Kawonu Golf Club, an invitation-only private club near Simpsonville, S.C., has achieved a significant milestone with the official start of construction on its course designed by acclaimed architect Andrew Green.
Founding partners of the 290-acre property – Scott Ferrell and Barton Tuck – recently joined more than 150 members and founders on the site to celebrate the groundbreaking and mark a transformative addition to South Carolina’s Upstate golf landscape – Greenville’s first new private club in over three decades. Kawonu Golf Club is expected to open in the spring of 2027
“It’s a tangible beginning of a vision to create one of America’s truly great golf clubs,” said Ferrell, whose career includes leadership roles at Gary Player Group and PGA Tour properties. “We’ve assembled an incredible team, selected an extraordinary piece of land, and embraced a philosophy that honors both tradition and simplicity. Every detail is thoughtfully designed to provide a world-class experience rooted in authenticity, camaraderie, and a profound love for the game.”
Celebrated for his restorations of iconic courses such as Oak Hill and Congressional Country Club, Green is tasked with designing Kawonu’s par-72 layout from a blank canvas. Kawonu’s course represents one of his first designs from the ground up, making it a notably significant project in his acclaimed portfolio.
“This property offers something truly special – a natural canvas with character, movement, and soul,” Green said. “We are creating something timeless. A course that’s at once familiar yet entirely new. The goal is to create a layout that surprises, challenges, and inspires players every time they step onto the first tee while remaining true to the land’s natural character and unique sense of place.”
Paying homage to its origins as a hunting preserve, Kawonu derives its name from the Cherokee word for “duck.’’ The site features gently rolling meadows, hardwood forests, and lakefront vistas bordered by the Reedy River and SC Highway 418. With neither residential development nor extraneous amenities like pools or tennis courts, the focus remains solely on exceptional golf and elevated member experiences.
Complementing Green’s vision is architect Joel Newman of Thomas and Denzinger, who has been engaged to design the clubhouse, lodging, training center, and comfort stations. Newman brings a celebrated portfolio, including Spring Island, Ohoopee Match Club, and Chechessee Creek, infused with an architectural ethos that marries elegance and restraint.
“Joel’s work exemplifies understated sophistication, perfectly aligned with our mission to deliver excellence without excess,” Ferrell said.
Kawonu Golf Club has a capped membership to maintain course conditions and exclusivity. Located less than 25 minutes from downtown Greenville, it promises to be a notable addition to South Carolina’s golfing landscape.
“Kawonu is about more than the game. We’re creating a place where golf serves as both an escape and a return to what matters most,” Ferrell said. “Kawonu will be a retreat where the quality of the course shapes the experience, the beauty of the land, and the people who want to be part of something enduring.”
Photos Courtesy of Kawonu Golf Club