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USA Today
12-05-2025
- USA Today
Great walks: Bandon, Pebble, St. Andrews and more — these are some of our favorites
Great walks: Bandon, Pebble, St. Andrews and more — these are some of our favorites Show Caption Hide Caption The Keep at McLemore is a great walk: 'Truly beyond my imagination' Perched atop Lookout Mountain in Georgia, The Keep at McLemore offers once-in-a-lifetime scenery and opportunity for architect Bill Bergin. Golf was invented on foot, and it's still best played that way. Sure, there are times and situations where that golf cart beckons. A modern fleet keeps many older players going round and round, and there simply are days when the heat would chase just about anybody into the shade of a cart's roof. But the best of golf is sampled while walking. Here's a look at some of our favorites: Pacific Dunes Jason Lusk (Travel editor) Golf is full of aha moments. Walk behind the clubhouse at Augusta National – aha, this place is really hilly. Stroll through 16 tree-lined holes at Harbour Town Golf Links – aha, saltwater. … and there's the lighthouse. My favorite comes at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon, but it might not be the one some players expect, which would be David McLay Kidd's incredible aha moment on No. 4 at Bandon Dunes, the original course at the resort. After three holes up and down a giant ridgeline, players reach their approach shots on No. 4 to face a downhill shot between towering dunes with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop. The scene is perfectly framed. It's as aha as aha gets. But that isn't my favorite walk. Maybe because I played the resort's Pacific Dunes first, my favorite walk on the property is from that course's second green up a wall of sand to the third tee. After two short par 4s in the dunes, which create a splendid sense of isolation, Tom Doak's layout opens wide on the perched tee box of the par-5 third. There's the ocean, finally in view. The cliffs some 500 yards away. Rolling, bouncy terrain. Tall grasses swaying in the breeze. Anticipation. Gorse. The whole gist of the property is laid out in front of you – they could charge double the green fee to use that back tee as a picnic ground. If this is your first round at the resort, this is the introduction to why Pacific Dunes ranks No. 2 on Golfweek's Best list of modern courses. Aha, indeed. Pebble Beach Golf Links Beth Ann Nichols (Senior writer, LPGA) If there's a bigger goose bump walk in golf that's open to all, I can't think of it. In fact, a tee time isn't even necessary. Anyone who's simply in the area can drive onto Pebble Beach property, pull into the parking lot, walk past a line of boutique shops and the putting green, pop out on the other side of the lodge and – BAM! There's the 18th green at Pebble Beach and all its splendor. You'll speed walk up to the little wooden fence and stare at the Pacific Ocean, marveling that it looks as good in person as it does on TV. You'll watch the players coming up the 18th, picturing yourself there later that day or the next or sometime in the distant future once you've saved up. Whether it's your first time walking out to the 18th at Pebble or your 50th, the anticipation never changes. And each time you'll find yourself thinking – God, please let it be a clear day. Cypress Point Golf Club Adam Schupak (Senior writer, PGA Tour) The only walk in golf better than the one from the 14th green across 17-Mile Drive to the 15th tee at Cypress Point Golf Club in Pebble Beach, California, is the short trek from No. 15 to 16, two of the most scenic par 3s on the planet. That sound you hear? It's hard to tell if it is the waves crashing against the jutted Pacific coastline or your heart pumping with anticipation. Under a canopy of ancient cypress trees and down a dirt path is a short curve to what may be the most natural and picturesque challenges in golf. Good thing there's a bench at the tee box, because the site of the 200-plus-yard carry over water will take your breath away. Of course, after you gaze at golf's pin-up model of a hole, it's decision time. Sure, there's room to bail out left, but I didn't come here to lay up at the 233-yard beauty. Who knows if I'll ever get another chance to play Cypress again – I had the privilege to do so during my bachelor party – but I do know my video of the walk from 15 to 16 is second only in my heart to the one my bride took a few months later down an aisle. Maidstone Club David Dusek (Senior writer, equipment) My favorite walk in golf is short, maybe 75 yards in total, but it involves two holes. As you approach