Dave Short emphatically makes this point when talking about the new Richland course at Reynolds Lake Oconee.
“Golf has always been a huge part of the story here, but in the past several years, it’s become a part of the story, not the only story,’’ said Short, Senior Vice President Sales, Marketing and Planning at the luxury community in Greensboro, GA. “Richland takes us to seven courses. Culturally, it just another great golf course in the mosaic that we have. In that mosaic of courses, it fits in well.’’
Indeed. The Tom Fazio-designed Richland course – created from nine existing holes of Fazio’s National and nine new holes – joins Creek Club as available exclusively Platinum members of Reynolds Lake Oconee. Approximately half of Reynolds Lake Oconee’s 3,500 members are Platinum members.
“We don’t have significant compaction issues – any more than any other clubs do in July,’’ Short said. “People want to get out at 8:30 in the morning. But there are only so many times at 8:30 in the morning. This (Richland) will certainly help from that standpoint.’’
While golf always will be the centerpiece amenity of the community – less than 90 minutes southeast of Atlanta – over the past several years has broadened to now include 10 food and beverage outlets, the newest of which is “The Turn,’’ food truck between the ninth and 10th holes on the Richland course.
“We’re basically running a small restaurant company,’’ Short said. “We have extraordinary culinary folks here now.’’
ESSE at The Landing (Reynolds Lake Oconee)
Reynolds Lake Oconee’s newest full-service restaurant – ESSE at The Landing – has a menu that features everything from steak and seafood to burgers and wings.
The community’s growing food and beverage amenities are good examples of the evolution of Reynolds Lake Oconee, as its real estate sales continue to succeed, and its membership – particularly its generational membership – grows.
“The 30-year-old mother who is a generational member can drive up from Atlanta and put her boys in golf camps,’’ Short said. “By making subtle changes to membership, the emotional footprint under all the real estate here now is very broad.
“We used to be where the 63-year-old guy retiring from General Motors after 30 years came to play golf six days per week,’’ Short said. “He’s a great member, but not our future.
“So, in the past seven or eight years, socially we’ve built more around culinary and music. The past few years we’ve had .38 Special, Vince Gill, Little Big Town and Sister Hazel. Ten or 15 years ago, it was Marvin Hamlisch at 5:30 and lights off by 8.’’
The restaurants – on top of golf – are only part of the amenities story at Reynolds Lake Oconee. The 100-acre Sandy Creek Sporting Grounds, featuring shooting, archery and off-road road driving, is among the best recreation areas in the world. Look for falconry and zip lining soon to join that mix.
The Kingdom at Reynolds Lake Oconee offers a golf practice facility, instruction and PGA Tour quality custom-fitting with TaylorMade Golf equipment. It’s worth the visit for an hour or a day.
Richland Pointe – the newest amenity at Reynolds Lake Oconee – is the first facility in the U.S. to install Technogym equipment. The 12-station workout is a completely guided, personalized program that delivers an engaged circuit training experience in less time with no adjustments and no need for an instructor. Richland Pointe also includes an infinity edge relaxation pool, two movement studios, three treatment rooms for massages and esthetic, on-site health coach, and indoor and outdoor spin, cardio, yoga, movement, and stretch classes.
In addition, Reynolds Lake Oconee has 14 hard and clay tennis courts; seven outdoor swimming pools and one indoor pool; a spa with three treatment rooms; and 11 pickleball courts.
Reynolds Lake Oconee, with 374 miles of shoreline, offers all the watersports activities individuals and families would want, including fishing, jet skiing; paddleboarding; canoeing and kayaking; and boating.
The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Lake Oconee is one of the Southeast’s top resort destinations. Guests of the lodge-style, 257-room property overlooking Lake Oconee, have access to five of Reynolds’ seven courses.
The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Lake Oconee (Reynolds Lake Oconee)
“In the 10 years I’ve been here, the perception of Reynolds Lake Oconee (in the real estate) marketplace has only gotten better,’’ Short said. “We’re never going to be big enough to have a big PGA Tour event here. We don’t have the hotel rooms and the transient lodging to support it -and we’re okay with that.
“We always will be more of a private club than a resort. We might have no more than 50 condominiums at any one time in the short-term rental market that are owned by others that we manage. We have (the Ritz-Carlton). But other than that, there’s no other transient lodging within the 12,000 acres. I think that fact that 90 percent of the (golf) play is member play – and member related play – and always will be – is a comfort to people ‘’
Feature Photo: Richland Reynolds (Reynolds Lake Oconee)