McLemore Keeps Getting Better As A Golf Getaway With New Course Debut
The closing hole of the original course at McLemore Resort in Georgia has been recognized as one of ... More the best finishing holes in golf. And helped give rise to an expansion at McLemore that includes a new 18-hole course called The Keep.
The 18th hole at the original Highlands course at McLemore Resort gets incredible attention in social media posts, and deservedly so. The cliff-hugging par 4 is among the most impressive finishing holes in golf and has given rise to McLemore's tagline 'Golf Above the Clouds' while spawning significant interest in the mountaintop destination property tucked into the corner of northwest Georgia.
While the 18th hole of the Highlands Course may command attention, it's the new course at McLemore that will soon be the scene-stealer.
Spread across a plateau atop Lookout Mountain, The Keep takes its name from the majestic cliffside views reminiscent of Europe's historic castles. The Bill Bergin and Rees Jones design, which officially made its debut this year, offers dramatic holes situated 1,000 feet above McLemore Cove's valley floor.
'The setting for The Keep is extraordinary due to its mix of naturally rolling terrain and the edge of the ridge line,' said Bergin. 'We were able to combine a well-balanced golf experience with captivating views to create an unmatched experience.'
The 18th hole at The Keep, the newest course at the McLemore Resort in Northwest Georgia.
McLemore operates The Keep as a member club, however the new course is accessible to guests staying at the Cloudland at McLemore Resort, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton.
But The Keep isn't simply complementing the existing course and the golf offerings at McLemore, it's immediately positioned as one of the most jaw-dropping new additions to the world of destination golf. While the opening and closing holes of the Highlands Course offer long-range views of the surrounding area, The Keep offers a far more expansive mountain golf experience with breathtaking vistas throughout.
The Keep is essentially a links-style design on a mountain tabletop, with five holes that play along the cliff edges, called 'brows.'
The 'Wow factor' is about as high as the setting at The Keep, which features windswept width and angles, visually dynamic exposed rock, and a healthy dose of elevation change that fits the mountain theme on a layout that's currently walking-only.
The 10th hole at The Keep in the foreground sits on the edge of the ridgeline, while the other back ... More nine holes in the distance climb up and down the rolling terrain atop Lookout Mountain.
As the course climbs and dives across the landscape from holes 14-16, the views and challenge are enough to quiet even longtime and loquacious Golf Channel host Charlie Rymer, who today is an executive vice president for McLemore.
'At that stretch, even I let other people talk for a while,' Rymer said during a recent lunch at McLemore's golf clubhouse restaurant, The Creag, where the former PGA Tour player spoke so highly of the property that he didn't take a bite of his sandwich for over an hour. This is no small feat for the 6-foot-4 Rymer, who guests will find has a corner of the McLemore golf shop with apparel size XXL and above named after him.
As good as the Highlands Course is – in particular, that bucket-list 18th hole that's inspired some serious golf wanderlust on social media – Rymer says there's no question which is his favorite course. And which course will emerge as the top choice of visiting golfers.
The Keep is just that good, despite being laid out on a rocky expanse of land that Bergin, who has been involved in more than 100 course projects, says wasn't exactly made for golf.
The ninth green along the cliffside at The Keep at McLemore.
Once home to only trees and jeep trails, along with an old still for making moonshine, the land required intensive clearing – about 200 acres in total – but not a lot of dirt moving. The fairways, greens, bunkers and teeing areas are spacious, in keeping with the scale of a site which is dictated by its expansive views. The layout is both strategic and memorable, with natural beauty that at times may pose a distraction.
'We are very proud of the routing and how it allows each hole to stand on its own regarding memorability, yet one never loses the big picture or the views,' said Bergin.
McLemore's par-3 short course, The Cairn, sits in the foreground with the resort's golf clubhouse in ... More the back right and the 18th hole of the original Highlands course sitting on the edge of the cliff to the left.
Beyond golf, McLemore immediately thrusts itself into the conversation as a conference and corporate getaway for Atlanta-based companies and businesses throughout Georgia which have long turned to places like the Ritz-Carlton at Reynolds Lake Oconee and Callaway Resort & Gardens. And the Chattanooga market is even closer, just over 1/2 hour away from the McLemore resort, while Nashville, Knoxville, Birmingham and Huntsville are all two hours or less away.
Cloudland is the definition of a getaway, with a 245-room hotel, 20,000 square-foot conference center, a full-service spa and fitness center, and a multitude of dining options perched on cliffs more than 2,000 feet above sea level. There are also four guest golf cottages along with spacious residential homes and villas that are part of the broader master-planned McLemore community. Last year marked the unveiling of the Golf Village, an intimate enclave of single-family homes near the main clubhouse.
The golf clubhouse at McLemore at twilight.
The 18th hole of the original course at McLemore may have thrust the north Georgia property into the national consciousness as a must-see golf destination, but the addition of the second course will keep it there for years to come.
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