the seventh green at the Maidstone Club in New York, the eighth green is on your left. I always try to take note of it, because after finishing the seventh hole and strolling around a bunker that separates the putting surface from the eighth tee, you face a blind, 155-yard shot over a dune into the wind coming off the Atlantic Ocean. I've been fortunate enough to have played Pebble Beach, Augusta National, the Old Course at St. Andrews and all the courses at Bandon Dunes except Sheep Ranch. No tee shot unnerves me more than that little punch 8-iron at Maidstone, yet I adore it. The wispy grasses on the dune never stop bobbing in the wind, there is always a briny smell in the air and if the wind isn't howling too loudly, you can hear the surf breaking on the beach some 200 yards away. That walk, to finish the seventh hole and play the tee shot on eight, is my favorite 30 seconds in golf. St. Andrews' Old Course Jay Blasi (Golfweek ambassador) Pure joy. Excitement. Wonder. Gratitude. Each step off the first tee of the Old Course in St. Andrews sent these powerful emotions rushing through my body. Standing on the tee and looking in all directions, I was struck with the joy and excitement of fulfilling a lifelong dream. The clock on the clubhouse, the Old Tom Morris Shop, the Swilcan Bridge, the rumpled turf that is better than you imagined. Your heart races when you realize you are about to take the walk that has produced so many of the game's great moments. You see Jack and his yellow sweater. You see Rocca on his knees in the Valley of Sin. Tiger and his triumphant march. You wonder how a course could fit so perfectly with the town? How turf could be this perfect and firm? How a 127-yard-wide fairway could be so terrifying to hit? More than anything, you are grateful. Grateful to share this magical walk with your dad who taught you the game. Grateful that this Old Course is responsible for the career you wanted since you were a kid. Grateful that this place is truly for the people and you can't think of a better place on earth for a picnic on Sunday. Augusta National Golf Club Todd Kelly (Assistant managing editor) To think I've won a golf lottery not once but twice. The biggest prize was a tee time at Augusta National. I watched the Masters on TV for many years. I was lucky enough to later go as a fan on two separate occasions. I always dreamed of playing the golf course and walking the hills and slopes and greens. Then, I got the call. I was one of 28 lucky souls drawn to play the day after Tiger Woods' historic 2019 Masters victory. Walking off the first tee (no, we were teeing off nowhere close to where the pros do), I was suddenly struck by it all. My caddie in tow, I made my way around the golf course, and at one point, I laughed at loud. This isn't really happening, is it? After kicking my ball around a bit on the 11th, I stood on the 12th tee box with not a ton of confidence. It's perhaps the most famous par 3 in golf and if it's not, it's on a very short list. First, some pictures with my foursome and our caddies. Then it was time to pull a club. I didn't hesitate, taking the Ping Zing 2 7-iron out of my bag. After teeing up my ball, I stood for a second and noted the calmness of the moment, the very tips of the pine trees behind the green swaying ever so slightly. Then it was go time. I must have summoned the perfect blend of tempo and timing at the exact moment I needed it because I made the most flush contact of my life, the kind where you don't even feel it. I remember looking up and seeing my ball in flight and tracking it to the center of the green, landing right over the tongue. A perfect shot on a perfect day on a perfect golf course. As we made our way over the Hogan Bridge and then turned right towards the green, we looked back to the 12th tee, a view that few get to experience. Sure, I proceeded to three-putt, but I can always cherish the memory of that 7-iron. My other lucky draw came in 2022 when I was invited to play Riviera Country Club. Our group went off on No. 8. Two holes later, we were standing on the tee of one of the most talked-about par 4s in golf. After we all putted out, our caddie looked around and said, 'The next group is way behind. Let's go play 10 again.' No arguments here. Because of the shotgun start, we didn't get to the Riv's other famous hole, the par-3 sixth, until late in our round. Like Augusta's 12th, this is one where you want to summon your best effort and I managed to do so once again. Using my 6-iron, I flushed one right over the hole and to the back of the green. The pin was left of the famous bunker on this donut hole and as I approached