McLemore Resort/ Canyon ridge redesign.

[naws-golfer]

For anyone who has played Canyon ridge, or is in the Chattanooga area, here is the plan for the redesigned golf course. looks like they are keeping the original routing and redoing a number of greens, a new range and a vision for a short game facility. Hopefully the golf wont be too pricey, i love going up there a few times a year, and excited to see what Bill Bergin will do.

 

I'm sure they just got the Jones family legacy up there for name recognition, but disappointed to seem them employ the Family

 

 

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ad4d7e0e17ba38a149eba93/t/5ada8107f950b7b16a66d013/1524269616899/McLemore_Course_Book_Web.pdf

[Skeeter]

Played it several times including a week or so ago. Was told in the pro shop that after the redesign only guests of the resort and resident members would be allowed to play it. Basically going private for all intents and purposes.

[naws-golfer]

we'll see how that works out for them, i doubt they'll be able to do that, they'll always take the daily play revenue.

 

if they can good for them, i doubt it will be the case

[golfgoob]

When is the course closing for the renovations? Need to play it while I have the chance.

[SCme]

We were looking to play somewhere a couple Friday's ago and I went to their website to get prices and a number and noticed they had a different name than the last time I looked. Now I'm cheap so IMO they were too far of a drive and high priced, and I live in the Chattanooga area. Good luck to them but I expect to see that "private" label change after a couple of seasons.

[me05501]

I played there about 2-3 weeks ago, after a week of heavy rains. It played fine, considering, but we played lift/clean/place for more fun. They didn't mention anything about the course closing soon.

 

I've always thought it was a course with 10-12 good holes, 3-4 marginal ones and a couple that could only be improved using dynamite. I'm looking forward to seeing how it comes together.

[me05501]

Work is underway. They're posting some great pictures on Facebook. Seems like maybe they're not going to make their Spring 2018 grand re-opening date, but I'm excited to see how it turns out.

[me05501]

For the curious, they have finally posted membership information on the McLemore website.

 

The ask for a golf membership is...um...aggressive. $50K initiation and $600/month in dues.

 

I'm not sure who they are imagining as their demographic. Perhaps they're trying to jack up the perceived value of the membership that they are including when someone buys a home in there.

 

I have a feeling those numbers will come way down before they reach full membership, assuming they ever do. It's just too remote.

[golfgoob]

Didn't this course originally open to be a private course? I always wanted to play it but it's never worked out. I think there is/was videos of the course. Search golf soup, I think?

[me05501]

Didn't this course originally open to be a private course? I always wanted to play it but it's never worked out. I think there is/was videos of the course. Search golf soup, I think?

 

 

Any old flyovers would be out of date now. They've definitely spent a ton of money correcting the holes that most players justifiably hated.

 

I played it several times over the years since it opened, and it operated as a public course. It was never crowded at all.

 

I just can't imagine any way they reach full membership at the rates they're putting out there. I know the long-term plan is to put a nice resort on the property and I assume resort guests will have course access. Then there will be homeowners who are allowed to belong to the club at more reasonable rates. I am willing to bet they never sell even 25 memberships at the $50,000 level.

 

The closest community is Lookout Mountain TN/GA, which already has a private course that has not always been financially viable without capital infusions from members. The really serious players in that community are likely to belong to Chattanooga G&CC, the Honors Course, or Black Creek. The idea that they'd pay the equivalent of another Honors Course initiation for McLemore is laughable. It's just not the same kind of experience at all.

[Minarets]

Great news only 10k for resident members!!

[Cottonseed.]

Just talked to a guy at McLemore. Said that they will be open for play in June/July.

 

If you're not a member you either have to be with a member to play or be staying at their inn/hotel.

 

Said they were putting together stay/play packages. The staff up there seem to be pretty excited about what they're doing renovation and design-wise.

[naws-golfer]

The renovation and plans look great. Bergin is one of the best at making fun playable

Courses with elements that are challenging, but don’t beat you over the head. I’ll give them 2 years before they are open to outside play whenever you want to go.

 

It’s a super fun course and when it is 100 degrees in the valley, it was an awesome place to play a few holes in the afternoon with a break from the heat. Whether they make it a private resort course or not, the course is better off for it. They had some glaring playability issues and some major design flaws with a few holes and greens.

[SouthPawVol]

BUMP - They offer stay and play packages now. Curious, anyone played since the redesign or knows when the short course will be finished? I was a member at a Bergin design in Gallatin TN and loved it - everything I have read so far on Mclemore since finished looks pretty good.

[skmcclure]

I played there a couple of months ago. The 18th hole is cool but other than that it didn't seem much different that before the renovation. The new clubhouse was just under construction and I'm not they had even started the short course.

[Skeeter]

Played here today with their Facebook promotion.

Some greens have been softened and some penal areas removed but other than the new 18th hole it was pretty much the same course.

 

Short Course was meh IMO. Six holes around 50 yards each.

Greens today were crazy firm and fast. Thought I was playing at Muirfield Village.

[me05501]

Thanks for the update. I was invited to play last Friday but work intervened. I'm sad to hear that it plays that close to the pre-renovation setup.

IMO there have always been 5-6 holes that could have benefitted from the liberal use of dynamite.

