Playoffs Road Trip: Last stop -- East Lake in Atlanta

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Levy/PGA TOUR

The PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup culminate in Atlanta. Are you going to be there?

Previous stops: Chicago area | Boston area | New York area | Road to THE TOUR Championship

Welcome to Atlanta for the final leg of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. As capital of the South, it's a city that has something for everyone who visits, especially if they wish to incorporate a little golf into the equation.

A great place to start is Stone Mountain, which blends a bit of tourism with some golf. The "Big Rock" is the largest exposed piece of granite in the world and features a carving of three legendary Confederate generals on one side of the mountain. There are two outstanding golf courses on the property. The Stonemont Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones, is quite rugged and taxing, while the Lakemont Course, designed by John LaFoy, has more water hazards and better views of the carving.

The City of Atlanta has several municipal courses that are worth playing. The North Fulton Golf Course is the best pure layout but can sometimes take an embarrassingly long amount of time to play. The Bobby Jones Golf Course is enjoyable, even though it's easy to get turned around and fire a drive down the wrong fairway. Tup Holmes Golf Course, named for a well known African-American golfer who helped desegregate the city's courses, is shorter and a lot of fun to play.

But since you're going to East Lake, why not stop across the street and play the Charlie Yates Golf Course, which is a par-58 course that was designed by Rees Jones. It's an enjoyable course with great views of the Atlanta skyline. Professional Darryl Batey will make you feel at home.

Other attractions

The must see on the list of tourist attractions is the Georgia Aquarium -- the largest in the world with more than eight million gallons of water, 100,000 animals and 50,000 species.

"The Georgia Aquarium is fantastic," said Heath Slocum, who lives in the suburb of Alpharetta, Ga. "It's an amazing place, but it's not just for kids. It's a place adults will really appreciate, too."

They'll also appreciate the new World of Coca-Cola, which is adjacent to the aquarium. It offers a history of the company, which has been a staple of the Atlanta community since the soft drink was created in 1886 and has more than 60 flavors of soft drinks for visitors to sample.

Food choices

Many times, when Slocum and his wife Victoria plan a special night, they'll end up at Rathbun's, where signature items include scallops, the lobster taco, the 20-ounce rib eye steak with bleu cheese, and the veal chop with sweet corn gouda. "It's an unbelievable place," Slocum said.

Another top choice is The Palm, a classic steakhouse that also has a great reputation for lobster, fish and Italian dishes. It's also a place you'll likely to run into a celebrity or two. Be sure to see general manager Willy Cellucci, who loves to talk about golf. (He hosts a weekly radio show.)

"The Palm is fantastic," said Billy Andrade, who lives in nearby Brookhaven, Ga.

If you're looking for more moderately priced fare, be sure to try out The Varsity, located next to the Georgia Tech campus. They've been serving hot dogs, hamburgers and onion rings forever, including many times to a guy named Stewart Cink when he was a member of the Yellow Jackets golf team. When you approach the line, the cashier will bark, "What'll you have?" Don't be alarmed. Just know what you want and state your order with confidence.