my ball, I started to worry about this tricky downhill six-footer. Hacks like me can only envision a three-putt in this situation. Our caddie knew his stuff, though and gave me a read. I had no choice but to follow his instructions, and I made a pass at the ball, nudging it more than hitting it, and I watched it head on its line. With my caddie using my phone to shoot video, we all watched it curl in for a 2. Needless to say, I've shown this video to everyone I know. A birdie on No. 6 at Riviera. What a day. Will I be lucky enough to get to Pebble's famous seventh? What about the Postage Stamp, the eighth hole at Royal Troon? The island green 17th hole at Sawgrass? Well, as they say, dreaming is free, but I do know this: I got to play Augusta's 12th and Riviera's sixth and if my dream list ends here, I'm good with it all. Whistling Straits Tim Schmitt (Managing editor) Growing up in Buffalo, I learned a few painful lessons, one being that golf along the Great Lakes can be as difficult to bear as a December Sunday at Highmark Stadium. When I was chosen as a last-minute fill-in for a Golfweek raters trip at Kohler, even though it was in July, I expected whipping winds, French onion soup-colored water and a smattering of lakefront holes. But rather than let me down, Whistling Straits lifted my spirits. The water looks closer to Destin or Trunk Bay than it does to my beloved Lake Erie. (Not exactly the same, mind you, but closer.) The winds can dictate play, for certain, but the currents typically follow similar patterns, so you adjust accordingly. And the course presents two real challenges: an amazing array of Pete Dye holes and the ability to take in so many breathtaking waterfront vistas without allowing the experience to numb you. For example, by the time you reach the 17th hole, you've seen plenty of Lake Michigan, and the "Malibu of the Midwest" (that is truly Sheboygan's slogan) has become your norm. But clear your mind, close your eyes and take a deep breath — an amuse-bouche for all your senses — before you waltz up to the 17th tee, the hole made famous by Jordan Spieth's moonshot in the 2021 Ryder Cup. As you get closer, you see the pot bunker on the right side, in front of the hill which serves as the aiming point for mid-level handicappers like me. This is a walk to cherish, knowing you're finishing your time against the lake. A great shot here (my only birdie of the day) becomes something you'll never forget. Some of this story originally appeared in Issue 3, 2020 of Golfweek magazine.
USA Today
12-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Great walks: Architect of McLemore's The Keep says 'you just don't ever want to go home'
Great walks: Architect of McLemore's The Keep says 'you just don't ever want to go home' McLemore Resort has come a long way in a short time, its ascent as steep as the cliff above which it sits atop Lookout Mountain. Already home to the Highlands Course, ranked by Golfweek's Best as the No. 3 public-access course in Georgia, the resort property last year added Cloudland, a luxurious new addition to the Curio Collection by Hilton. With 245 guest rooms, many of which offer simply ridiculous views across the cliff's edge and of surrounding mountains – plus 20,000 square feet of event space, a spa and a wide array of dining options – Cloudland has elevated McLemore's accommodations into rare air. Up next: The Keep. Already accepting limited preview play, this new 18-hole course takes the clifftop theme to new heights. With five of its 18 holes playing directly on the cliff's edge, offering long views across the valley below, this newest addition has a planned grand opening of Sept. 8 with a clubhouse and amenities to follow at a yet-to-be-determined date. And it's not just the cliffside holes – the more inland holes play across higher ground, offering full views across the mostly open course and the cliff beyond. The Keep was built by the design partnership of Bill Bergin and Rees Jones, with Bergin as the lead architect. Bergin is a former touring golf professional who spent many years in Europe and played in more than 250 events, including three U.S. Opens and two British Opens. He launched Bergin Golf Designs in 1994 and has been involved in more than 100 course projects. Bergin's work includes a renovation to McLemore's original course, Highlands, where he and Jones introduced a new par-4 18th hole that hugs the cliff with such intimacy as to induce panic in any golfer with a fear of heights – it's often cliché to call a golf hole stunning, but in this case and for some such golfers, it's an appropriate use of the word. Following are a