The Keep at McLemore Resort
There are signature golf holes and holes that define a course, like the 17th at TPC Sawgrass. And then there are holes that truly put a golf course or destination on the map. That’s the case at McLemore Resort in the mountains of northwest Georgia, where the dramatic, cliff-hugging 18th hole was added during a comprehensive renovation of a previous course on the property that reopened in 2019.
Architect Bill Bergin identified the rocky shelf that’s now home to the 18th green of the Highlands Course, but creating the short par-4 that gave rise to the resort’s tagline – “Golf Above the Clouds” – required the removal of trees and thick briars along with blasting of rock to build up a cliffside fairway.
The result is one of the most dramatic finishers in the golf world, a hole that seems to hang precipitously on the mountain edge more than 1,000 feet above the floor of McLemore Cove.
The hole for the past several years has made the rounds on social media – if it hasn’t popped into your algorithm yet, it surely will now – and spurred the wanderlust of many a golfer.
It also helped make McLemore’s second 18-hole course, The Keep, a reality.
The Highlands Course at McLemore Resort
Playing for Keeps
And it’s worth noting that the new course, also designed by Bergin and spread across a plateau atop Lookout Mountain, is far better than its predecessor. There’s no question that the 18th hole at the Highlands Course is memorable and bucket-list worthy in its own right, but The Keep has quickly become the scene-stealer.
Charlie Rymer, the former PGA Tour player and Golf Channel host who today is an executive vice president for McLemore, is quick to share that the new course is his favorite and surely will be for the majority of traveling golfers who journey to the Georgia mountains.
Taking its name from the majestic cliffside views of Europe’s historic castles, The Keep is essentially a links-style design atop a mountain tabletop. Bergin and co-designer Rees Jones created five holes that play along cliff edges called “brows,” while other holes climb up and down the rolling mountain terrain to provide breathtaking views throughout. The layout itself is dictated by the expanse, with spacious fairways, greens, bunkers and teeing areas, and a routing that’s strategic and fun.
The two courses have turned McLemore and its accompanying Cloudland at McLemore Resort (a 245-room hotel that’s part of Hilton’s Curio Collection) into a true stay-and-play golf destination. While McLemore has proven popular with golfers and non-golfers from nearby metro areas such as Atlanta, Birmingham, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Nashville, it’s also developing a national appeal.
Bergin, a former touring pro who played in multiple major championships, says there’s no doubt in his mind that the jaw-dropping 18th hole at the Highlands Course got the ball rolling for one of golf’s top new resorts.
“It built the hotel and all future development in the community,” said Bergin, including The Keep in that mix.
The Keep at McLemore Resort
Up in the Cloudland
The Keep operates as a member club but is also accessible to guests staying at the resort, which itself is perched along cliffs more than 2,000 feet above sea level. Along with fresh mountain air, a spa and extensive meeting space, Cloudland boasts a variety of dining options: a poolside oasis and open-air lounge called Skyside; The Creag, which draws inspiration from the area’s rugged, natural landscape and its Scottish heritage, and fine dining at Auld Alliance, which fuses Scottish and French highland fare in a sophisticated and unforgettable culinary experience.
Golfers can also stay at one of the four new golf guest cottages – each outfitted with four bedrooms as well as comfortable living and communal areas – or in one of the private and spacious residential homes or villas that are part of the broader master-planned McLemore community. Among them is the Golf Village, an intimate enclave of single-family homes not far from the main clubhouse that’s nestled between the 16th and 17th holes of the Highlands Course, adjacent to the practice range.
Not far away is The Cairn, a six-hole, wedge-and-putter short course that sits just outside the back of the clubhouse and above the 18th hole of the Highlands Course. It’s a scenic spot and one that overlooks the hole that, in many ways, started it all at one of the game’s most unique new golf destinations.
Cloudland at McLemore Resort