McLemore Resort - Rising Fawn, GA

May 8

I recently had the chance to play The Keep on our drive back from Huntsville, AL to Charleston, SC. We were in Huntsville celebrating the marriage of a long time friend to his beautiful bride to be. As a side note, they are also have a Boykin Spaniel that Wellie enjoys getting to hunt and play with when we get together! This small detour was well worth the time spent delaying our drive. The views alone were worth it. Pair that with world class golf, you’ve got yourself a winner!

Located on Lookout Mountain in northwest Georgia, The Keep is the newer course at McLemore Resort and officially opened in 2024. Designed by Bill Bergin and Rees Jones, the course runs along the edge of the mountain with several holes sitting directly beside the cliffs overlooking McLemore Cove.

McLemore was already well known for the Highlands Course and its dramatic finishing hole, but The Keep feels like the property fully leaning into the mountain landscape. The routing moves naturally across ridges and along the edge of the property, and the views constantly shift throughout the round.

What stood out most was how solid the golf course itself is. A lot of mountain courses lean almost entirely on scenery and elevation change. The Keep has plenty more going on than just overlooks and photo opportunities. Real shot making opportunities arise, strategic discipline, and risk is properly rewarded.

The fairways give you room off the tee, but positioning still matters. There are plenty of holes where taking a more aggressive line opens up a better angle into the green. Other times, the safer route leaves a more difficult approach. The greens have enough movement to stay interesting without becoming frustrating, and the course overall is much more playable than its setting might suggest. The wind also becomes part of the round in a hurry. One hole can feel calm while the next plays directly across an exposed ridge. Club selection never feels automatic, especially on the par 3s. Several of them play right along the edge of the mountain and demand a fully committed swing even when the yardage looks simple on paper.

The cliffside holes are obviously the main attraction, and deservedly so. There are multiple spots where you are hitting shots with nothing but mountain views stretching out beside you for miles. But those holes work because the terrain actually affects the strategy. The edges influence lines off the tee, angles into greens, and how aggressive you want to be throughout the round.

The presentation across the property matched the setting. McLemore has clearly invested heavily into becoming a true golf destination, and everything from the practice facilities to the clubhouse reflects that direction. The resort now includes lodging, restaurants, and expanded amenities, but golf still feels like the center of the experience rather than an add-on to the development.

That part matters. Plenty of resort properties slowly drift toward real estate first and golf second. The Keep still feels built around the golf. There are plans for a clubhouse, restaurant, practice facility, and half way house all on The Keep. The temporary solutions there are ample currently, and will only get better as they continue to build out.

The course also embraces the mountain terrain instead of trying to smooth everything out. There are uneven lies throughout the round. Elevation changes constantly come into play but are not the main theme. Wind moves across the ridges all day. Some holes feel wide open while others sit more tightly against the landscape. The variety keeps the course engaging from start to finish. By the end of the round, The Keep feels like much more than a resort course with good scenery. The views grab your attention immediately, but the golf itself is what stays with you on the drive back down the mountain.

The area did not receive much rain thus far through the spring, and it does show around The Keep, particularly around the collars of the green. There were no conditions that really impacted play, however give it a year or so and The Keep will be an elite course in the Southeast. The grounds crew is actively replacing grass areas that need more attention, and they are proactively addressing drainage issues. After all, the course is built on rock. Some things take time to tweak. Being a new course is tough, but I think overall McLemore is taking steps to get The Keep dialed in for years to come.

Aside from The Keep, there is the original course at McLemore called The Highlands. I did not have the chance to play this one yet, but it is high on my list to do so. The 18th hole is iconic with its dramatic cliffside layout. There is a new hotel on property called Cloudland, as well as several dining options and a short course. McLemore is worth the trip to this quiet part of the Georgia mountains!