few of Bergin's thoughts and recollections on designing The Keep, edited for length. Golfweek: Just going back in time about four years, what were your impressions the first time you got up to the site that would become The Keep? Bill Bergin: All it had on it were some Jeep trails, and it was all covered with trees. When we were going to take somebody out there, we would take the Jeep trail that stopped basically at the end of the ground that we used for golf, which happens to be about where the 18th green is now. And there was a tiny opening there with beautiful, native fescue grasses. Nobody had planted them, they were just there. And there was a rock outcropping that allowed you to sit right on the edge of this rock, and it dropped off more than 50 feet. You looked out over the entire place, and it was sort of overwhelming. Everybody wanted to get to that spot. That was pretty exciting the first time. There were enough little trails that we were able to get around the site. We found an old still, believe it or not – I wouldn't have wanted to drink anything that was made out of that still. I could assure you that was not trustworthy alcohol. The difference between The Keep and the other course is, the other course has valleys, and it gets to the cliff edge, and it's actually more diverse terrain. It was obviously routed through that diverse terrain, but that caused some pretty good distances between greens and tees, with carts being a must on that golf course. At The Keep, our managing partner called it 'mountain flat.' Well, I know better than that, but it is really pretty. So maybe that was the proper term. What excited you about doing the routing for The Keep? Actually, I routed two golf courses. I routed for 36 holes with The Keep intact now as one set of those 18 holes. That's how good the land was. I literally could put 36 holes on it if they wanted. But being able to use the best land and the best views for the golf course, I've never worked on a project like that where that's been available, because there's always a consideration for something else. And the consideration for The Keep was 100 percent golf. It's definitely a core golf course. Then we started the routing process, and of course you're going to use that cliff's edge, and that becomes the unique part of the routing process. So these were really early days of examining the property, and Duane (Horton, CEO and president of Scenic Land Company) didn't care about returning nines but more about starting and finishing at the spot where we met on that property the first time. Every time we'd go look at the property, we'd go to that spot, and that's where the golf course starts and finishes. So that's pretty cool. No. 18 green kind of plays down toward it. There were some old fold-up lawn chairs there back when we first started looking at the property. And now there will be some Adirondack chairs in the same general area. There's really something very, very special at that spot. It's the kind of place where you want to have a nice Scotch or a bourbon or whatever your drink of choice, and you just don't ever want to go home. Would you describe it as a once-in-a-lifetime site for an architect? It certainly feels like it. No one would call this a site that was just made for golf, because it's rocky. We were building on rock, not sand. So what looks like an easy course to build was very challenging. Below the turf, we didn't have to move a bunch of dirt. We didn't have any dirt to move, honestly. We cleared about 200 acres and only moved about 300,000 cubic yards of dirt, most of it around Nos. 1, 13 and 17, right in there. Otherwise, the golf course just lays on the ground beautifully. We have five holes right on the cliff, and we go along the cliff from the tip of property to the far tip of property. You have quite a bit of width out there at The Keep. Most of the fairways are quite wide, a few with centerline bunkers or even divided fairways. Why was width important for The Keep? The scale of the property dictated that we wanted a big golf course. The big views influence that scale. And once you size up the scale in your mind, everything really needs to fit that. Big fairways, big bunkers, lots of tee options. So we have about 90 acres of basically fairway-cut grass. And then we have 90 acres of native fescue grass. The other thing about it, when you clear 200 acres on the edge of Lookout Mountain, wind becomes a factor. Not every day – some days are just spectacularly gorgeous – but often there's a breeze out there. And if we didn't have those big playing corridors, it would be way too hard. And so that width gives players