BLUE RIDGE GOLF AND RIVER CLUB
Something truly magical is happening in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia. Here, just a short ride from the urban hustle of Atlanta, a very special community is celebrating the best of mountain, river and golf living.
Upon completion, the Blue Ridge Golf & River Club will be a gated community of distinctive mountain homes, cottages and lodges with a family swim and tennis center, an extensive trail system and a comprehensive health and fitness center.
Uniquely in Tune with Nature
At the heart of the Blue Ridge Golf & River Club lies a Dave Axland, Dan Proctor, Bunker Hill-designed course that takes its cues from twisted knots of mountain laurel, rock outcroppings and gentle wildflower meadows. A Member’s lodge of timber and stacked stone will provide stunning 270-degree mountain views.
Dan and Dave have worked extensively with Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, and have left their mark on such distinctive courses as Sand Hills, Friars Head, Old Sandwich, Bandon Trails and Georgia’s own Cuscowilla. Their personal creation, Wild Horse Golf Club in Gothenburg, Neb., is currently ranked among Golf Week’s Top 100 Modern Courses.
The course will provide an incredible experience for golfers of all levels, notes Clark Spratlin, PGA Golf Professional at the Club. “The back tees will certainly offer plenty of challenge, but we’ve designed it to be the kind of experience where you can also get out on the course and enjoy what you’re doing without feeling the pressure of playing on a championship course like Sugarloaf or Atlanta National.” Spratlin, a native Atlantan, previously served as Head Golf Professional at Atlanta National and was on staff at the Atlanta Country Club.
Riffles, Rapids and Fairways
Following an extensive environmental review and permitting process, the Club has received approval for four signature holes along nearly a mile of Toccoa River frontage. In addition to memorable golf, members will enjoy access to nearly a mile of premier trout waters — a pristine stretch of riffles, rapids and shady pools treasured for their abundance of native Brown and Rainbow trout. Planned River Club amenities include onsite lessons and classes, as well as personal guide services.
The Blue Ridge Golf & River Club team includes a veritable who’s-who of developers with high-quality, environmentally sensitive residential communities to their credit. Development partners include Pete Bailey, owner of Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee; Frank Callaway of Atlantis Development, developer of the renowned Old Sandwich Golf Club in Plymouth, Mass.; and Fritz Rybert of the Peachtree Group, who established Mountaintop in Cashiers,N.C., and Laurel Springs in Suwanee, Ga.
From the Heart of Atlanta to the Heart of the Mountains
“This is the type of club experience that will draw people for whom Cashiers and Highlands just doesn’t make sense from a logistical standpoint,” notes June Slusser, Broker/Owner of Coldwell Banker High Country Realty, which has been named the exclusive broker for the Club. “The Club is just 85 miles out of Atlanta. In less time than it can take to get cross-town to a Friday night Braves game, you could be hitting a bucket of balls and then enjoying dining with friends around the outdoor fireplace.”
Development Partner Pete Bailey also notes the strong appeal the club will have for Florida buyers. “The number and intensity of hurricanes has shifted a lot of buyers away from the ocean and to the mountains,” he notes. “It’s a straight shot from the southwest coast ... someone traveling from Sarasota could be here in 10 hours by car or catch a convenient flight into Atlanta and enjoy a beautiful drive up.”