Second course at McLemore approaches grassing phase

McLemore Resort in Rising Fawn, Georgia, will soon begin grassing its new golf course, a collaboration between Bergin Golf Design and Rees Jones Inc.

At a recent preview event attended by GCA, the resort unveiled the new course’s name, The Keep, and gave members a tour of the site and the opportunity to play shots over the shaped landscape.

The Keep lies on a plateau 1,000 feet above the valley floor of McLemore Cove, and the design team has routed several holes along the cliff edge.

Most of the trees on the rocky site have been cleared to create an open landscape where every hole can be seen from some locations. This is a marked contrast to the Highlands course at McLemore where holes weave through woodland.

“We’ve been looking forward to announcing our plans for The Keep for a while now, and we are excited to invite members to take part in what will be an unparalleled golf experience,” says Duane Horton, president of Scenic Land Company, the developer of McLemore. “Nowhere else will you find two courses of this calibre with the breathtaking views and scenery as we have here atop Lookout Mountain. We believe the addition of The Keep to our already world-class offerings at The Highlands will make McLemore a truly national golf destination.”

The resort’s Highlands course opened in 2019 following a major redesign by Bergin and Jones.

Construction is also progressing on Cloudland, a luxury resort and conference centre at McLemore. Cloudland will be a Curio Collection by Hilton property and will include a 245-room hotel, 20,000 square-foot conference centre, and a spa and fitness space.

A full On Site report about The Keep at McLemore will feature in the January 2024 issue of Golf Course Architecture.

Richard HumphreysRichard Humphreys

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