the ability to be comfortable off the tee, and then you have to become more precise the closer you move to the green. Hopefully we've created enough strategic interests where positioning matters depending on the hole location. That's more for a member than it is for a resort player, just because it takes time to develop that relationship with a golf course to really understand it. Hopefully our resort players want to come back and play it again and again, and then they start to learn the nuance. But in the beginning, it needs to be playable and fun and exciting. For much of my personal design work, I usually actually prefer a little bit smaller greens with interesting and diverse areas around them. That's the way I like golf. But at The Keep, we have bigger greens because a small green would look ridiculous. On a site that big, it just wouldn't fit right. Speaking of your greens, how would you describe them? The greens are probably the biggest mix between Rees and I. His biggest contribution would be on about half the greens, although I still supervised all of them. For the greens, we look for good diversity there. These are more gradually rolling. I will say this, I think right now we're in an architectural trend where some architects overcook greens. I really believe that, and we did not do that at The Keep. Instead, we have some sneaky, subtle stuff out there. Personally, as a former tour player, I just think we as architects as a whole are trying too hard sometimes to make things look good on photographs. And if it looks like there's a lot going on in a photograph, it's usually not very good in real life. It's always walking a line. People want greens to be interesting, but you don't want them to be unfair or just silly. And so our greens, they're very subtle. Was walking an integral part of The Keep from the beginning when you laid it out, because it is generally a pretty short walk from greens to the next tee. Yes, 100 percent. In fact, before we designed the golf course, before we even did grading plans, I did elevation analysis on every hole from every green to the next tee, and down to the landing area, and then to the green. And it's amazing how nicely it all came together. The biggest challenge we have is actually 16 to 17. But that's a downhill walk. If you're a back-tee player, 12 green up to 13 tee is a bit of a hike up the hill, but that's it really. I can't quote what the owners might have in mind, but I would like 75 percent of the people to play The Keep to walk and 25 percent to take carts next year or later this year when we have carts. Has your design philosophy changed any over the years? Ever since I started out, I have three pillars that every architect always has – I mean, I'm not alone on this. We want a great course mechanically, we want it to be interesting strategically, and we want it to be beautiful. So we design mechanically first, and that has always been where we go first. We are the superintendent's friend. I give the superintendent something good to work with, so he can produce golf that people will really enjoy. I would say in my early days, I was more into strategy and mechanics. And in my later days, I'm adding way more of the artistic elements into what I do. I think that my artistic ability has increased a lot. At The Keep, I didn't like leaving the golf course. I wanted to be the last person off the property every evening because it's just a place that speaks to me, and I love that. So I think the key is, it's the epitome of very interesting, memorable, strategic golf. And the beauty is undeniable, almost to a point of distraction. What has it been like to see that entire property evolve to today with two courses plus a hotel? It is truly beyond my imagination. And I give 100 percent credit to all of the team, but especially Duane Horton. He's a visionary. Two of the words that we use up there a lot are persistence and perseverance, because that property went through a lot of problems before we got to this point. And Duane's done it. They have exceeded my expectations by a lot. And I would say that experience is kind of a cool word, because going to McLemore in general is an experience, and I think it's a can't-miss experience. Not just The Keep, it's the Highlands too – they're completely different courses. And staying at that hotel and coming out and playing golf for several days is an incredible privilege. I can't wait for more people to experience what I've seen and just be on the ground in that part of the world. It's special.
Forbes
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
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.