#3 sort of a joke of a short downhill par 3

#4 blind tee shot to a sloping fairway that is crossed by a water hazard...at the very least they should build up the teeboxes so you have a chance at planning a shot.

#5 I love a challenging par 3 but 190 yards uphill to the toughest green on the course...I dunno

#6 was supposed to be corrected in the renovation with the upper fairway growing to the left and the green being pushed into a visible position from the top. I'm curious to know whether those efforts made any difference.

***

I think the idea of collecting $50,000 initiation and $600/month from 275-325 people was always rather impossible. The social media promotion is the first clue that they're struggling to get enough eyeballs on it but they've pushed the day rate up by $80-90 so I guess that is something of an accomplishment.

[me05501]

A friend booked us a foursome at McLemore today, which was a breezy gorgeous day for mid-August in the South. The rate was $90 each with carts, range balls, the short course, and bottled water included. 

 

I would agree that 18 is the most changed hole since it is brand new from end to end. However I wouldn't say it was the only hole that has changed a lot. 

 

The new greens on #2 and #5 are a big improvement over what was there before. The reshaping of the first landing area on the cliff hole (#6) makes it much more fun to play, and moving the green back and left makes it a better hole all around. I hit driver, 5 wood, pitch to reach the green. If I'd been bolder with my drive I might have been able to reach. That's fun. 

 

#10 is improved with the waste area down the right side of the fairway mostly gone, replaced by several bunkers but also some fairway. 

 

#12 is better due to the widened upper landing area and reduced waste area. 

 

Some changes are major and some are minor, but they are all for the better. Overall conditioning was also way better. The greens were firm and lightning fast. It took me over half the round to calibrate my putting. 

Edited August 18, 2020 by me05501

[me05501]

For the curious, I thought I'd post an update on the goings-on at McLemore. 

 

They recently started construction on a small hotel near the clubhouse. I think it's going to be branded as a Hilton or similar. 

 

A resident there told me that they are breaking ground on a second 18-hole course next week and will open up an additional 800 homesites. He said the mid-term plan is to have three 18's in total and end up with a property that's similar to a Reynolds Plantation. 

 

I don't know how much more brow property they have...my guess is they probably used most of that for the original 18 holes and homesites. But there's a giant rolling plateau around there that would seem to be suitable for what they have in mind. 

 

My friend got distracted before we finished the summary of their plans but he did mention that the project was really well-funded (or at least well-financed) and he felt like the plans were solid. 

[Minarets]

What is going left of the fairway on #1? I assumed that was a hotel?  I was told some time ago they wanted to have a conference center there too, to host business 2-3day meetings and such.  

[me05501]

2 minutes ago, Minarets said:

What is going left of the fairway on #1? I assumed that was a hotel?  I was told some time ago they wanted to have a conference center there too, to host business 2-3day meetings and such.  

 

That could well be the hotel site. I thought it was going to be condos. Supposedly the hotel will have a view off the brow so it's possible that you're correct about the use of that site. A friend of mine is an architect on the project and has posted a view pictures of the recent concrete pour but I haven't studied them carefully. 

[me05501]

[Minarets]

I usually take customers up there once a year and rent the house on the right before getting to bag drop and restaurant. Has the circle drive. Back up to #1 tee box.  Nice house.  It’s like a 6 bedroom.  Great kitchen, great screened-in porch and nice patio overlooking where 1 tee is down below (unless you hit from tips, which is right there).  The addition to the restaurant this past year was great as we were always scrambling for food up there.  Some BBQ restaurant and pizza joint and each night we went to Canyon Grill which is fantastic.  But just nice now not having to leave property.  Sounds like it will continue to get better(and more expensive). 

[jpthreesticks]

Supposedly the course being built now (or about to start) is alongside the ridge that #18 is on but fairly flat. Flat enough where it is either walking mandatory or at least walking encouraged. At least that's what I heard when they decided to move forward with the project. Not sure what the latest is though. 

[me05501]

28 minutes ago, jpthreesticks said:

Supposedly the course being built now (or about to start) is alongside the ridge that #18 is on but fairly flat. Flat enough where it is either walking mandatory or at least walking encouraged. At least that's what I heard when they decided to move forward with the project. Not sure what the latest is though. 

 

That would be smart. The current course is basically un-walkable. I guess it can be done but it's probably a 10-mile loop.  

[Minarets]

It would be a killer course to walk.   Some holes are far apart and all the elevation???  Yikes.  

[me05501]

1 hour ago, Minarets said:

It would be a killer course to walk.   Some holes are far apart and all the elevation???  Yikes.  

Yep. The carts can barely make the hill from 7 green to 8 tee. From 3 green to 4 tee is probably a 1/4 mile, and then you’ve got all the long paths that pass the turn shack. It just wasn’t designed for walking. 

[jpthreesticks]

14 hours ago, me05501 said:

Yep. The carts can barely make the hill from 7 green to 8 tee. From 3 green to 4 tee is probably a 1/4 mile, and then you’ve got all the long paths that pass the turn shack. It just wasn’t designed for walking. 

 

I'm not referring to the current course. The new one that is about to start construction. Supposedly it sits on fairly flat land along the ridgeline. I haven't been there myself, but I know people who have walked that property.

 

edit - realize you are probably referring to the post above that says the current course could be walked. Not sure why it says your messages replied to mine! 

Edited March 29, 2022 by jpthreesticks