Book a cabin, bring your clubs and enjoy pre-Spring Break golfing and recreation.

Each January our young family takes a new and exciting mini vacation to welcome the New Year. We’ve just returned from Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club in Cordele, GA where we rekindled our love for golfing, togetherness, and awesome nature discoveries by the lake.

We booked one of the resort’s 10 cozy cabins – and know also that there are 82 RV and tent camping and 6 Safari Tent Glamping spaces at Georgia Veterans State Park, established in 1946 as a memorial to U.S. veterans. The park stretches 1,308 acres and is perched on beautiful Lake Blackshear. The park includes one of the most peaceful Georgia golf courses, four miles of nature trails, and endless opportunities for fishing, boating and water sports, an Archery & Air Rifle Range and the indoor/outdoor Military Museum.

• Fun fact: One of the military aircraft preserved onsite is the Boeing B-29A Superfortress. It was flown primarily by the U.S. during WWII and the Korean War. Only 22 B-29s are preserved at museums worldwide and Georgia Veterans Memorial State Park is proud to feature this one.

The 18-hole Georgia Veterans Memorial Golf Course, or Vets Course, features a full-service clubhouse. Complete with food and beverage options and a private meeting space, Vets Course can be rented for corporate tournaments, fundraising events and group trips.

• See the course layout for pre-play tips on best clubs, drivers and angles to take.

When you stay in a cabin, I think it changes mindsets. The kids don’t seem to squabble over little things like they do at home. Each morning is an adventure where we start the day during our cabin breakfast with views of the shimmering lake surface.

We played card games, watched movies, and while we loved cooking “at home” in our cabin, we also loved visiting the onsite restaurant, Cordelia’s, for casual dining. Cordelia’s offers themed dinner nights and there are TVs in the dining room for viewing big games.

• Lucky for locals! This winter, Cordelia’s is offering Local Appreciation Night – 2 for $40 – every Saturday!

My husband is the best golfer in the family (I’m learning) and loves getting the chance to return to Vets Course, designed by Denis Griffiths and ranked by Golf Digest as a four-star course. Challenge yourself and up your golf game on the banks of Lake Blackshear while escaping the city and relaxing in a setting that evokes luxury on a budget.

On our last evening, we walked a few yards from the restaurant to the fire pit outside. It’s where we met some locals and visiting guests. On these cooler wintry nights, the fire warmed our hearts and conversations, or was that the cocktails? Both!

We are so grateful for a place like Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club. They keep it simple here with good times, great golf, outdoor and cultural fun and friendly folks. It’s just two hours from Atlanta, so you can see the value in getting away with your family and friends. We can’t wait to return.

• Wanda S.