USA Today
18-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Splendidly situated: Architect Bill Bergin shares thoughts on new Georgia course The Keep
Splendidly situated: Architect Bill Bergin shares thoughts on new Georgia course The Keep McLemore Resort has come a long way in a short time, its ascent as steep as the cliff above which it sits atop Lookout Mountain. Already home to the Highlands Course, ranked by Golfweek's Best as the No. 3 public-access course in Georgia, the resort property last year added Cloudland, a luxurious new addition to the Curio Collection by Hilton. With 245 guest rooms, many of which offer simply ridiculous views across the cliff's edge and of surrounding mountains – plus 20,000 square feet of event space, a spa and a wide array of dining options – Cloudland has elevated McLemore's accommodations into rare air. Up next: The Keep. Already accepting limited preview play, this new 18-hole course takes the clifftop theme to new heights. With five of its 18 holes playing directly on the cliff's edge, offering long views across the valley below, this newest addition has a planned grand opening of Sept. 8 with a clubhouse and amenities to follow at a yet-to-be-determined date. And it's not just the cliffside holes – the more inland holes play across higher ground, offering full views across the mostly open course and the cliff beyond. The Keep was built by the design partnership of Bill Bergin and Rees Jones, with Bergin as the lead architect. Bergin is a former touring golf professional who spent many years in Europe and played in more than 250 events, including three U.S. Opens and two British Opens. He launched Bergin Golf Designs in 1994 and has been involved in more than 100 course projects. Bergin's work includes a renovation to McLemore's original course, Highlands, where he and Jones introduced a new par-4 18th hole that hugs the cliff with such intimacy as to induce panic in any golfer with a fear of heights – it's often cliché to call a golf hole stunning, but in this case and for some such golfers, it's an appropriate use of the word. Following are a few of Bergin's thoughts and recollections on designing The Keep, edited for length. Golfweek: Just going back in time about four years, what were your impressions the first time you got up to the site that would become The Keep? Bill Bergin: All it had on it were some Jeep trails, and it was all covered with trees. When we were going to take somebody out there, we would take the Jeep trail that stopped basically at the end of the ground that we used for golf, which happens to be about where the 18th green is now. And there was a tiny opening there with beautiful, native fescue grasses. Nobody had planted them, they were just there. And there was a rock outcropping that allowed you to sit right on the edge of this rock, and it dropped off more than 50 feet. You looked out over the entire place, and it was sort of overwhelming. Everybody wanted to get to that spot. That was pretty exciting the first time. There were enough little trails that we were able to get around the site. We found an old still, believe it or not – I wouldn't have wanted to drink anything that was made out of that still. I could assure you that was not trustworthy alcohol. The difference between The Keep and the other course is, the other course has valleys, and it gets to the cliff edge, and it's actually more diverse terrain. It was obviously routed through that diverse terrain, but that caused some pretty good distances between greens and tees, with carts being a must on that golf course. At The Keep, our managing partner called it 'mountain flat.' Well, I know better than that, but it is really pretty. So maybe that was the proper term. What excited you about doing the routing for The Keep? Actually, I routed two golf courses. I routed for 36 holes with The Keep intact now as one set of those 18 holes. That's how good the land was. I literally could put 36 holes on it if they wanted. But being able to use the best land and the best views for the golf course, I've never worked on a project like that where that's been available, because there's always a consideration for something else. And the consideration for The Keep was 100 percent golf. It's definitely a core golf course. Then we started the routing process, and of course you're going to use that cliff's edge, and that becomes the unique part of the routing process. So these were really early days of examining the property, and Duane (Horton, CEO and president of Scenic Land Company) didn't care about returning nines but more about starting and finishing at the spot where we met on that property the first time. Every time we'd go look at the property, we'd go to that spot, and that's where the golf course starts and finishes. So that's pretty cool. No. 18 green kind of plays down toward it. There were some old fold-up lawn chairs there back when we first started looking at the property. And now there will be some Adirondack chairs in the same general area. There's really something very, very special at that spot. It's the kind of place where you want to have a nice Scotch or a bourbon or whatever your drink of choice, and you just don't ever want to go home. Would you describe it as a once-in-a-lifetime site for an architect? It certainly feels like it. No one would call this a site that was just made for golf, because it's rocky. We were building on rock, not sand. So what looks like an easy course to build was very challenging. Below the turf, we didn't have to move a bunch of dirt. We didn't have any dirt to move, honestly. We cleared about 200 acres and