Reynolds Plantation Atlanta’s Golf Gem

By: Maria Girlie Pascual

 

Nobody could have prepared us for the breathtaking, six champion golf courses in the gated community of the world-renowned Reynolds Plantation on Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Georgia; certainly not Raymond Adorable, our affable Vice President of the Asian American Golfers of Illinois or AAGI.

Ray’s sister, Leilani Dywer, and her husband Jerry, were former Chicago residents employed by United Airlines, have chosen Reynolds Plantation as their retirement sanctuary about 15 years ago. Jerry, an active “70-something” and avid golfer, moved with lovely wife Leilani to Atlanta upon retiring from the company. Years earlier, Jerry had attended a conference and golf tournament at Reynolds, brought Leilani to look at the area, and both decided that it was where they wanted to be after their years of service. Since then, the charming couple has incorporated golf into their way of life and is one of the more visible residents of their community, involved with a lot of the projects and activities in their neighborhood.

Ray extended the invitation to us a couple of years back, and as a break from winter last March, we decided to take him up on his offer and flew to Atlanta with him in the middle of March, away from the dreary dark skies and bone-chilling temperatures of Chicago. We took a two-hour flight from O’Hare to Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport where Ray and Leilani met us, then drove with them for about an hour to the famed Reynolds Plantation.

The whole area was gated, with winding roads amidst the professionally landscaped, and well-kept community. The houses varying in size and grandeur, all looked like pretty postcards nestled amongst forests and rolling hills, the topography seemingly drawn to the center of it all, the famous 80-mile shoreline of Lake Oconee, which in the dialect of the Creek Indians, meant “Great Waters.”

The Dwyer residence itself was a white, wonderful ranch home with a welcoming wide porch in front, abloom with potted plants that thrive year round. Cathedral ceilings, big picture windows, natural wood flooring and impeccable minimalistic modern décor by our hosts made the home truly inviting and as comfortable as any five-star lodging could offer, except that Jerry and Leilani were the utmost gracious hosts, so much so that we could swear they were both Southern in their brand of hospitality!

It was too cold for me to play the first day, about 47 degrees F with a little drizzle, I didn’t want to come down with an unwanted cold on our first full day so I opted to ride in the cart with Leilani, while golf addicts Ray and James Delacruz tackled the back nine of the beautiful Plantation Course. They didn’t waste any time, keeping in mind that two of the Reynolds Plantation courses were listed by Golf Magazine as two of the top 10 new courses in all of the United States (yes, Plantation was one of them), while four of their total six courses were listed in Golfweek’s “Best Courses for 2012”.

Inside this fabled community was a 26,000-square-foot spa, three marinas, four clubhouses, seven restaurants, twelve tennis courts, miles of walking trails along and off the lake, with natural flora and fauna to admire along the way. The homes inside this community is a whole, other tour, and there were magnificent and daunting properties to gawk at, for sure.

Briefly, Mercer Reynolds, a Greene County, Georgia native, acquired 7,000 acres on Lake Oconee known as “Cracker’s Neck,” turned it into a hunting and fishing retreat for his family and named it “Linger Longer” before he turned it into the now famous Reynolds Plantation community.

Mercer Reynolds and his business partner, William DeWitt, founded the well-known investment firm of Reynolds, DeWitt and Co., and was Ohio finance chairman for George W. Bush’s 2000 presidential campaign, helping to raise funds for the candidate and was named co-chair to Bush’s inaugural committee after he won, even served as Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein amidst criticisms that his only qualification was being Bush’s money man for his election coffers. So, contrary to popular belief, Reynolds Plantation was never associated with the Reynolds aluminum family.

Outside the gated community, there were more banks than anything else—I counted at least 15, all within less than half a mile of each other. With all the homes being built inside and around Reynolds Plantation, this would seem to make sense, especially since a lot of the community’s famous residents are movers and shakers that have come to own a piece of this beautiful piece of real estate. Drive by the different home sections and you can easily see why.

From a half million to over $20 million, the existing available real estate, existing, and buildto- suit custom homes can satisfy the most discriminating of clientele, and with the world-class amenities afforded to them, one can easily see the appeal of this gem in Georgia.

In the worst winter months, the temperatures hover in the upper 30’s or 40’s, but only for a few days out of the week, never in a continuous succession like what we have in Chicago, and in the summer, it becomes a comfortable 80 to 90, with more amazing sunny days than it is rainy, and the residents attest that any avid golfer can play 365 days of the year with the proper attire, of course.

We spent our few days there playing golf, playing the Great Waters and Oconee courses, sightseeing and sampling southern cooking, with a night of endless crab legs in one of the club houses. The weather was always comfortable, and even when it was chilly by a local’s standards, we would take their cooler days over the stinging arctic winds of our winters in Chicago.

We were there in March, but the lure of warmer weather and the fantastic courses we yet have to play has Reynolds Plantation back on our trip list for this year. The only available hotel inside the community is the fabulous Ritz Carlton Lodge with its 251 guest rooms and world-famous spa adjacent to the hotel. Lots and homes are still for sale, and Leilani Dwyer is one of their marketing hosts in the community.

You may contact her directly if you are interested in pos sibly visiting Reynolds Plantation, and maybe avail of their “Stay and Play” package for future investors. Her email is ljdwyer@ plantationcable.net and she will be able to direct you to one of their sales representatives at Reynolds Plantation.

For now, we can’t help but think about coming back to play the rest of the courses, and to sample some more of the good old southern hospitality!

Thank you to Jerry and Leilani Adorable-Dwyer and to Ray Adorable for making this Atlanta jaunt happen for us this year. ##\

Girlie tees off at the magnificent Reynolds Landing designed by renowned architect Bob Cupp, a daunting 7,048 yards and home of the 2008 PGA Professional National Championship.

The fearless foursome braves the weather : James DC, Girlie, Leilani and Ray.

(1) A two club salute by James DC and Ray Adorable to the beauty of the Landing Course.; (2) The Creek Club course with James DC, Ray
Adorable and his brother-in-law, Reynolds Plantation Jerry Dwyer.

Southern Comfort: Girlie rocks it at the clubhouse after a round of golf.

 

Shopping for souvenirs with Leilani Dwyer, Ray and Girlie.