- or at least coastal Georgia -- meal than a Low Country boil. A big pot of shrimp, crawfish, sausage, corn and potatoes (and a whole lot of Old Bay seasoning) steams and bubbles to perfection quickly and tastily. It's a dish you will find at most if not all Southeast Georgia restaurants, and it's pretty common throughout the rest of the state. If you're not a big fan of seafood, then don't get discouraged. Georgia is also famous for one Paula Deen, who makes down-home country cooking downright gourmet. Her restaurant, The Lady and Sons, is in downtown Savannah, and the fried chicken is so good that a line forms around the outside of the building almost every day to get it.

Georgia culture: While historians can't seem to agree on which battle was the last of the civil war, Georgia lays claim to one of the battles in the running for that title. Fought on the border with Alabama, the Battle of Columbus took place on April 16, 1865. A battle that began during the day on Easter Sunday and ended that evening when the town fell to the north, Columbus was a small encounter between the Confederacy and the Union but still an important one. You can visit the battle site today, which has been immortalized as an official location of historical importance in the United States.

Larry Mize celerating his 1987 win at Augusta National. (Cannon /Allsport/Getty Images)

Georgia golfer: This is a tough one. Since Georgia plays such a huge role in golf in America, many players have made their mark in The Peach State over the years. Last year, Zach Johnson became the first golfer to win two TOUR events in Georgia in the same season (the Masters and the AT&T Classic). As mentioned earlier, Davis Love III has made his home in Sea Island, Ga., though he was born in Charlotte, N.C. Tim O'Neal, a Nationwide Tour golfer who plays out of Savannah, is one of the very few professional black golfers on tour in America. Stewart Cink played at Georgia Tech and is a member of East Lake Golf Club. Vaughn Taylor, Charles Howell III and Larry Mize all grew up in Augusta -- Mize has the honor of being the only Augusta native in Masters history to win the major. However, the title can really only go to one man: Bobby Jones. Born in Atlanta on St. Patrick's Day, 1902, Jones went on to become a pillar of golf that time will never erase. Though he played only as an amateur and retired at age 28, he won 13 majors, represented America in the Walker Cup five times, was the only player in TOUR history to win the Grand Slam and was responsible for the birth of the prestigious event welcomed by the spring every year -- the Masters. His story lives in the pines and the azaleas at Augusta National, and his once humble East Lake Golf Course now hosts the elite field of THE TOUR Championship each year. No other golfer has ever left a footprint on Georgia as indelible as his.