only moved about 300,000 cubic yards of dirt, most of it around Nos. 1, 13 and 17, right in there. Otherwise, the golf course just lays on the ground beautifully. We have five holes right on the cliff, and we go along the cliff from the tip of property to the far tip of property. You have quite a bit of width out there at The Keep. Most of the fairways are quite wide, a few with centerline bunkers or even divided fairways. Why was width important for The Keep? The scale of the property dictated that we wanted a big golf course. The big views influence that scale. And once you size up the scale in your mind, everything really needs to fit that. Big fairways, big bunkers, lots of tee options. So we have about 90 acres of basically fairway-cut grass. And then we have 90 acres of native fescue grass. The other thing about it, when you clear 200 acres on the edge of Lookout Mountain, wind becomes a factor. Not every day – some days are just spectacularly gorgeous – but often there's a breeze out there. And if we didn't have those big playing corridors, it would be way too hard. And so that width gives players the ability to be comfortable off the tee, and then you have to become more precise the closer you move to the green. Hopefully we've created enough strategic interests where positioning matters depending on the hole location. That's more for a member than it is for a resort player, just because it takes time to develop that relationship with a golf course to really understand it. Hopefully our resort players want to come back and play it again and again, and then they start to learn the nuance. But in the beginning, it needs to be playable and fun and exciting. For much of my personal design work, I usually actually prefer a little bit smaller greens with interesting and diverse areas around them. That's the way I like golf. But at The Keep, we have bigger greens because a small green would look ridiculous. On a site that big, it just wouldn't fit right. Speaking of your greens, how would you describe them? The greens are probably the biggest mix between Rees and I. His biggest contribution would be on about half the greens, although I still supervised all of them. For the greens, we look for good diversity there. These are more gradually rolling. I will say this, I think right now we're in an architectural trend where some architects overcook greens. I really believe that, and we did not do that at The Keep. Instead, we have some sneaky, subtle stuff out there. Personally, as a former tour player, I just think we as architects as a whole are trying too hard sometimes to make things look good on photographs. And if it looks like there's a lot going on in a photograph, it's usually not very good in real life. It's always walking a line. People want greens to be interesting, but you don't want them to be unfair or just silly. And so our greens, they're very subtle. Was walking an integral part of The Keep from the beginning when you laid it out, because it is generally a pretty short walk from greens to the next tee. Yes, 100 percent. In fact, before we designed the golf course, before we even did grading plans, I did elevation analysis on every hole from every green to the next tee, and down to the landing area, and then to the green. And it's amazing how nicely it all came together. The biggest challenge we have is actually 16 to 17. But that's a downhill walk. If you're a back-tee player, 12 green up to 13 tee is a bit of a hike up the hill, but that's it really. I can't quote what the owners might have in mind, but I would like 75 percent of the people to play The Keep to walk and 25 percent to take carts next year or later this year when we have carts. Has your design philosophy changed any over the years? Ever since I started out, I have three pillars that every architect always has – I mean, I'm not alone on this. We want a great course mechanically, we want it to be interesting strategically, and we want it to be beautiful. So we design mechanically first, and that has always been where we go first. We are the superintendent's friend. I give the superintendent something good to work with, so he can produce golf that people will really enjoy. I would say in my early days, I was more into strategy and mechanics. And in my later days, I'm adding way more of the artistic elements into what I do. I think that my artistic ability has increased a lot. At The Keep, I didn't like leaving the golf course. I wanted to be the last person off the property every evening because it's just a place that speaks to me, and I love that. So I think the key is, it's the epitome of very interesting, memorable, strategic golf. And the beauty is undeniable, almost to a point of distraction. What has it been like to see that entire property evolve to today with two courses plus a hotel? It is truly beyond my imagination. And I give 100 percent credit to all of the team, but especially Duane Horton. He's a visionary. Two of the words that we use up there a lot are persistence and perseverance, because that property went through a lot of problems before we got to this point. And Duane's done it. They have exceeded my expectations by a lot. And I would say that experience is kind of a cool word, because going to McLemore in general is an experience, and I think it's a can't-miss experience. Not just The Keep, it's the Highlands too – they're completely different courses. And staying at that hotel and coming out and playing golf for several days is an incredible privilege. I can't wait for more people to experience what I've seen and just be on the ground in that part of the world. It's special.
