Doak's Harmony Club

[Ken Fry]

I did a search to see if there has been any discussion on Tom Doak's Harmony Club on Lake Oconee.  Does anyone have any information on the club's current status?  Has construction begun/in process/finished?

[Steve_Roths]

They are waiting for more members to sign on before they start to build.  

[Jimmy Muratt]

The last that I heard, they anticipate breaking ground in 2005.

Here is Tom's revised routing, I particularly like the look of #8, 11 and 17.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I have been in contact with the sales team. The combination of this club and Cuscowilla will be hard to beat.

[ChrisHervochon]

Lake Oconee as in the same neighborhood as Reynold's Plantation?  That would be one heck of an addition to that area.

[Scott_Burroughs]

If I were retiring soon (say, I was 20 years older), I'd join both Harmony and Cuscowilla in a minute.

[Chris_Blakely]

Does anyone know the length on hole numbers 4 or 8?  It would have been interesting if one of these was built similar to the Biarritz and not 15.

[Jimmy Muratt]

Chris,

Here are the estimated yardages for the holes.  

#11 almost appears to have a "Hell's Half Acre" bunker to it, you'll have to decide whether or not to try and clear it with your second shot or lay up short of it.   #10 looks like it could be a Redan.  

#1     Par 5     500 yards
#2     Par 4     425 yards
#3     Par 4     395 yards
#4     Par 3     185 yards
#5     Par 4     460 yards
#6     Par 5     640 yards
#7     Par 4     320 yards
#8     Par 3     165 yards
#9     Par 5     545 yards
#10    Par 3     200 yards
#11    Par 5     530 yards
#12    Par 4     420 yards
#13    Par 4     385 yards
#14    Par 4     460 yards
#15    Par 3     220 yards
#16    Par 4     350 yards
#17    Par 4     490 yards
#18    Par 4     440 yards

Par 72     7130 yards    

[Bill_McBride]

Actually, Gib, a "Hells Half Acre" bunker would be an all or nothing shot, right?  #11 looks like a series of cross bunkers in echelon so you can cut off as much as you can handle, sort of like some of the other holes at NGLA.  There are a couple of situations like that at Talking Stick North as well. #2 and #3 at Robert Trent Jones International outside Washington DC (site of first two President's Cups, a solid course by RTJ team), a course which I don't think has ever been mentioned on this site, both have similar bunkers.  Pretty cool bunkering.  

[Jimmy Muratt]

Has anyone heard any recent news regarding the Harmony Club?  The routing looks very promising and based on Tom Doak's comment that the club has given him free reins to do what he wants with regard to pretty much everything on the property (course, clubhouse, cottages, etc.), this place sounds very promising.

Tom,

Do you have a timeline when you hope to break ground?  Will there be cart paths?

Here is a good look at the routing:

[Scott_Burroughs]

Jimmy,

The club does not have nearly enough members to break ground.  As of a couple of months ago, they had less than 50 members signed up and they need 100 to break ground.

Here's hoping.  If I were 15-20 years older (with a decent amount of money stashed away), I'd seriously consider retiring to this area and joining here and Cuscowilla.

Based on what's written on the club's web site and their pledge for tradition, in addition to a caddie program, I'd doubt that cart paths will be a problem, but you never know.

[Bill_McBride]

Those who attend the Southeast non-official GCA outing at Cuscowilla November 6-7th will have an opportunity to tour the property, whether under construction or not, and see the construction plans.  The routing is staked.  Details on the outing will be revealed once this Painswick thing is out of the way!  

[Harmony]

The welcome mat is out anytime a GCAer is in our neighborhood (3 mi. fm C'willa).  We have cut dozer trails down centerlines and the contours are easy to see.  
Being respectful of the non-commercial intent for this forum, I will still encourage those curious to check out our web site
www.harmonyclubgolf.com
We're not a Field of Dreams project....but a passion for an unspoiled Doak canvas in the SE will make it happen.
Reality is finding out how many players want it...
We break ground when 43 more step up.
And by the way....we're not pouring concrete paths, period.

[Keith Williams]

Kent,

Best of luck in gaining the appropriate number of members.

Surely there must be plenty of people in the ATL area (and beyond) with enough sense to see the great potential and opportunity in this venture.

Please feel free to keep the board posted with your progress.

Keith.

[Lou_Duran]

Any membership tie-ins with Cuscowilla?  Any requirements to buy a lot on the property?

[Mike Nuzzo]

Any membership tie-ins with Cuscowilla?  Any requirements to buy a lot on the property?

Lou,
I'd guess No and No.
When are you packing your stuff??

 

[Scott_Burroughs]

Any membership tie-ins with Cuscowilla?  Any requirements to buy a lot on the property?

Mike is correct, according to the web site posted above.  There will be no housing on this course.  The description of the place sounds almost ideal (to me).  

Cuscowilla is a bargain for the quality of the course you get (based on so many here who give it high marks):  $23K for resident members, $13K for non-residents.

[Harmony]

To confirm some recent posts...
Houses no; housing for mbrs. and guests in rustic barn and/or cabins..yes.
All structures will be period reproductions of working plantation outbuildings, and placed away from the routing.
We won't spoil the visual esthetic of the experience w/ houses.
re. the sensibilities of the Atlanta (and surrounds) player, I hope you are right.  Harmony is the rare opportunity for a private setting not often found anymore...
Our challenge is getting the guy who talks a good line about being eager for this type of golf utopia to step up and put his $$ where his heart is.  

[Lou_Duran]

Mike,

Not for another 4 - 5 years, though with the way things are going in the world, who knows?

I hear great things about that area.  An acquaintance who lives north of ATL on the TPC property has been looking for a retiremtment community for awhile now.  Apparently, there is a program at Lake Ocone that includes play at all of the courses (not Cuscowilla), and he is so impressed with the area that he is buying a lot there.  The resort complex is probably too upscale and pricey for me.  Cuscowilla and Harmony aren't cheap, but I think that I like the direction they are taking much more.

 

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Given the slow start of membership sales at Harmony Club, isn't there a limit on these high end, golf only places? How many can be built? Are they all financial successes? At the Baltusrol meeting, I asked Gil Hanse about his Boston GC project being so close to C&C's Old Sandwich. He said that quite frankly both are being built by guys with so much money that it wouldn't make a difference if any memberships were sold!! Is that the case why so many of these places are being built?

Steve

[Harmony]

Given the slow start of membership sales at Harmony Club, isn't there a limit on these high end, golf only places? How many can be built? Are they all financial successes? At the Baltusrol meeting, I asked Gil Hanse about his Boston GC project being so close to C&C's Old Sandwich. He said that quite frankly both are being built by guys with so much money that it wouldn't make a difference if any memberships were sold!! Is that the case why so many of these places are being built?

Steve

Steve, I thought there were very few "golf only" places being built.  Like a fine wine, we are in no hurry to put together our core hundred mbrs.  We're over half way to that point, and got there in 9 months.  Most projects of this nature do get funded by Daddy Warbucks, but we are being practical...if the desire is there for the quality, real players will step up.  For us, it's not about making the project a "financial success" for the owners...it's to make it a financially solid club for the member.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Kent

There are more of these "golf only" clubs being built around the country than you might think. The Golf Club Scottsdale recently opened. How about Hidden Creek, Friars Head, Boston GC, Old Sandwich, Applebrook, et al? Sebonac in NY is about to start. So is Ledgerock in PA. Wrendale in PA recently opened. There are more. If these are not financial successes for the owners, then they won't be financially solid for the members.

Steve

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